St Andrews Church Covehithe Suffolk
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Published 2024-03-31
The oldest fabric in the original large medieval church dates from the 14th century, although most of it is from the 15th century. During the Civil War much of the stained glass was destroyed by the local iconoclast William Dowsing.By the later part of that century the large church was too expensive for the parishioners to maintain, and they were given permission in 1672 to remove the roof and to build a much smaller church within it.This small church is still in use, while the tower and the ruins of the old church are maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust.
The parish is a member of The Prayer Book Society, a traditionalist Anglican society that champions the use of the Book of Common Prayer.As the church rejects the ordination of women, it receives alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Richborough (currently Norman Banks).