Wool church

A wool church was often built to replace a smaller or less imposing place of worship, in order to reflect the growing prosperity of the community in which it was situated.

Built largely from 1467–1497 with funding from local cloth merchants,[2] primarily John Clopton, the structure contains magnificent stained glass from the fifteenth century, the Clopton family chantry chapel and the soaring Lady Chapel, which extends at Holy Trinity's east end.

Its fifteenth century nave and western tower were financed by Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who had grown rich from the wool business.

And the Earl of Suffolk spared no expense in embellishing the interior: the de la Pole crest is carved above the entrance; French stone was used for the tower and nave; the roof, although the typical wooden East Anglian style, is an elaborate hammerbeam confection with elaborate angels curving off the beam ends, and a trio of angels on outstretched wings hovering over each clerestory window.

Even in Norwich, which boasts more medieval churches than anywhere in Europe, it was wool money[9] that got the stone lifted, the glass stained and the panels carved.

[11] St Clement's Church, Ipswich was largely funded by the wool trade passing through the port.