[Timeline]  [External]  [Internal]  [Bells]  [Stained Glass]  

Stained Glass

Amazingly, a good amount of stained glass at St Mary's survived both the destruction of the Reformers and also the explosion at Stowmarket gun-cotton works in 1871.

In 1952, the 15th century glass now in the south-east windows of the south aisle finally came back to Combs. For many hundreds of years the hundreds of assorted fragments were stored in two wooden boxes in the church. The Archdeacon of Suffolk had them deposited in the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they were seen in 1939 by Miss Joan Howson, a stained glass expert from Putney, who offered to reassemble the fragments free of charge. This was delayed during the war years, when the glass was hidden away for safety in a mine at Portmadoc, North Wales and also delayed by a commission for Miss Howson to repair damaged windows at Westminster Abbey. The work was completed in 1952 and the glass was replaced in the two south aisle windows.

This scene is one of five panes which is thought to depict the life of St Margaret of Antioch. She is brought before a king. A demon idol is in the background.

For more details of the stained glass and internal aspects of the building visit the Suffolk Churches website.