England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Broadhembury St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Broadhembury lies in eastern Devon quite close to the border with neighbouring Somerset. Broadhembury is located roughly midway between the market towns of Honiton & Cullompton. Broadhembury is a large compact village, formerly a market town but having lost its market to its larger neighbours, lying in lanes just north of the A373 road which links Cullompton and Honiton. The area around Broadhembury has a mixed agricultural regime, arable and pastoral in roughly equal proportions with a smattering of orchards growing cider apples. Broadhembury lies in a fertile valley, to the east a steep escarpment, topped by Hembury Neolithic enclosure & Iron Age Hill Fort, is the dominant local geographical feature. The infant River Tile runs southwards through the parish on its way to join the River Otter and reach the English Channel through Budleigh Salterton. Broadhembury is sited at around 130 metres above the sea, the escarpment to the east rises to twice that height. The parish was large for this part of eastern Devon, further evidence of Broadhembury's former greater past, it covered just over 2,700 acres and supported 850 parishioners. In Domesday times Broadhembury was held by one Odo son of Gamalin and boasted an impressive 14 ploughs as well as woodland, meadow, pasture and a mill.

The Church

St Andrew's church is located at the heart of Broadhembury accessed by a narrow lane from the main village crossroads alongside the local inn, The Drewe Arms. The church has its origins in the 14th century and much is of the Perpendicular style. The chancel was rebuilt in the 1840s and much else restored a decade later but much original detail remains. In addition to the standard chancel, nave and western tower the church has a northern porch and a southern aisle to accommodate the large number of parishioners. As you approach along the lane the prominent western tower dominates the view, an attractive roofed lychgate gives access to the graveyard, there are some trees but they do not unduly restrict views and photography.