So, here's the thing. The Trimleys, two villages side by side dignified by two names, Trimley St Martin and Trimley St Mary (where I live).
The striking feature of Trimley today is having two churches in one churchyard.
There are tales of two quarelling sisters and a family feud that led to the churches being the way they are, but there is no evidence to support this.
The chapel in St Martin's dates back to 1405, and was built from the will of Roger Cavendish, with funds set aside for a chaplain to "Sing perpetually and perform divine service in honour of the Holy Trinity and for the souls of his family". There is a replica of the bequest in the chapel.
During the civil war period of 1640 onwards, many of the paintings and treasures of the two churches were removed under the orders of William Dowsing, the "Hatchet Man" of Cromwell. Holes in the ancient west door of St Mary's could have been cuased by bullets fired during this period.
St Martin's Church was substantially rebuilt around 1690, with St Mary's having its tower rebuilt in the 1800s.
A 'Claim to fame' is that the brother of Lord Nelson, the Honourable and Rev. John Horatio Nelson, was once a rector of St Mary's.
