Litchfield is located in the N of Hampshire, between Andover and Basingstoke. The church of St James the Less comprises a continuous chancel and nave, a N aisle (rebuilt 1874-75) and a S porch (1874-75). Carved corbels in an Early English style, perhaps for vaulting, survive in the chancel. The two-bay arcade of a late 12thc. demolished S aisle is visible in the S wall of the nave. The plain three-bay N arcade, preserved in the Victorian N aisle, is probably slightly later in date, c.1200. There is a wooden bell turret (with a shingled spire of 1874-75) over the W end of the nave. The font may date from the 12thc. but is heavily recut.

In 1086 (Domesday Survey) Litchfield (‘Liveselle’) was held by Hugh de Port. No church was mentioned.

The building was restored in 1874-75 by the architect Henry Woodyer of Guildford.

The S arcade was dated c.1200 by Pevsner & Lloyd (1967).

Newspapers reported the restoration of Litchfield’s font in 1874-75: ‘The old font bowl has been cleaned and restored, and, a new base being added to it, it now looks very well’ (Reading Mercury, 6 March 1875, 4). This may not have been the current font. In 1911 the VCH commented: ‘Near the modern font is the bowl of an old one which is considerably damaged and is square with chamfered corners’. This clearly replaced the 'modern' font at a later date. It was described by Bullen et al. (2010) as a ‘rough-hewn rugged monolith’.

The sides of the font may have been cut so that it could be used as a mortar.