About Us

The population is around 320, older than the national and diocesan averages with fewer younger people. Housing is mostly detached and owner-occupied, beyond the means of younger families and most first-time buyers. We would like younger people stay close to where they were brought up, and prevent isolation and loneliness for both the younger and the older generations.

Scattered local businesses include Swanns retail nursery, a pig farm, Nelson Potter timber merchant, Foskett Willows cricket bat willow processor, and the award-winning ‘Unruly Pig Pub’ on the main road.  The renowned Woodbridge Warriors play at the friendly community Woodbridge Rugby Football Union Club and the Woodbridge Gold Club is located on heathland within the parish. The village hall is well used and there is regular keep fit, yoga, table tennis, kickboxing, badminton, body conditioning, scrabble, bowling and boules (and this may not be an exhaustive list!).

The Grade I listed Norman brick and flint structure is dedicated to St Edmund, who was crowned king of East Anglia in 836. The nave is 12th century, the 15th Century tower of the church stands tall and can be viewed clearly from across the Deben valley, just as it has been for almost a millennium.  The church interior is very is small in proportion, with a narrow nave leading up through two steps to the additional Victorian chancel. This in effect has doubled its size for worship. At the juncture there is on the south wall a door leading through stairway to what was a gallery and the original outer east wall.  Amazingly this narrow nave has a very high hammer beam and arched braced collar roof. H Munro Cautely maintains that this construction was an early experiment in hammer beam roofs of this style.  The pews were installed in the 16th century and the vestry in 1985 thanks to a legacy and providing a small meeting room, toilet and kitchenette. The building is structurally sound, with efficient heating and lighting. There is no parking although residents of the adjacent St Edmund’s Close are forbearing.

Whilst the PCC has put in place a project to restore and maintain the physical future of St Edmund’s, it needs to also consider the financial future of our parish church. We appreciate that many people in the village are not able to attend church on a regular basis. As a Parish church, St Edmund’s is available to be used by everyone, not only for regular worship, but also for special occasions such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals, or for just quiet contemplation. Bromeswell is a better village for a healthy church in its midst and should you feel able to contribute to support our work, please make a regular or one off donation.

During the Covid pandemic, our church is open for private prayer on Wednesdays and Sundays.