Eye CHURCH : ST MATTHEW

I made a couple of visits to the church of St Matthew at Eye. The first was on a day that started out brightly, but by the time that I had reached Eye, the clouds had come over and it was dull and dismal. In truth, I didn't find this building particularly inspiring, and the dull weather did not help make things look any better!

  However, the church was open and a band of willing volunteers were cleaning. What a nice bunch as well. A lesson learned here...don't judge a book by its covers. A lovely church inside, with some decent Victorian stained glass. This gave the impression of being a church whee a lot was going on. Obviously, a focal point of the community and looked after by people who love their church. There was a great deal of stained glass here, and there was a beuatiful light quality inside as a result. This is a place that I could worship in, no doubt about that.

  I popped back on a bitterly cold Saturday morning in late November 2008, and everything looks better with the sun out!. I had started off at Thorney (where I accidentally parted company with my gloves) before moving on to Newborough. Eye was to be the third, and final, church of the day. For the first time ever I abandoned proceedings due to the freezing cold wind!

  According to the ever helpful Wikipedia the Saxon name for Eye could be translated as Island in the Marsh. It also said that there has been a church in Eye since at least 1543. The present building though was built as recently as the 1840's. According to a helpful member of the cleaning committee the church used to have a spire but it parted company with the rest of the building at some point. A framed engraving inside the church shows the church, with spire.

  This is possibly not the church to visit if you wish to wander around the church grounds in peace and quiet. The church of St Matthew is set at the side of the main road leading towards Thorney, and is directly opposite a Motor Cycle dealership. Hardly a tranquil setting. Church grounds are very well maintained though, and someone has obviously taken a great deal of care here. Sadly, the church grounds are pretty much clear of graves, just a few tombs remaining, but there are quite a few gravestones that have been placed against the wall of the church on the West side. Some nice work here, with one grave in particular catching the eye. This had an angel at the top and a human skull at the bottom. Sadly, this was very worn and the date was not readable. I suspect Georgian, mid 18th Century, and almost certainly far older than the present church itself. Looking at the graves propped up against the wall they were all pretty badly weathered. All looked pre Victorian and it makes me wonder if there have been any burials at all at St Matthew's church since it was rebuilt?

  An elaborate tomb also caught my eye, two photographs included at bottom of the page. At first glance I thought that that the tools pictured on the end were a variation on the gravediggers tools of Pick, Shovel and Torch. A second glance suggested that it was more likely that it is the tools of the deceased's occupation that are engraved.

  Regular visitors to this site will probably know that Victorian churches are not really my thing. This is a nice, thriving, church though and it was a pleasure to go there.