The rich history of Bungay's churches has been etched on three new display boards in the town.

Eastern Daily Press: The broadsheet on Emmanuel Church.The broadsheet on Emmanuel Church. (Image: ©archant2016)

Bungay Broadsheets are a preserved artefact which feature landmarks or legends and resemble a page of the old broadsheet newspapers.

Currently there are 16 scattered around for visitors and members of the community to enjoy, telling the story of Bungay - and now snippets of key events at Holy Trinity Church, Emmanuel Church and St Edmund's Catholic Church have been included on three new broadsheets.

The idea was conceived by Deirdre Shepherd, historian Chris Reeve and professional cartoonist Alex Irvine, and each features a picture associated to a place or an event, plus an illustration.

Holy Trinity Church focuses on the church tower, which dates from the Saxo-Norman period and was possibly used as a watch-tower. It also escaped two disasters including the Black Dog lightening strikes of 1577.

St Edmund's Catholic Church details the 1791 Catholic Relief Act, which allowed the first Catholic chapel to be planned in St Mary's Churchyard. In 1890 Frederic Smith, a rich solicitor gave funds to improve the church, adding on a school.

Emmanuel Church's broadsheet mentions John Childs, who established Clays printing works and was a regular at the church. After speaking out against the Church of England levying rates on members of independent organisations he was put in prison for a short time in 1835. A stained glass window was erected in the church is his memory.

Father Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard from St Edmund's Catholic Church said the idea was a joint sponsored venture by Churches Together in Bungay.

'We had £500 left to Churches Together and the broadsheets were the suggestion that we came up with,' he said.

'Generally speaking there is a certain pattern to the broadsheets; they give a two line history, an anecdote about something, a story relating to the picture and perhaps some information about what is happening now. We are very pleased with them.'

The broadsheets are laminated, waterproof and in sepia style.