Wrentham, Suffolk

Wrentham is a village in the north-east of the English county of Suffolk. Wrenthem is located about 2 miles (3 km) from the coast along the A12 trunk road. It is approximately 7 miles (10 km) south-west of Lowestoft, 4 miles (6¾ km) north of Southwold and 6⅓ miles (10½ km) south-east of Beccles.

The village has several shops, two pubs (the Horse & Groom and the Five Bells Inn), a village hall and a thriving community life. The parish church is located to the west of the village near the old animal pound which is situated near the church, used in the 18th and 19th centuries to contain stray animals rounded up in the parish

The Church of St Nicholas
The parish church of Wrentham is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The church is around half a mile to the west of the main village. The church is positioned in a churchyard high above crossroads. Wrentham church is tucked away in a churchyard full of trees and shrubs which is a haven for wildlife. The tower, porch and south aisle are 15th century but the north aisle is Victorian. The chancel is the oldest part of the church probably built around 13th century and is supported by red-brick flying buttresses. Both the nave and chancel are very wide. The south aisle contains wooden posts on the south wall to support the roof beams. In the north aisle there is a medieval stained glass window depicting St Nicholas, reputed to be one of the oldest pictures in England. The church had a major re-roofing and restoration during 1990-2000.

The Church Bells of St Nicholas
The church contains a ring of six bells hung for change ringing. The bells are rung from the ground floor in an anti-clockwise direction. The bells are not rung regularly but are rung for special occasions such as weddings. The bells were cast by a range of founders spanning three centuries. The treble (the lightest bell) and the third were cast by Thomas Gardiner in 1723 and 1714 respectively. The second is the oldest bell in the tower and was cast in 1606 by John Clarke. The fourth and fifth were cast in 1906 by Mears & Stainbank and the tenor (the largest bell) was cast by Llewellins & James in 1905. The bells were described as ‘not in tune’ at the end of the 19th century and may suggest why two bells were recast and another added at the beginning of the 20th century. The precise weight of the bells is not known but the tenor is estimated to weigh between 10 and 11 hundredweight. The frame is positioned high in the tower. The tower is suffering from serious problems. Large cracks are apparent on the roof and the roof its self is not water tight. The bell frame is also in poor condition and moves around while ringing which makes good ringing difficult to achieve. The bell openings are not bird proof and large amounts of guano and sticks are in the belfry. The tower is affiliated to the Suffolk Guild of Ringers.