Mendlesham Heritage Day
St Mary's church, Mendlesham is the only parish church to still hold its Parish arms and armour and is thought to date back to the reign of Queen Mary. There was no standing army in England and a law laid down during her reign compelled each parish to provide arms, armour and trained men to defend the country should there be an invasion.
The Armoury Facelift Project plans to improve the interpretation, conservation and display of the armoury for future generations. The proceeds of the Heritage Day at the time of writing are £5,000. Thanks to all that attended and contributed.
1588 - Preparing for an invasion
May 2024
As part of the Parish's Heritage Day, we represented the calling to arms of the parish trained men. With a small cannon, we gave children a chance for (non-firing) gun drill, along with a servant to the Deputy Lieutenant explaining the procedure for the gathering of the local men for training. And some local good women to give their perspective on their men being taken away for training and the potential of a forthcoming invasion.
