The churchyard of Erwarton holds the final resting place of a secret that has survived for nearly five centuries, a secret involving the heart of a queen who was executed in the Tower of London. While history books record the death of Anne Boleyn on the 19th of May 1536, a local tradition preserved within the walls of St. Mary's church claims that her heart was buried in this Suffolk village by her uncle, Sir Philip Parker. A note attached to the organ in 1912 explicitly states that after her execution, her heart was interred here, and in 1837, a leaden casket was discovered beneath the organ, believed by tradition to contain the royal remains. The church itself is a structure of layered history, with monuments dating back to the 13th century and the current building largely constructed in the 15th century. A copy of a drawing of Anne Boleyn by Hans Holbein hangs near the organ, serving as a visual anchor for this macabre legend. The baptismal font features a distinctive Tudor Rose, and the tower, strengthened in the 1800s after lightning damage, now stands in desperate need of repair as of 2012, yet it continues to guard this quiet mystery.
The Last Plague in England
The final outbreak of plague in England did not occur in a bustling city or a crowded port, but in the quiet cottages of Erwarton on the Shotley peninsula between 1906 and 1918. This was the last time the disease claimed lives in the country, affecting a total of 22 people across the peninsula and nearby Trimley, with only six recovering and the rest succumbing to the illness. The tragedy reached its grim conclusion in the Warren Cottages of Erwarton, where two women died within days of each other in June 1918. Mrs. Annie Mary Bugg, aged 52, fell ill on the 8th of June and died on the 13th of June, buried in the churchyard where no sign of her grave can be found today. Her neighbor, Mrs. Gertrude Allice Garrod, aged 42, followed her to the grave on the 19th of June, and her gravestone remains a somber marker in the churchyard. This localized epidemic serves as a stark reminder that even in the 20th century, the shadow of the Black Death could still fall upon a small English village, leaving behind a population that had dwindled from 110 in 2005 to 126 by the 2011 Census.The Parker Legacy
The architectural soul of Erwarton is defined by the presence of Erwarton Hall, a Grade II* listed building that was rebuilt around 1575 by Sir Philip Parker. The estate has passed through the hands of several notable figures, including John Howe, the 2nd Baron Chedworth, who acquired it through marriage in the 18th century, and Charles Berners, who purchased it in 1775. The Grade I listed gatehouse stands as a well-known local landmark, a testament to the Parker family's enduring influence in the region. Sir Philip Parker, who died in 1675, served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk and High Sheriff of Suffolk, while his descendant, Sir Philip Parker, 1st Baronet, who lived from around 1625 to 1690, represented Harwich and Sandwich in Parliament. The Hall was leased to the Admiralty between 1905 and 1976 for the use of the Commanders of HMS Ganges, a training establishment based at Shotley Gate, before returning to private hands. This long history of ownership and use reflects the shifting tides of English society, from the Tudor era through the naval age and into the modern period.