England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Beaumont with Kirkandrews on Eden St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Beaumont lies in northern Cumberland about 4 miles northwest of the city of Carlisle. The parish subsumed that of Kirkandrews on Eden in 1692 with the latter's church being demolished in historical times, parishioners used Beaumont but continued burials in the former churchyard. Beaumont sits a little over 2 miles north of the B5307 road which connects Carlisle with Silloth, Kirkandrews being a half mile or so southeast of Beaumont. Neither village is large, today, albeit in the past there was a greater population, both small villages sit on the southern banks of the estuarine portion of the River Eden. The area has a long history, the less well-known portion of Hadrian's Wall passes through the joint parish. The area for each parish portion has extensive low-lying pastures and cattle would have provided the main farming income. Modern developments have come and gone from the area, a railway line connecting Carlisle with Port Carlisle has since closed and been largely dismantled. Today these sleepy villages do receive some visits as hikers starting the Hardrian's Wall Trail pass through on their first day headed for Wallsend and the North Sea. As riverside settlements numerous small streams and field drains head into the neighbouring Eden estuary which merges with that of the Esk to form the Solway Firth and then the Irish Sea. Kirkandrews sits at around 10 metres above the sea with Beaumont a little over 10 metres higher in rather flat terrain where a height of 30 metres is a local high point. The combined acreage of the two parishes amounts to around 2,500 acres and their joint population would have been close to 450 parishioners. Like most settlements north of Furness in Cumbria Domesday Book is silent on these two with no coverage this far to the north.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the heart of the small community of Beaumont, unusually it sits upon a motte at a height well above road height. Whilst there has been a church here since the 12th century most of the early evidence has been lost or re-used. The 12th century Norman Romanesque southern doorway is thus having been reset at some point in time. A trio of lancet style windows are perhaps indicative of Early English Gothic work of the late 12th century but again Pevsner is uncertain due to later changes and excessive white-wash. The roof is one of the few pieces deliberately dated and that is 16th century. All else is attributed to the thorough restoration of the late 1880s. The minor lane which passes the church is sufficiently wide to permit careful parking. The churchyard is surrounded by a neat local stone wall with metal gates granting entry. The church sits atop its former castle site as if perched upon a pedestal with ground falling away rather steeply in all directions, a rising flight of steps leads to the doors. Given that ground falls steeply away it is difficult to get adequately far away to encompass the building with losing the sight-lines through dropping in height, an unusual challenge for the photographer.