It is believed that the village was founded in about the tenth century, presumably on the strength of its having a Norse name, possibly Rȳðs - by "farm settlement at a clearing" and identical to Ryssby in Sweden.

The Black Ditches are on the western edge of the parish and are believed to be the most easterly of a series of early Anglo-Saxon defensive earthworks built across the Icknield Way.

Saxham and Risby railway station 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village, opened in 1854 and closed in 1967, though freight traffic ceased in 1964.

St Giles Church lies opposite Quay's Farm behind a wall of flints and pink bricks and consists of nave, chancel and porch with traceried windows and one of the East Anglian round towers, in flint,[4] containing three bells.

This tower has a texture of varicoloured flints, black, white, brown, glassy, dull, orange, not usually chipped or knapped, set in a buff-coloured mortar, and it rises with a slight taper from ground level and without obvious signs of coursing, as if built in one campaign.