St. James the Less Church (Hadleigh (Essex))
St. James the Less is the parish church of Hadleigh (Essex).
It is situated in the centre of Hadleigh, where the High Street to the South meets the modern London Road to the North.
It is essentially a Norman church, with an unusual apse at the East end.
At the West end there is a 15th century weatherboarded belfry, and the South porch is also of timber.
There is a remarkable wall painting of St. Thomas of Canterbury, which must date from between his assassination in 1170 and his canonisation in 1173. He is termed "Beate Tomas", an expression which would not be used to describe a saint.
Nearby is a 13th century painting of an angel with outspread wings.