Monument record WNF 005 - Priory church of Saints Peter and Paul, Wangford

The church of St Peter and St Paul Wangford also known as St Peter, Reydon. This church dates from AD 1160 when a Cluniac monastery was founded at Wangford by Dondo Asini, Steward to the household of King Henry II. Of this Norman building, nothing now remains above ground since an arcade with six bays of typical Norman chevron work was removed from the E end of the N aisle some 110 years ago. The present nave, aisle and porch are in the perpendicular style and were built between 1439 and 1465. The only old woodwork is in the roofs and bosses. The pulpit and prayer desk which are of very fine Flemish work, came from the old Henham Hall which was burnt down in 1773. The font is C15 work. The bells are dated 1624, 1625, 1668, 1721 and 1863. The registers date from 1678 and the chalice and paten are of about that time ... The monastic buildings lay on the S side of the church. There were considerable remains of the buildings until about one hundred years ago when they were dismantled. The cloister adjoined the S wall of the church and the windows have high sills so that the privacy of the cloister could be preserved. There were two doors through the S wall into the cloister and outside just E of the pinnacle can be seen the lintel of a door which may have led from a dormitory to steps in the church. Near the double pillar is the grave of Sir Robert Brandon (will 1522). 28 August 1643 Dowsing destroyed 'sixteen superstitious pictures and one I brake' - windows and wall paintings ... (S1).
See also priory Wangford 001 CRN 01114.
Vicarage. Structure: chancel, nave, S aisle, S porch, W tower. Date: originally Decorated, but mainly Victorian restoration. Position: W edge in village. St Edmundsbury and Ipswich diocese. Suffolk archdeaconry. Halesworth deanery (S2).
Probably one of the two churches recorded at Reinduna (Reydon) in Domesday book (lands of Ralph Baignard). Wankeforda (Wangford) is also mentioned, but no church listed (S3).
Confirmation charter, circa 1200 to 'ecclesiae beati Petri de Wangford' (Wangford Priory) mentions 'Ecclesiam de Reindona cum capelle de Rissemere' (the latter being St Margaret's, Reydon). Another early charter of Wangford priory mentions Ecclesiam Sancti Petri de Wangheford et Capellam Sanctae Margarete de Rissemere' (S4) (quoting (R1)).
Much restored in the C19. Nave, chancel, N aisle, NE tower, N porch (S4) (compare above).
A Norman arcade of six arches was recorded at the E end of the S aisle in the early C19 (S4)(quoting (R2)).
Much Victorian restoration (S5).
Brief church guide for visitors in parish file.