Church of St John the Baptist, Snape, IP17 1QW

The picture above is from the excellent © Suffolk Churches website.

The Church is in the north of the village,
at the A1094 crossroads, marked on our Map 1 with a letter "J".

The earliest recorded incumbent of Snape was Sir William de Rurcham whose appointment was in 1240.  There have been many internal as well as external alterations and restorations since then.  The most recent of significance have been the rebuilding of the East wall in 1920, and the installation of a new organ together with improvements to the balcony and vestry at the millennium. 

The treasure of the church, despite some mutilation in the past, is undoubtedly the font, which was made around 1500 and was at one time gilded.  Visitors are also attracted by the East window, designed and made in 1920 by Mary Lowndes — it carries, in its lower middle panel, a representation of Snape Bridge, as it then was, with a Thames barge in the foreground (shown below). 

"Mary Lowndes (1857–1929) was ... an influential leader in the Arts and Crafts movement, not only for her stained glass work and successful studio-workshop, but also for opening doors for other women stained glass artists.  She was an active participant in the suffragette movement, acting as Chair of the Artists' Suffrage League, and creating poster art to assist the movement."  — Wikipedia

Visitors from all over the world, as the entries to the visitors’ book indicate, come to Snape Church.  They and those who follow them, whether local residents or holidaymakers, are most welcome whether they come to services or merely to enjoy the calm and peace of their surroundings.  The Church is open to visitors during daylight hours.

The monthly service pattern of worship at Snape Church is:

Every Friday morning at 9:00 am — Morning Prayer

Second Sunday in the month at 9:30 am — Holy Communion (CW)

Fourth Sunday in the month at 11:00 am — Holy Communion (BCP)

Fifth Sunday in the month at 6:30 pm — Choral Evensong

Other local Benefice services on Sundays are listed here.

Details of any changes to the above, and mid-week services, can be found in the insert to the monthly Alde River Benefice magazine Ebb and Flow,
on the Church noticeboard and on the Parish noticeboards in the village — the location of each board is marked on our Map 2 with an "N".
The next Choral Evensong and any extra services also appear in the What's On section of this website.