Saint Mary’s Church Troston

Located in the quiet village of Troston, Suffolk, Saint Mary’s Church dates to some time before 1300. It is most famous for its collection of medieval wall paintings, which are some of the finest in the county, if not England.

History of Saint Mary’s Church Troston

Saint Mary’s as it appears now looked largely the same by 1300, when the tower was added to the existing nave and earlier chancel. The font is original, as are many features within the church.

The porch dates to the late 15th century, with image niches, Marian monograms and a dedicatory inscription in the flushwork. It contains a number of well-preserved paintings which make the church the subject of much interest. The most prominent of these are the 15th century figures of St Christopher – who is a familiar from a hundred other East Anglian churches – however, this one is a more regal portrait.

Another notable figure is a knight on horseback tackling a dragon. It might be another representation of St George, though it predates the other paintings, and is a reminder of the fact that artworks were often layered and repainted over successive centuries. Indeed, before the Reformation, the walls would likely have been covered in religious motifs.

A later artistic addition is an east window dating from 1964, while war memorials are dotted around inside.

Saint Mary’s Church Troston today

Today, the church is both a place of worship and the subject of media attention, since a collection of early graffiti was recently discovered. Alongside relatively common compass-drawn and ‘daisy-wheel’ motifs, other graffiti subjects include ships, heraldry, hands and feet and full-length figures.

Getting to Saint Mary’s Church Troston

From the centre of London, the church is reachable in about three hours by taking trains to Bury St Edmunds, then a bus to Capel Close, from where the church is a 4 minute walk. There are regular buses in the area for those wanting to scope out the surrounding area a bit further.