No one knows how long there has been a church at Downham. During the rebuilding of 1910 traces of what were believed to be early Norman or Anglo- Saxon foundations were unearthed. The presence, within the parish, of a field called Kirkacre - a pure Saxon word - adds credence to an estimate of 1,000 years. The church, with fifteenth century tower and main body of 1910, stands at the top of the steep main street of the village in a perfect and harmonious grouping with Downham Hall.