A new statue bronze statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary installed in a niche on the west face of the tower by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Reverend Richard Lewis, on Sunday 22 ^nd April. The service was also attended by Archdeacon Geoffrey Arrand, Rural Dean Pauline Stentiford and 120 parishioners. The choral singing was led by by the Rev’d Ruth Hatchett. The organist was Brian Glading and the service included an anthem “Hymn to the Virgin” written by Brian and sung by a choir of 20. The statue was uncovered by a device engineered by Barry Searle and the service was followed by a wonderful tea in the church hall organised by Karen Davis ably assisted by members of the Women’s Institute. The suggestion to fill the vacant niche in the west face of the tower was first given serious thought in the latter half of 2005.

It is believed that the niche once contained a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary which could have been destroyed by zealots under the Cromwell regime. The statue could also, of course, just weathered away.

Various sculptors were identified and eventually John Doubleday, who lives not too far away at Great Totham in Essex and who is a sculptor of renown and who knows Ufford, was selected. John Doubleday’s public works include Dr Michael Ramsey at Lambeth Palace, HM King Olav of Norway in the Royal Palace at Oslo, HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Marines Museum, Charlie Chaplin at Montreux, Nelson Mandela and others.

The sculptor displayed a maquette of his proposal to the Parochial Church council of St Mary’s Ufford in June 2006. The Archdeacon the Venerable Geoffrey Arrand and the secretary to the Diocesan Advisory Committee Mr James Haswell were also present. Mr Doubleday’s design was universally approved, a Faculty was applied for and granted in September 2006.

In his introduction to the display the sculptor described his thoughts as the design was conceived. “The emptiness of the niche illustrates an aspect of church history. To fill it in the 21^st century with an image of the Assumption of Mary acknowledges the past and recognises the rich iconography of the Middle Ages. It would also act as an indication of the magnificent furnishing of the church interior.





Mary was, and still is, a channel for intercession, her open arms providing protection for figures gathered under her outstretched arms. Mary is also a symbol of trust and constancy who knew the path of grief and her communion with the Divine rendered the barrier of death irrelevant. The statue in its place, facing down the lane as the church is approached, alerts people to perhaps the unusual experience of entering a church for the first time and thus making it easier to connect with the lively imagination of those who built the medieval church and made its artefacts.”

The statue is about 11 metres up and is about a metre high and half a metre wide. It is cast in bronze. The body and robe are covered with matt gold leaf, with bright gilding for the crown. After gilding the enfolding robe has been lacquered in blue. It is thought that the statue would not require any attention for maintenance for the next 200 years.

Photos copyright P Marr