Restoration Work Begins at St Felix Church, Felixstowe

An ambitious restoration and conservation project has begun at St Felix Catholic Church in Felixstowe, aiming to return the church’s magnificent great east window to its former glory.

The Grade II listed building, completed in 1912 to the designs of architect F. E. Banham of Beccles, is recognised as a fine example of its kind, particularly noted for its stained glass. The church replaced an earlier wooden structure that once stood on the site now occupied by the presbytery. The great east window, a centrepiece of the original design, was gifted to the church during the initial building campaign. Over a century of exposure to the coastal elements, however, has left both the glass and the stone tracery in need of urgent repair.

The restoration work will be carried out by some of East Anglia’s most skilled traditional craftsmen. Specialist stonemasons from Suffolk Masonry Services will cut out the badly eroded areas of the stone tracery and replace them with carefully matched Bath stone, replicating the original design. Meanwhile, the stained glass panels will be carefully removed and conserved by experts from Devlin Plummer Ltd. Each decorative section will be cleaned, re-leaded where necessary, and then re-installed into the repaired framework. As part of the work, an external layer of Perspex — added some decades ago in an attempt to protect the glass — will be removed, as it has since been found to have caused more harm than good.

Matthew Champion, Heritage Officer for the Diocese of East Anglia, praised the initiative, saying: “The church of St Felix really is a very special building, and the parish is to be congratulated on moving forward so efficiently with this important conservation project. Dealing with such a large expanse of stained glass is always challenging, especially with a coastal church where salt, storms, and sea breezes can all impact on the historic fabric. By the time the project is complete we hope that it will be fully restored, and ready to face the next century of Suffolk’s changeable wind and weather.”

Parish Priest Fr Michael Smith also expressed his delight at seeing the project commence and highlighted the important role played by the local community in supporting the works. Last year, parishioners were invited to ‘sponsor a mystery’ — a fundraising initiative based on the window’s unique design, which features 15 individual panels depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary.

“The window is infinitely worthy of restoration and preservation,” said Fr Smith, quoting his predecessor who first launched the sponsorship scheme. “We are happy to commit to this work for the benefit of — not only ourselves — but future generations of parishioners at St Felix.”

Each sponsor was also encouraged to share why a particular Rosary mystery held special personal significance, creating a meaningful connection between the window’s spiritual symbolism and the life of the parish today.

The restoration is expected to be completed later this year, safeguarding a cherished piece of Catholic heritage for years to come.

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