Iken

, formerly an island in what was a marsh at the edge of the estuary, is the most likely site of Saint Botolph's Abbey, Ikenhoe, although this is disputed with other possible locations, including Boston in Lincolnshire, and Hadstock on the Cambridgeshire/Essex border. During excavations in 1977 Dr Stanley West discovered part of a large stone Saxon cross incorporated into the wall of St Botolph's Church tower. The Cross was carved with the heads of dogs and wolves, symbols which were traditionally recognised as St Botolph's emblems during the Middle Ages and therefore it is thought that the cross may originally have been a memorial to him. The Church is Grade II listed; it is the only listed building in the village. At the time of the most recent amendment to the listing (1984), the church was still burnt out. The nave is the oldest part, dating from before 1200. The chancel fell into disuse after the Reformation, and was in ruins by the 18th century. It was rebuilt in 1853. The tower is 15th century. The church suffered a devastating fire in 1968, caused by sparks from a bonfire. It is one of 18 churches in the Wilford Benefice Group of Churches. Features inside the church include a war memorial in the Church to the ten men of the village who died in WWI, an Orthodox icon to St Botolph, and a 15th-century octagonal font. Julian Tennyson, (1915-1945), writer and historian, most famous for his writings on his home county of Suffolk, is commemorated by a headstone in the churchyard of St Botolph's. He was killed in action in Burma. The former rectory next door, now the Anchorage, was sold to a private individual after the Second World War, and as a result of a conveyancing mistake, access to the church was greatly restricted by the new owner. ==Governance==

There is a parish council. Iken was brought to national attention, in the aftermath of the fire, by the decision of the renowned judge, Sir Robert Megarry, to conduct a hearing in person at Iken, partly to take evidence from a witness who was unable to travel to London and partly to conduct a mock funeral in order to test a disputed right of way. The result of that litigation had the effect of requiring the materials for the rebuilding of the church to be brought in on foot. ==Buildings==

There are two former pubs in the village: the Anchor and the Boot both of which closed in the 19th century. There was also a poorhouse established by the early nineteenth century. George Crabbe the poet used to attend poorer patients in Iken in his days as a surgeon, and his poem "The Workhouse" may have been based on his experience at Iken as well as at Aldeburgh. The former workhouse building was purchased by the Sudbourne Hall Estate in 1896. == Notes ==