St Mary's Church, Chilton

St Mary's Church, Chilton
St Mary's Church, Chilton, from the west
St Mary's Church, Chilton Location in Suffolk
Coordinates: 52°02′46″N 0°45′15″E / 52.0461°N 0.7542°E / 52.0461; 0.7542
OS grid reference	TL 889 423
Location	Chilton, Suffolk
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	23 March 1961
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Flint, brick tower

St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the civil parish of Chilton, Suffolk, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Although it lies just to the northeast of the Sudbury eastern bypass, it stands in an isolated position. Around it is the site of a deserted medieval village. It is not known why the village was deserted; suggestions include the plague in the 14th century, moving dwellings to accommodate the deer park of nearby Chilton Hall, or through the drift from agriculture to industrial towns.

The church dates from the 15th century. The tower and a chantry chapel for the Crane family of the local hall were added during the following century. The church was restored in the 1860s.

The body of the church is constructed in flint, and the tower in brick. Its plan consists of a nave, a south porch, a chancel with a chapel to the north, and a west tower. The parapets of the nave and chancel are embattled, as is that of the tower which also has crocketted pinnacles at the corners. The porch has a moulded brick parapet.

In the Crane chapel are the table tombs of George Crane, who died in 1491, and Robert Crane, who died in 1500, and his wife. On the wall is a monument to Sir Robert Crane who died in 1643, and his two wives; this was carved in 1626 by Gerard Christmas.