Contact Details: Pastor Paul Lintott, The
Manse, Fressingfield, Eye, Suffolk IP21 5PZ. Tel: 01379
588406. Email: paul.lintott@gmail.com.
For more information about the Baptist Chapel, click on
http://www.fressingfieldbaptistchurch.co.uk
Click here for service/event details from November 2011
Click here for service/event details from March 2012
George Spratt built the Baptist Chapel, situated in Cratfield Road,
in 1835 in the shape of a coffin, in order to remind people of the
mortality of life. Originally it supposedly accommodated 700 people
having a gallery all round. It also had an inbuilt baptistry.
Refurbishment took place on the ground floor in1912, to replace the
box pews and pulpit. The entire work was carried out in pine wood.
The subsequent building of classrooms has reduced its capacity by
over half.
A large Hall, also hexagonal in shape, was built on to the back of
the Chapel in 1985 to replace a much smaller one which was
inadequate for the needs of the Church.
A further refurbishment of the Chapel took place in 2005. This
included a new baptistry, heating and lighting systems, carpeting
throughout and chairs replacing the pews. The pulpit has been
replaced with an open-plan platform. Also, multi-media sound and
visual systems have been installed.
The Chapel has always had an adjacent graveyard and records with it
much history of both the congregation and the community. Sadly,
whilst grave records are kept today, many of the very early ones
were lost.
In the early 1990s, the Chapel was featured in John Timpson's TV
series on East Anglia.
Today the Chapel is very active being an Independent Baptist Church
holding to the 1689 and 1966 Confessions of Faith. A full programme
of Sunday and mid-week meetings are held. Children's and youth work
covers every age range. The pastor and youth worker are both
full-time and there is always a welcome to everybody.