Thornham Parva

Thornham Parva

Thornham Parva interior

Thornham Parva is a very small church located a few miles west of Eye.  It has a thatched roof and thatched tower. Currently the population of the village is around 50.

We have visited this church many times, but called in today, Feb 4th 2015, on our way back from Eye. Temperature was about 3 degrees C with a biting cold wind. At least it was dry!

Basil Spence grave

In the graveyard are the graves of Basil Spence OM (architect of the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral) and his wife Joan. Did they live in Thornham Parva?  The graves, to the east of the church, are surrounded by a small hedge.  Look for the small hedge and you cannot miss the plot.

The altar retable dates from before the Black Death. In recent years it has been restored. There are some historic medieval wall paintings.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornham_Parva .

 In many ways it is one of the loveliest churches in the whole of East Anglia, if not the entire world.