Saxthorpe is a village in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

, England. The village is west south west of

Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are N ...

and north north west of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

. The village lies south west of the town of Holt. It is in the civil parish of Corpusty and Saxthorpe. The village is passed to the north and east by the B1149 between Holt and Norwich. The nearest railway station is at

Sheringham Sheringham (; population 7,367) is an English seaside town within the county of Norfolk, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban Dist ...

for the

Bittern Line The Bittern Line is a railway branch line in Norfolk, England, that links to . It passes through the Broads on its route to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the north Norfolk coast. It is named after the bittern, a rare bird found in t ...

which runs between

, Cromer and Norwich. The

Corpusty and Saxthorpe railway station Corpusty and Saxthorpe railway station was a railway station in North Norfolk.British Railways Atlas.1947. p.18 It was opened by the Eastern & Midlands Railway as a stop on their route between Melton Constable and Great Yarmouth Great Y ...

closed in 1959 but still exists, though the track has been lifted.

History

The villages name means 'Saxi's outlying settlement'. Saxthorpe has an entry in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

of 1086. In the great book Saxthorpe is recorded with the spellings ''Sastorp'', ''Saxiorp'' and ''Saxthorp'', and is said to be in the ownership of the King and in the custody of Godric, Count Alan and Ribralt from him. The survey also notes that there are 50 goats, 20 cattle and 4 cobs (draught horses). For more details about Saxthorpe and its sister village of Corpusty (divided by the

River Bure The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in the Broads.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. . The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of ...

) read the late Janet Wilson's ''A History of Corpusty & Saxthorpe'', listed with a different title in the Corpusty entry. Janet was a Corpusty native and spent most of her life living in the village; she was also schoolteacher at Corpusty for many years.

The Parish Church of St Andrew

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activitie ...

dedicated to

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...

was constructed in 1482 by the lord of the manor, although the chancel and tower are thought to be older. The church has a 15th-century tracery screen, above panels which are decorated with flowers and foliage. The beams of the north aisle roof have a

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a p ...

with a grinning lion carving. The altar rail is carved with pillars and balusters and dates from the 17th century. The church is a Grade I listed building.

References

External links

Key to place names - Saxthorpe
{{authority control Villages in Norfolk North Norfolk