St Mary, Virgin and Mother Church, Capel St Mary

Lovely village Church with a great Vicar and very friendly congregation

Beautiful church

My Father in law is buried in the cemetery and we were paying our respects.

I dunno, the people here claim that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin. Not convinced. It's nice and churchy though.

Fantastic stain glass windows, well worth a visit. It is interesting to note that the C19 High Alter reredos comes from a Belgium church as mentioned by Mortlock in his guide to Suffolk Churches book.

St. Mary's, as with its namesake churches further down the A12 at nearby Holton, & Stratford, has contributed its name to the village where it's sited. However, Capel itself means 'chapel' in many old European languages, suggesting a very long history of this settlement with a place of worship. The present day church certainly has a very central location in the village, (unlike with its surrounding hamlets, Washbrook, Copdock, Bentley, & especially nearby Little Wenham, whose church is closeby but hidden from view). St. Mary's was built on a very steep hillside, making access via the main south porch a very tiring climb up several steps or a long ramp. Because of the sloping churchyard, most of the gravestones are sited together, on the northern side of the church. St. Mary's churchyard is very well kept, & notably long & narrow, with the use of closely clipped Yews in long rows to order & divide the graves. The northern side of the church building also has a recent extension of a large community hall & has so become the main entrance & only disabled entry. St. Mary's is otherwise a quite typical rural Suffolk stone church with short clocktower. It's interior is more elaborate, with a variety of styles of stained glass windows & a decorative cycle of the Stations of the Cross.