The 12 best churches in Babergh District

A chance find while staying in Long Melford. We visited on a sunny Monday morning and on entry were met by two members of the congregation who gave us a brief overview of this lovely parish church. Constructed in the late 15th Century, likely from profits from Suffolk’s wool trade, and with an early 18th Century tower, Holy Trinity is impressive. It retains eight magnificent medieval stained glass windows, among them a tiny gem of colour showing three hares whose ears are intertwined to form, as some believe, a representation of the Trinity. There are wonderful marble and alabaster funerary monuments, an extraordinary assemblage of church brasses, and some lovely painted walls and ceilings. A prayer for the souls of the church builder, something not often found on the exterior of parish churches, is carved into a long band of stone under the eaves. A donation (tap and pay) is much appreciated, there is a small gift shop onsite, and apparently one can even arrange refreshments to precede or follow a tour (contact the events coordinator). Expect to spend at least an hour.

A church full of history, civil wars, reformation and dark hidden communities. It’s all there at Melford. Linked to Kentwell Hall with underground tunnels according to locals. This popular church is active and a vibrant part of the local community.

Large, light and airy with lovely grounds. Well worth a visit.

So many lovely flowers! This church is really looked after - everything is beautifully preserved, clean, and cared for. The flower displays, bouquets, and pots were simply wonderful. They made my day. So thoughtful, and it made the church smell beautiful. Thank you ❤️

Beautiful church set at the end of Long Melford. Lovely medieval glass windows. Also, there is a small chapel at the side, which was once a school.

Certainly worth visiting. Amazing stained glass windows and alot if history. Just a shame about the scaffolding but like so many historic churches it is in desperate need of funds for restoration. Well worth visiting.

Absolutely stunning church at the top of the green overlooking Long Melford. The church itself is a sight to behold inside and out, almost a small cathedral ! There is also a stunning small chapel at the end of the nave on the left in an annex that has an amazing history, so dont overlook that aspect of your visit note: Be sure to look at the information boards that are located at the top of the green which give a little more information about the area and nearby points of interest.

Absolutely stunning building. A very poignant memorial to Lance Corporal Jonathan Woodgate and also very interesting and touching tributes to those who fell during WW1 and WW2. A beautiful building for reflection and memories!

What a night, what a show! Seeing the ultimate Coldplay inside this amazing church last night was, for me one of the finest live band shows I think I've ever seen. The acoustics, and I wear hearing aids, was superb, I could hear nearly every word of the lyrics...which is unusual for me. The performance by the whole band was nothing less than superb breathtakingly good. If you haven't seen these guys, go on their website and make sure you book to see them... A big thank you to the band, all the teams behind the scenes and of course the Church for allowing such an event.

This is a beautiful church full of architectural details, lovely stained glass and amazing stone carvings on the exterior, it should not have been too much of a surprise as it is situated in the historic village of Lavenham The church is a very peaceful and meditative place with plenty of history on show including a small memorial area to the USAAF 487 Bomber Group that was stationed in the area during WWII. If you are in Lavenham please visit this Church, it leaves you with a powerful sense of place.

When you are in the area a visit to St Peter and St Paul's Church is a must, to view the wonderful stain glass window's is well worth a look. Would highly recommend.

Beautiful church, inside and outside, in the pitoresk medieval village Lavenham. The church is large and exceptionally grand. Rebuilt in the late 15th century by a consortium of local families.

A beautiful and large church which contains a small gift shop and a well organised and pleasant second hand bookshop. When we went there was also a temporary art exhibition which was most enjoyable.

Great medieval church with outstanding stained glasses

Last night at the proms was held in this wonderful church, a great show put on by local talent, to raise funds for the upkeep of this historic building.

A beautiful church with an unusual 'spike' tower in the heart of historic Hadleigh. The courtyard at the front entrance is surrounded by stunning medieval buildings (see pics). The church itself has a fascinating history and has been a site of worship since the 9th century. An oasis within a gorgeous village in the heart of Suffolk.

Open daily this large town church has lost a lot of its character with the addition of ugly modern chairs....the font and cover are a redeeming feature

Beautiful mediaeval church surrounded by magnificent buildings

St Mary's church in Hadleigh Suffolk is, a very peaceful and relaxing place, sadly I went for my Uncles funeral . Beautiful service. A lovely place to visit lots to see. Well worth a visit. It's a very mystical place specially at night time.

A lovely old church with a long history and in a lovely setting off the High Street. There is no immediate parking but Hadleigh has plenty of parking. The old Bishops tower is certainly worth visiting but must be booked. It is surrounded by properties from the Middle ages to the 18th century. A very pleasant place to visit for an hour or so

Went there for the (monthly?) craft fair. It wasn't really a craft fair, more like a coffee meeting place where they had decided to rent out tables to a few people selling all sorts of things. Enjoyable. Nice people. Bought a few things but wouldn't go again.

A wonderful Easter Sunday service with messy church children bringing in their completed art work for us all to enjoy and reflect upon. A joyous occasion for all.

Friendly, approachable and made very welcome by all. Traditional four-part choir with a beast of a church organ and a modern take on the recognisable Anglican tradition. Afterwards there's socialising where all newcomers are made to feel welcome with coffee, biscuits (and sometimes) cake. Lots for the younger members to separately participate in. We attend regularly now.

Great venue for various things, including scouts/beavers/brownies

My local church and my wife and I try to go regularly. Very friendly and helpful congregation always, and a friendly and up to date approach to the service.

Hall is good for childrens parties, you can use the kitchen and its a reasonable price to hire in Southbourne.

Very friendly people, made us feel very welcome. Choir sang a lovely anthem. We enjoyed the service very much.

As a member of All Saints I hope guests were given a warm welcome.

Striking church in prominent position in the centre of the village. Lovely stained glass window and a few remnants of medieval wall painting. Supposed to be a memorial to a lady who lived to the ripe old age of 113, although we didn't find it!

St. Mary's is a very impressively proportioned church nestling at the bottom of the steep hill where Boxford village centre merges with the main road. A noticeable feature of the building is the decorative spire emerging from the tall tower. St. Mary's has some very interesting architecture throughout, with intricate carvings both inside & outside. The churchyard has some very old gravestones, many overgrown with moss & ivy...

Hi, I’m tracing my family history and it looks like my ancestors were the church wardens during the 1500’s at this church. There’s records of a Jasper Riddlesdale aka Rydysdale (1490 - 1552) I know these lovely old churches have a lot of the old marriage and christening registries still in tact. It would be great to find out who Jaspers parents where.

What a pretty little village Stayed in a Airbnb right facing the church was wonderful

The church is normally open to visitors. Quite a large church with a high nave and some early wall painting. The bow timber roof is very interesting.

Very scenic church in the centre of boxford, which happens to be a scenic village. Surrounded by lovely cafes and a village shop, as well as some footpaths, so perfect for a day out.

Beautiful church. Had heating under the pews.

This little Suffolk church is a hidden gem, a steep little walk up to the church and you are welcomed to a fascinating and unique place. Firstly it has the oldest Norman bricks in the country , then there are wall paintings a wonderful little memorial and brass as well as some medieval window glass. All in all a top little place.

Open daily this beautiful church sits on the hill and has interesting Norman brick work inside quite possibly the earliest post Roman bricks found in England? the arches look moorish to me although they aren't of course.... the pews have heraldic shields. Also of note are the brick bowl font on 13th century supports. The fibreglass cover is interesting too. Outside notice the mini cenotaph war memorial.

Interestingly, in a village with such a poor housing stock, a well-groomed, pretty little church. In general, by and large, there is nothing to see in the village except for the church and the churchyard, however, you can still sit on the shore of the pond

A lovely church in an idyllic setting, the village is pretty too despite the grim history of the red barn murder

Always surprised at the grandeur you find in these small villages in Suffolk. Inside is unusually Romanesque with some Roman building material used. View from the churchyard is stunning. A footpath nearby makes this an ideal stopping place for ramblers.

St. Mary's is a traditional style rural Suffolk church, overlooking the Box Valley. Even by the standards of this region of Suffolk, Polstead church is remarkable for its beautiful setting & interesting history. Built on a grassy hillside overlooking a natural village pond, St. Mary's is one of the most scenic of all the Suffolk rural churches. The church itself is remarkable for its stone spire, one of only a few such church towers in the county. It also contains some of the earliest brickwork recorded in England, originally believed to be of Roman origin, but now thought to be from ancient English kilns. Polstead church is known for the legend of its Gospel Oak, a tree said to be 1300 years old before it finally crumbled in 1953. Its remains lay within the grounds of neighbouring Polstead Hall, where it's believed Druidic religious ceremonies were conducted even before the church was built. St. Mary's is also famous for being the resting place of Mariah Marten, a local woman whose unsatisfactorily solved murder still raises controversy. Her Victorian era plight & the ensuing court case that was later turned into a mummers play, made Polstead village so famous that special charter charabancs were arranged to carry sightseers from as far afield as London. Unfortunately, the true crime hunters also proved to be souvenir hunters, so now it's not even possible to locate the victim's exact grave, so much vandalism was done to the headstone by those wishing to take home a fragment! Last time I visited it appeared that someone had smashed a window into the churchyard shed, in order to steal garden tools, a very sad way to be treating this true gem of venerable history...

A very interesting church with a lot of history set in a lovely village.

Friendly community and a great place to worship with parking spots too

A divine place to be with God

Mass for 4th Sunday of Advent. Good sermon, enthusiastic choir.

Slimming world is held there on a Tuesday morning and at 5.30pm

Welcoming and friendly

I love God and he loves us .

Nice and friendly people

Went to the community church to meet people it was a lovely venue very friendly people looking forward to my next visit

Always a great place to visit for many reasons. All welcome.

So why do we like CCC? We enjoy the people, the music, the worship, the way they do things and the teaching so planted our roots into the community. We looked at a lot of places that didn't feel right for us until we came here.

Pleased to welcome those who have faith and those who want to know more. Lively worship. Seeking to make Jesus known by being REAL, being RELATIONAL and making faith RELEVANT.

Wonderful community. I grew up going to this church and I'm so glad I went. 😁

Very welcoming lovely play area for the children and snacks for the older children.

Amazing people❤️God bless you all🌺

The church of St Mary is a Grade 1 listed building probably dating from the early C14, though there may have been one previously.The South porch and door are early C14 whilst the font is early C14 with a C17 cover. The 3 bells in the tower were cast locally at Bury St Edmunds in 1612,1622, & 1632 but due to the condition of the frame they are no longer pealed thought a bell calls worshippers to services. There are wall paintings on the East wall which were discovered in the early 1960's and have been expertly dated from around 1300! Probably these are the earliest known altar wall paintings in the UK. They depict from left to right - kneeling Angels, the Crucifixion, and the Harrowing of Hell - a kneeling monk. The church has a complete set of box pews some Jackobean several brass rubbings are evident dedicated to the Colman family - whist the finely carved memorial by Thomas Dunn depicts Edmund Colman who founded the village Colman Almshouses in 1731. St Marys is open every day from 10am to 4pm and well worth a visit.