Rood Screen Stairs - All Saints' Church, The Street, Drinkstone, Suffolk. IP30 9SX - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

This C14th parish church, dedicated to All Saints, has a tower which was added in c.1760. The whole church was restored by E.W. Hakewill betwen 1866 and 72. The church consists of nave, chancel, north and south aisles, south porch - rebuilt 1872, and west tower. Except for the tower it is built mainly of random flint rubble with parapet gables and dressings of free stone. The roofs are slated.

The stairs from the north side of the nave in front of the chancel arch led to the rood loft which, in Medieval times, would have carried the Great Rood or 'Christ Crucified', a large carved figure of Christ on the cross, it would normally have been supported by statues of saints, The Virgin Mary and St.John were favourites. The word rood is derived from the Saxon word rood or rode, meaning "cross" or "crucifix". The rood screen (also known as the choir screen, chancel screen, or jube) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture and is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, (between the laity and the clergy), of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron. The C15th carved oak screen remains here and the stair entrance, the stairs and the opening which led onto the rood are all present, the rood loft itself has gone. The priest used to walk across the rood loft to attend to the candles placed before the figures of the saints.

For more information see Wikipedia, 'Rood screen'.

The co-ordinates are for the south porch.

Approximate Age of Artefact: C15th Relevant Website: Not listed

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