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Every inch of the ceiling of the chancel and nave are covered in Mildred Holland’s paintings. The brilliant colours, with carved and coloured angels, with painted banners and borders, crowns and shields, are everywhere and mimic the medieval style of church decoration that was lost after the Reformation. You can see the hammer-beam roof, that end with large carved angel heads, but it is completely covered in Mildred’s designs.

The church was closed for eight months from September 1859 to April 1860 while Mildred painted the chancel roof lying on her back on scaffolding boards. Then three years later she moved on to tackle the nave ceiling. Her patient husband continued his services in his adjoining parish… and paid the hundred of pounds for the paints and gold leaf his wife needed for her work.

Apostles, saints, flowers and symbols are all here in their breath-taking splendour- a symbol of the Victorians love of decoration, and passion for church restoration.
When Mildred Holland died in 1878, William presented to the church, in his wife’s memory an ornate font cover that towers to the ceiling, and a brass lectern. I think no parishioner then, or now, could ever need reminding of the rector’s wife who loved to paint.Ìý

In 2005 Mildred’s work was cleaned and preserved with the help of a Heritage Lottery Grant and other donations. At one time the Victorians were criticised by some experts for their attempts at conservation, but, as Felicity Griffin, daughter of a previous rector of St Mary the Virgin church in Huntingfield, and lover of Mildred Holland’s work told me, without the Victorians, many of our medieval churches would have been lost altogether.

If you are in the Halesworth area, a trip to Huntingfield to see Mildred’s ceiling means a real chance to see some Divine Art…. I promise you will never forget it!