History of East Bergholt
Church and Bell Cage
Built mostly in the 15th, and early 16th Century, Church of St Mary the Virgin was the benefit of East Bergholt’s celebrated cloth industry wealth. It was built in prominent place, at East Bergholt’s highest point, and is just a stone’s-throw away from Old Hall (once a monastery; now a communion).
Oliver Cromwell’s men removed brass and other items of value from Churches across England in the Civil War, but despite this fact, Church of St Mary’ still has two brasses set into the floor of the nave — marking the burial site of Robert Alefounder, and depicting his Coat of Arms and portrait. A likely reason why they were not taken is that Alefounder had not long been dead when Cromwell’s men reached East Bergholt.
With the assistance of Cardinal Wolsey, building of a Bell Tower at the Church began in 1525. After Wolsey’s downfall however, work ceased in 1530, and The Bell Cage was then erected in 1531, albeit as a temporary measure.
The Bell Cage apparently once stood in the East of the Church grounds, until the 17th Century, when it was moved at the expense of Joseph Chaplin — thereafter it has stood at its current location, where it was restored in the early 1970’s.
The bells themselves are believed to be the heaviest five (A, G, F#, E, and D) that are rung in England today, with a weight of 4¼ tons.