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In 2002, thieves broke in through a window of St Mary’s Church in Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk and managed to make off with the huge, ancient eagle and ball lectern.

The parishioners were devastated. Soon they had formed a small Lectern Committee to discuss ways of replacing the unique piece. As there were no funds available to buy a new lectern, they secured a temporary replacement while they set about fundraising and looking for a bespoke cabinet maker who could replace the original piece.

Stoke by Nayland lies close to the border with Essex in the heart of Constable Country. The grand towered Church of St. Mary’s was a favourite with this famous local artist and he made several paintings of it. The fixings and furniture within the magnificent Grade 1 church have been added to at various times over many centuries, resulting in a style and design on similar ecclesiastical lines, but with each generation re-interpreting the original themes.

“We consciously decided that the new lectern should respect the styles that existed within the church,” said Linda Clapham, a member of the project team. “A modern or simple design would have looked out of place in such a grand building, so we were looking for the companies we contacted to come up with a design that was appropriate and would fit in visually, as well as being a practical piece of stature and delight.”

“Neil Stevenson extensively photographed the church’s interior and from those created a few sketches. We immediately thought his design ideas fitted perfectly with the rest of the interior features and the church itself,” Linda added. “We were delighted with the result, especially as Neil and his team incorporated a number of personal touches, including the Howard/Tendring and Benefactor’s arms.”