Subsidence of the North Wall is Threatening the Chuch Subsidence affecting the north wall continues to be the biggest issue facing the church. Unfortunately, the dryer warmer weather we have been having in recent years, exacerbated by last year’s exceptionally dry conditions, means that the rate of the subsidence is increasing resulting in the north wall leaning progressively further outward to the point where, now, the roof beams are in imminent danger of slipping off the inside of the wall. This danger, together with the periodic falls of pieces of masonry, has led to the church having to be closed. The Friends have made previous grants to fund investigation and survey work and for the preparation of a report with recommendations for remedial actions. It is clear that correcting this subsidence is going to be a long and expensive process. The immediate requirement, however, is to provide some support for the roof beams to prevent them falling in when (not ‘if’) the wall is no longer in position under the roof beam ends. To this end, scaffolding is being designed and will be erected inside the church to support the roof and prevent its catastrophic collapse. Fencing is also being positioned to protect the congregation from falling masonry. The Friends have made a further grant totalling £**** to fund the scaffolding design and provide the fencing which will enable to church to be re-opened.

Welcome to the web site of the Friends of St Mary’s, Bacton. The Friends of St Mary’s, Bacton is a voluntary, completely secular, group set up to assist in the maintenance of the fabric of St Mary’s Church to safeguard it for future generations and to promote its use as a village asset. St Mary’s, Bacton, near Stowmarket in the heart of Suffolk, is an historically important building having a rare medieval Doom Painting as well as an unusual false double hammer beam roof and some fine wood carvings. The greatest challenge is the maintenance of the building itself. As any householder will know this is an ongoing and expensive business, even more so when that building is a fourteenth century traditional flint and mortar parish church. Our aim is to assist with funding of projects directed at maintaining or improving the building and to promote the church as an asset for the use of the local community. Why is it important? Because all of us, in our own ways, value St Mary’s: as a place of worship in some cases; because we were married there, perhaps, or have family buried there; for its beauty and the craftsmanship which went into it, or for what it records of the history of Bacton. And because if we - the people living in Bacton today - won't pay to keep the church in good repair, no-one else will. The money raised from our events adds to the impressive total that the Friends have raised so far which now exceeds £136,000 and allows us to make further funds available to the church to build on the £106,000 already granted since the Friends were formed. In that time we have supported some ambitious projects as well as numerous smaller ones. The very first project supported entirely by funds from the Friends was to carry out repairs to the clerestory windows with further work carried out the following year. Another was to provide cushions for the pews to make the hard pews rather more comfortable and inviting. From these small beginnings, a number of projects have been partly or entirely funded by the Friends to repair or improve the fabric of the building. Perhaps one of the more glamorous and ambitious projects was the c onservation of the Doom painting on the chancel wall. This important Doom is now preserved for future generations.

Mission Statement The preservation, maintenance, repair and improvement of St Mary's Church, Bacton, its monuments, fixtures, fittings and furnishings and to promote public interest in it as a building of historic and architectural merit and in its use as a community asset for the village and surrounding district.

Friends meetings in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes in our memories, it and any number of other bugs and viruses are still around, presenting real dangers for many people. We therefore ask that attendees at our meeting continue to observe sensible precautions before attending a meeting including taking a lateral flow test if necessary or by wearing a mask, particularly if you are showing any cold or flu-like symptoms. Thank you.