| FOR THE second year, the diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich is holding an Open Churches Week in July. Usually, only about half of Suffolk’s 360 ancient churches are open during daylight hours, says the Revd Margaret Blackall, the diocesan tourism officer, but all churches are now encouraged to take part in this special week of 14-20 July.
The diocese is rich in medieval churches, thanks to the medieval wool trade. Many of them are in small villages off the tourist routes, but are well worth visiting. Some will invite societies and groups to mount exhibitions (above), as at All Saints’, Wickham Market, where 22 groups took up the offer last year. Some arrange concerts or recitals.
All of them will offer a welcome, and refreshments if facilities allow. They represent, Mrs Blackall says, more than 1000 years of proclaiming the love of God in the diocese.
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