Henley, Suffolk
| Henley | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Peter |
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 Henley
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| Henley shown within Suffolk | |
| Population | 573 (2011 Census) |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | IPSWICH |
| Postcode district | IP6 |
| Dialling code | 01473 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Henley is a small village just north of Ipswich in Suffolk, England.
Henley is positioned on a hill between two valleys. To the west of the village is a hill that extends down to the villages of Claydon and Barham situated in the Gipping Valley. East of the village is the Fynn Valley where the village of Witnesham is located. The main Henley Road runs through the centre of the village and provides good transport links with Ipswich. The road also connects the outer lying villages of Debenham and Gosbeck to the county town. Just outside the village is Rede Lane which runs down the hill to Claydon and provides access to the A14.
There was a church in Henley at the time William the Conqueror had the Domesday Survey prepared, there were also three manors within the village. The body of the present church dates from the 13th century, the porch having been added in the 15th century and the tower in the early 16th century(possibly 1525) when the village was known as Hendley. The vestry on the north side of the church was added in 1838 and the outer wall on the south of the churchyard is dated 1900. In the last 150 years there have been major renovations in 1846, 1895. 1904 and 2005 The church interior had been decorated in 1969 and 1993 but has just been completely redecorated in 2008. On the nave walls and ceiling old style lime wash was used rather than emulsion paint, which was removed in October 2008. Electric lighting was installed in 1946 and the whole building completely rewired in 1983. The roof required extensive repairs in 1959 and the nave was replaced and retiled in 2005, when the opportunity was taken to upgrade the lighting throughout the church. At the same time, more modern and efficient heating was also installed. The chancel roof was completely retiled in November 2007 under the 'chancel tax' legislation - http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchlawlegis/faq/landfaq.html
It is thought that the roof would have been thatched at one time but is known to have been tiled since 1900. As one approaches the church, the perpendicular style tower can be seen. From the inscription above the west door asking for prayers for Thomas Sekeford (Seckford) and his second wife Margarete, it can be assumed that it was built at his expense. The Seckford arms, a pair of scissors or shears, appear between the letters. He died on 23 November 1505 and is buried at Great Bealings. The Seckford family gave generously to the town of Woodbridge. On the left, a symbol of a key links with St. Peter. The west window was repaired in 1872 but the original shape was retained. the decorative flintwork on the buttresses of the tower is considered to be a good example of such work. The stone and flintwork of the tower were refurbished in 1980 at a cost of £9,000. This included cleaning and repointing the Elizabethan brickwork around the top of the tower. The flag pole came from HMS Ganges in 1902, a naval training establishment in Shotley for a number of years. This is surmounted by a weathervane in the form of St. Peter's Key. Also on top of the tower is a plaque recording the replacement of the lead on the tower in 1772. The "plummers" bill for the work was £18 18s 9d. Recently both the flagpole and weathervane have had major repair work, resulting in removing, repairing and replacing the lead on the tower. The present electric clock was installed in 1973 and made to strike the hours in 1976. For up to 300 years there was a turret clock with a six-foot pendulum which needed to be wound up regularly. This was taken out when the electricity arrived. In June 2008 the clock was completely replaced with an up-to-date 24-hour system. Between the tower and the porch on a corner stone nine feet above ground level can be seen an old scratch dial (or sundial); a similar one can be found on the right of the porch entrance.
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