The first church was built in 1190 by Aubrey de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford, the owner of Hedingham Castle and a great landowner in the area. His wife had recently established a convent in Hedingham, and the right to appoint a vicar was given to the nunnery.
As you approach Gosfield Church through the lych gate, a silver star can be seen, painted on the corner buttress. It is the de Vere star or mullet of the Earls of Oxford. When the buttress was rebuilt in 1560, the 16th Earl of Oxford has just paid for a new roof to the chancel, and as a compliment to him his star was placed on the corner which faces towards Hedingham. So the connection between the de Veres, Hedingham and Gosfield is remembered.
In the churchyard there are a few interesting items. The Lych gate was built in 1919 and has inscribed the words in Latin ‘Mors Annua Vitae’ which means ‘Death is the gateway to life.’ This recalls the function of a lych gate as a place where corpses lay before being brought into church.
(Gosfield Church.org.uk)
Gosfield Contacts
Reverend: Rose Braisby - [email protected] Church Warden/Choir Master: Bob Waters - 01787-473863 Church Warden/Wedding Organiser: David Patmore - 01787-474047 PCC Secretary: David Degenan - 01787-472291 Chairperson: Glen Brown - [email protected] Bellringing: Laurence Carter - 01787-472225
for more information, please visit: http://www.gosfieldchurch.org.uk/