The Saints

The Saints are a group of villages in Suffolk, scattered across the flat landscape between the rivers Blyth and Waveney near to the border with Norfolk. The villages are all named after a saint (that of their parish church), and either South Elmham or Ilketshall named after the 'hall of Alfkethill'. Known by locals as 'up the Parishes' the area is found between the small towns of Halesworth, Harleston, Bungay and Beccles. During WW2 signposts were removed which resulted in many US Airman having difficulty finding the way back to RAF Bungay at Flixton and other local airfields including Metfield.

The western part of The Saints are the South Elmham villages, a name which comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Elm homestead" and may be the 'Elmham' named as the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia (South Elmham Minster is the cathedral ruin if that is the case). South Elmham is listed in the Domesday Book as Almeham. North Elmham is in Norfolk, thirty miles away and unconnected, and has also been the bishop's seat.

Ilkesthall is to the east, either side of the Bungay road.

The Saints are

• South Elmham:
  • All Saints South Elmham
  • St Cross South Elmham
  • St James South Elmham
  • St Margaret South Elmham
  • St Michael South Elmham
  • St Nicholas South Elmham (church no longer present)
  • St Peter South Elmham
  • Homersfield (also known as St Mary South Elmham)
• Ilketshall:
  • Ilketshall St Andrew
  • Ilketshall St John
  • Ilketshall St Lawrence (alias Stone Street)
  • Ilketshall St Margaret

Outside links

• Where it all began — South Elmham Minster
• The Saints from suffolkchurches.co.uk
• The Mystery of the two Elmhams
• The Brewery and Hall — St Peters
• Flixton Parish — aka St Mary South Elmham