St Mary's Church, Akenham

St Mary's Church is a late 13th-century church featuring a flint tower with limestone dressings and a brick chapel. The roof combines tiles and slate across different sections to protect the building from the elements.

The church was built in the late 13th century and suffered bomb damage from a German mine in 1940. Local residents carried out restoration work in the 1960s to repair and preserve the structure.

The church contains a 15th-century octagonal limestone font decorated with tracery patterns and a piscina in the south chapel. These medieval fixtures show how worshippers used the space for centuries.

The church opens on the first Saturday of each month from May through August, with keys available for access during other times. Contact ahead to arrange entry outside these regular opening hours.

A gravestone of two-year-old Joseph Ramsey from 1878 led to changes in England's burial laws through the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880. This local story shows how one child's burial sparked national legal reform.

Location: Akenham

Architectural style: Norman architecture

Website: http://visitchurches.org.uk/Ourchurches/Completelistofchurches/St-Marys-Church-Akenham-Suffolk

GPS coordinates: 52.09620,1.13440

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:04