St Bartholemew, Groton, Suffolk

Hauptwerk v2 Virtual Organ

THE CHURCH

The small village of Groton is found between Hadleigh and Sudbury in south Suffolk and comprises just 229 people living in 97 homes. However, thanks to the enterprise of local man John Winthrop, the name Groton is a familiar one in the USA. Winthrop was at the forefront of the Puritan emigration to America in 1630 and there are Grotons in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New York.

The church itself largely dates from the 15th century, although the lower part of the tower is some 200 years older. This tower is currently covered in scaffolding as urgent repairs are carried out to stop it from collapsing - hence the picture shown here is taken from a postcard.
Inside the church, there are plenty of references to the Winthrop family and the stained-glass east window was given to the church by Winthrop’s American descendants in 1875.