Yaxley, Suffolk

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Map sources for Yaxley, Suffolk at grid reference TM121739

Yaxley is a small village just west of Eye in Suffolk, England. The name means 'cuckoo-clearing'.

[edit] Church of St. Mary

Pevsner said of the 12th Century Church that the north porch was 'one of the most swagger in Suffolk'. The church has the remnants of a large medieval doom painting . High up on the wall above the door hangs a Sexton's Wheel. This curious survival is a device whereby those wishing to fast for a whole year from one of the six Lady days could choose one at random by catching one of six strings attached to named spokes after the Sexton had set the wheels revolving.

[edit] Local Houses

Ashton Cottage in Church Lane, once the village school, was for many years the home of choreographer Frederick Ashton

Yaxley Manor, built for John Fanner in 1520, is of timber frame construction, clad in brickwork.

Bull's Hall is named after William de Bulle, owner in 1328; the present timber-framed and jettied hall dates back to 1570.

16th century Yaxley Hall has a fanciful Gothick facade and, according to Pevsner, 'a composite picture' including older range with mullioned and transomed windows. Two wings burnt down in 1922. Recently, the famous haunted painting of Henrietta Nelson has returned after an absence of nearly a century.