St Bartholomews Church

The church comprises a ruined 12th century chancel, begun in about 1166 and abandoned in the 18th century, the Decorated nave and aisles, restored in the late 19th century, and the tower, restored in the late 20th century after the collapse of its upper storey in 1830. The chancel to the original church was built at about the same time as Orford Castle, and demonstrates a similar "grandeur". By the eighteenth century, the chancel was completely ruined and reconstruction concentrated on the nave and the tower. In the early 1880s George Edmund Street prepared a plan for a comprehensive restoration of the whole complex but this was not undertaken. Instead, rebuilding work spanned almost a…

The font is 15th-century, with "four lions and four wild men" surrounding its base. Above the main altar is a painting of the Holy Family with St. John the Baptist and donor by Bernardino Luini. It was a processional banner painted to commemorate an event at Milan Cathedral in 1525. The Nativity, with the Angel appearing to the Shepherds by Raffaellino del Colle hangs over the Altar in the St. Nicholas Chapel. The church contains an impressive selection of memorials and monuments, including one to Benjamin Britten, a green slate slab set in the floor of the nave. <Gallery mode=packed heights=240px> File:Orford - Church of St Bartholomew (interior).jpg|The nave File:2004 orford 04.JPG|The…