File:St John the Baptist's church - wall painting - geograph.org.uk - 1507439.jpg

English: St John the Baptist's church - wall painting. St John the Baptist's church > 1507412 - 1507426 in Lound is widely known as the 'Golden Church', its fame originating from the generosity of Father Booth Lyes, a past rector who employed Sir Ninian Comper's genius to restore it. The round tower > 1507419 - the oldest part of the church and believed to be early Norman - was probably rebuilt at some later time. The church was extensively restored in 1912/13. The high altar > 1507434 was raised on new flooring, and richly decorated posts surmounted by gilded bronze angels support curtains of Spanish silk. Below the altar, Ninian Comper's magnificent rood screen > 1507429 is adjoined at the south end by the Altar of our Lady, above which St Mary Salome, St Mary the Virgin and St Elizabeth are depicted on boards with richly gilded gesso backgrounds > 1507432. By Comper is also the only modern wall painting in Suffolk depicting a St Christopher - the saint is surrounded by a water mill, with a Suffolk Punch horse and its rider, waiting patiently in front of it, and a portrait of Sir Ninian driving his Rolls Royce along the river bank. The airplane at top right was added during the 1964 restoration of the painting. The organ case > 1507447 at the west end of the church was installed in 1913. The organ was built by Harrison & Harrison of Durham. The original Norman font bowl now serves as a base for the pulpit. The present octagonal font > 1507445 - given in 1389 by Robert Bertelot - is of the traditional East Anglian type and the inscription at its base, commemorating the donor, is still legible. St John the Baptist's church has a 'Welcome' banner above the south doorway and is open every day.