England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Botus Fleming St Mary the Virgin

The Parish

The parish of Botus Fleming (usually contracted to a single word on modern maps, Botusfleming) lies in the extreme southeast of Cornwall not too far from its border with neighbouring Devon. Botus Fleming is located roughly 3 miles northwest of Saltash and sits just under a half mile east of the A388 road which links Saltash with Launceston. Botus Fleming is a small and compact village sitting deep within the valley formed by one of the River Tamar's tributaries. Botus Fleming sits within a markedly incised landscape where small hedged fields are dominated by pastoral farming, to the east of the village its main lane runs down to Moditonham Quay which would have provided access to the wider Tamr for transportation of local produce as well as access to the riches of the river and its mud flats. The small stream which runs down to the Tamar drains the parish with the latter soon reaching the nearby English Channel. Botus Fleming is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, whilst the land is not high it is steep with local heights of close to 120 metres a couple of miles further west. Botus Fleming was one of Cornwall's smaller parishes, covering just under 950 acres it would have supported a population of close to 250 parishioners. Botus Fleming is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the heart of Botus Fleming on a narrow lane leading down to its small stream. St Mary is a later church originally built in the Perpendicular style of the 15th century. The main body of the church, nave and chancel in one dates from the early 15th century whilst its western tower was added towards the latter stages of that century. Unusually the church probably represents a single phase build covering a few decades with no features of earlier incarnations remaining. Like most churches St Mary received a Victorian restoration, in this case in the 1870s, which saw new roofs, pews, floors and glazing as well as refreshing the remainder. Whilst the exterior is a little plain utilising the local limestone from across the Tamar, the five-bay arcade between the northern aisle and the nave does merit some praise from Pevsner. The village lane are all rather narrow but for short-term visitors, providing a service is not happening, one can utilise the reserved spaces for churchwarden, vicar & organist by the western entrance. The approaches to the churchyard are well-wooded but once within there are few obstacles for the photographer.