Catholic Chapel Opens Doors to Fire-Stricken Anglicans
October 10, 2025
St Benet’s, Beccles opened up again this year and generated a lot of interest in the local community. Mike Ellwood reports.
The highlight was an exhibition of the plans for the church dating from 1897-1902 along with a display of photographs of the construction of the nave around 1900 and the interior of the temporary church built in 1881, which had never been seen in public before.
As part of the week celebrating architecture there was a visit by 7 of the great grandchildren of the architect, Francis Banham, who also designed St Felix, Felixstowe, along with the current occupants of his house in Beccles and another designed by him. Some of them had travelled from as far as Milton Keynes and London for the occasion, turning it into a family reunion.
Photograph: The great grandchildren and partners with Fr Simon and Mike Ellwood from St Benet’s behind the family graves.
