Saxthorpe is a village within the civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 of Corpusty in the English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 county of Norfolk. The village is 12 miles (19.3 km) west south west of Cromer

Cromer

Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...

, 16.3 miles (26.2 km) north north west of Norwich

Norwich

Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...

 and 131 miles (210.8 km) north east of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The village lies 6.2 miles (10 km) south west of the town of Holt

Holt, Norfolk

Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...

. The village is passed to the north and east by the B1149

B1149 road

The B1149 is the most direct route between the town of Holt and the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England. There is no direct A-road alternative...

 between Holt and Norwich. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham

Sheringham railway station

Sheringham railway station is a timber halt in the town of Sheringham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Bittern Line, operated by National Express East Anglia, and is 49 km north of...

 for the Bittern Line

Bittern Line

The Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...

 which runs between Sheringham

Sheringham

Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....

, Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport

Norwich International Airport

Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....

.

History

Saxthorpe has an entry in the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 of 1085. In the great book Saxthorpe is recorded by the name ‘’Sastorp’’, “Saxiorp” and “Saxthorp” it is said to be in the ownership of the King and in the custardy of Godric, Count Alan

Alan IV, Duke of Brittany

Alan IV was Duke of Brittany, from 1084 until his abdication in 1112. He was also Count of Nantes and Count of Rennes. He was son of Hawise, Duchess of Brittany and Duke Hoel II. He was known as Alan Fergant, which in Breton means "Alan the Strong"...

 and Ribralt from him. The survey also notes that there are 50 goats, 20 cattle and 4 cobs.

For more details about Saxthorpe and its sister village of Corpusty (divided by the River Bure) read the late Janet Wilson's A History of Corpusty & Saxthorpe. 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 of Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...

is constructed in 1482 by the lord of the manor although chancel and tower are thought to be older. The church has a 15th century screen with tracery above panels which are decorated with flowers and foliage. The beams of the north aisle roof have a boss with a grinning lion carving. The altar rail is carved with pillars and balusters and date from the 17th century. The church is a Grade I listed building