Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a mediaeval church located in Little Saxham, set back from Chevington Road. It comprises a nave, chancel, south porch, north aisle, and north chapel, with a west tower. The walls are constructed of flint rubble with limestone dressings, topped with low-pitched leaded roofs, although the porch roof is plaintiled.

The round tower dates from the 11th or 12th century and has shafted belfry openings on all four sides, featuring a continuous arcade formed by two blank arches between each opening. A billet-moulded cornice sits below, and the first-floor tower has slit windows with semicircular heads. A lower west window is decorated with chevron ornament. A 14th-century crenellated parapet and four gargoyles are also visible. Other fabric from the 11th or 12th century includes a south doorway with shafts having volute capitals, a roll-moulded arch, and a plain tympanum. A niche in the west nave wall, possibly from a reset north doorway, is also present. A tall, narrow tower arch with a chamfered impost leads to a doorway within the tower chamber accessible from the nave.

The north aisle was built in the mid-14th century and features two traceried windows, a simple north doorway, and a chamfered arcade with clerestory windows above. A low-pitched tie-beam roof, with ovolo mouldings and massive arch-braces featuring soffit-cusping, is also part of this section. The south porch, also from the mid-14th century, has two square-headed windows and an arched doorway with pilasters having a bell-spread base. A holy water stoup is located beside the doorway, and the parapet gable includes a sundial and a grotesque finial. A 19th-century scissor-braced coupled rafter roof crowns the porch. A 14th-century doorway gives access from the north aisle to the chancel.

The nave roof, also from the 14th century and of principal rafter type (restored in the 19th century), has crenellated parapets and a gargoyle on the south side. The chancel roof is cambered and dates from the 19th century. The chancel arch, from the 15th century, contains pilasters. Alterations in the early 16th century added the north chapel, which boasts a large five-light window, and three-light windows were inserted into the south nave and chancel walls, all restored in the 19th century. A doorway and steps leading to a rood loft are present, along with a piscina for a side chapel in the north aisle. A simple 15th-century piscina is set into the south wall of the sanctuary.

A 15th-century octagonal font is accompanied by a 17th-century oak pyramid cover with an acorn finial. Two sections of a buttressed and arcaded rood screen from the 15th century lie within the nave and aisle. A mid-18th-century oak altar rail, originally from Little Livermere Church, has been reset here. A late 17th-century octagonal pulpit displays arcaded panels, a canopy, and a back, and was restored in 1891. The poppy head benches in the nave are decorated with carved animals and birds on the poppy heads and buttresses; one bench has traceried ends and angel buttresses. An oak eagle lectern, dated 1893, is also present. Stained glass windows are located in the east chancel window (dated 1899) and the south window (1901). Within the chancel is a cenotaph to Thomas Fitzlucas of Little Saxham Hall, who died in 1531, featuring a square frame with an arched head, inset escutcheons, and flanking pilasters. In the chapel, a baroque tomb commemorates William, Baron Crofts (died 1677), created by Abraham Storey, and there is a mural monument to Elizabeth, Lady Crofts (died 1642), by Henry Bowden.