The church of Saint Mary, Badley is a mile from the nearest road ( the B1113) between Stowmarket and Needham Market. There is an easy to miss sign and then a mile or so over a track to find it. It is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust and it is worth checking opening times – generally weekends – especially if you are walking or cycling.
It is a small, humble church but with a stunning historic interior. Simon Knott who has a truly wonderful website cataloguing all Suffolk churches ( as well as Norfolk and other places too) writes that ”Badley church has one of the most haunting and evocative interiors of any of the near-3000 churches I have ever visited’. Suffolk Churches website
Simon rates Badley as fourth in his Suffolk top 50 – behind only Blythburgh, Westhall, and Thornham Parva. Out of those I must put a hand up for Westhall, also remote and with so much atmosphere and history.
Interior showing nave with wooden box pews bleached almost white by the passing of time. I have 45 photos of Badley on Geography Photos – just use the search function.
