Lavenham’s St Peter and St Paul’s Church celebrates 500th anniversary of tower construction with year of events
A year of celebrations lies ahead for a village community in honour of a major milestone in the history of its church.
St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Lavenham has announced a varied schedule of activities running throughout 2025, to mark the 500th anniversary of the construction of its iconic church tower.
Concerts, history talks and a Tudor fair and family fun day are among the events on the itinerary over the coming months, organised by the Friends of Lavenham Church.
The Rev Canon Simon Pitcher, rector for the Lavenham parish, told the Suffolk Free Press: “We are putting on a range of activities that are aimed at a wide audience.
“The whole purpose is to celebrate 500 years of the Lavenham church tower, and it’s part in the community. It was built at a time when Lavenham was an extremely wealthy market town.
“It is a significant moment in the history of the village, and we’re also looking forward to hopefully another 500 years ahead.”
A full brochure, containing information about all of the upcoming events and ticket books, is available now, and can be viewed online by going to www.lavenham.church/500-years-of-lavenham-church.
The St Peter and St Paul’s Church tower was built over the late 15th and early 16th centuries, during a time when Lavenham was one of the richest settlements in England.
After 40 years of work, the tower was completed in 1525 and, standing at just over 140 feet, is believed to be one of the tallest of its kind nationwide.
Created in honour of King Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York, following the Battle of Bosworth, its construction was driven by funding from six wealthy families, including the de Veres and the Springs.
As part of the 500-year celebrations, a patronal festival is taking place this summer, with many descendants of the Spring family set to attend – including Richard Spring, Lord Risby, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, Dick Spring.
