Church Heritage Record 633383

Round west tower, nave, chancel, north porch and south vestry.

Nave c 14m (46 ft) x 8m (25 ft), chancel 6.5m (21ft).

The site is of exceptional archaeological potential, and the Historic Environment Record should be consulted if any disturbance or development is considered. There are Prehistoric and Roman settlement remains in the area and some brick in the church tower may be Roman.  The manor of Thorington appears as “Tornintune” in the Domesday Book. A Saxon priest is mentioned, but the tower looks to be 12th-century in date.  A south aisle was added in the 13th century, but was pulled down and the arcade and south door blocked at some point. There was a 15th-century rebuild, from this date are the nave window, porch and roof.   The church was heavily restored in 1862 and the vestry added, and the odd decision was taken to remove the inner face of the lower part of the nave walls, ostensibly to widen the nave, though little space was won. The chancel and the tower arch were substantially rebuilt. The manor house has gone, leaving just an attractive gate house. There were repairs in 1982 by William Anderson of Norwich. The surrounding estate is now run by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

This fine small church was largely altered by a Victorian rebuild, with the round tower remaining. The tower is of coursed unknapped flint and has a band of tall blind round-headed arches half way up, cited as evidence of a Late Saxon date. Below the band is a Victorian neo-Norman west window with one order of colonettes and heavy chevron moulding to arch. Slit windows to north, south and west cut through arcade. 2-light recessed bell chamber openings on each side. The early 16th-century upper stage is octagonal and of red brick, the centre of each face with a quatrefoil within a square panel, crenellated parapet.

The nave has very thick probably 12th century walls with two restored pointed 15th century windows; the north wall has the remains of a blocked 12th century window with chip-carved head visible above the 15th century porch, which has a knapped flint facade with pointed doorway and 2-light windows. Smaller Victorian south vestry with diagonal buttresses of three weatherings, 2-light south window and pointed east door. The chancel has a 3-light pointed east window and two 2-light windows to each side wall, all in the Decorated style and of 1862, and diagonal buttresses.

Moving inside and looking west, the church was are plastered and whitewashed. The tower arch was completely rebuilt by the Victorians with rich neo-Norman ornamentation, with a band of heavy chevron and dogtooth hoodmould. Above the arch a vertical strip of plaster is cut away to show off a rough arched opening, common in Norman churches. The surrounding fabric contains brick, possibly Roman, with a blocked arch head under the opening. A piece of chevron can be seen within the lower infill.

A very fine font is located under the arch, there is a good encaustic tile floor here, plain tiles in the nave. Looking east, the nave has been widened by removing the lower part of the walls and supporting the upper walling on a stepped corbel course. The north wall is of interest above this, as one can easily make out the 12th century doorway and two blocked pointed arcade arches. There is therefore more ancient fabric and archaeological and architectural interest present.

Good arch-braced nave roof of four bays, angels to either side of the apex of each principal and to the foot of the wall posts, square bosses at intersection of principals and purlins, east-west arch-braces between wall posts, supporting the cornice. There is a late 14th century piscina with cusped ogee arch and traceried spandrels in the south wall.

There are a few Medieval benches with poppyhead ends amongst the Victorian copies, and the chancel stalls incorporate part of the traceried head of the rood screen. The chancel was considerably restored in 1862, and the plain tall chancel arch and canted roof belong to this date. There are brass Commandment Boards each side of the window with matching brass memorials underneath. Encaustic tile floor, Victorian reredos and colourful stained glass.