All Saints

All Saints is a large church, built as a statement of wealth by the Bishops of Ely with former rectors including a cardinal.

On entering visitors remark on the sense of light and space, as the sun bounces back from the clotted cream coloured walls along with the well loved feeling of the building. Its simplicity belays many interesting architectural features including the original 14th century quatrefoil clerestory windows, the 14th century chancel ceiling with two carved heads one of Christ and one of Mary wearing a medieval head dress; the 15th century double hammer beam nave roof, restored in the reign King James I probably on his instruction when he had timber taken from Hitcham Great Wood for repairs after a serious fire in Bury St Edmunds. Check out the carved royal emblems and the grotesques on the roof.

The 15th century porch has trefoil headed flushwork panels and carved lions’ heads decorate the doorway. The lower half of 15th century decorated rood screen has painted panels of angels bearing the instruments of passion, their faces scratched out in the reformation at the same time that the upper half of the screen was removed. Walk up the steps to chancel to see the indents of the 3 large brasses, these are explained in church guide for sale by the south door.

In the chancel is a memorial in the church to Hitcham’s most famous rector, Revd Prof John Henslow, who was Charles Darwin’s tutor and mentor. Hitcham school children collected plant specimens for Darwin’s research. A permanent museum quality exhibition explaining Henslow’s contribution to The Theory of Evolution and the local community is in the north aisle.

There is a comprehensive searchable record of the graves in the churchyard inside the the south door and on the village web site.