England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
South Milton All Saints

The Parish

The parish of South Milton lies in the extreme south of Devon forming part of the county's English Channel coastline. South Milton is a small and compact village lying roughly 3 miles west of the port and market town of Kingsbridge. The parish extends from the village to encompass a short stretch of the coastline hemmed in between Thurlestone & South Huish parishes. South Milton sits, in lanes, a little under a mile west of the A381 road which connects Kingsbridge with the coastal town of Salcombe. Prior to the 20th century this would have been primarily a pastoral farming area, the rocky geology limiting the land suitable for arable farming, today the coast and its rocky coves is the main attraction, whilst the small nature reserve of the Ley is an attraction to wildlife. The South West Coastal Path National Trail wanders along the coastal section of the parish bringing hikers through and providing income to accommodation providers, South Milton lies in the deeply cut valley of a small stream that rushes southwestwards through South Milton Ley to reach the nearby English Channel. South Milton is sited at between 20 and 40 metres above the sea, the landscape is deeply incised with heights rising to almost 120 metres at nearby Huxton Cross. South Milton parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering just over 1,400 acres it would have supported a population of just under 500 parishioners. In Domesday times South Milton was held by one Alfred le Breton, a relatively inconspicuous place offering just 5 ploughs and a small meadow.

The Church

All Saints' church sits towards the northwestern edge of the village on the northern side of the lane leading to Thurlestone. The church has some masonry from an early age, the southern wall showing traces of Norman Romanesque work, however, documentary evidence prior to the late 13th century is nonexistent so its is likely that that old church was rebuilt during the period of Early English Gothic style. The southern transept shows two (albeit renewed) lancet windows of this style. The church consists of nave and chancel augmented by the southern transept and a northern aisle with a tall western tower topped by polygonal pinnacles. The Thurlestone lane is narrow and parking should be courteous as traffic to the beaches can be heavy, the church sits high above the road on a sloping site, a tarred ramped pathway leads up to the churchyard which is relatively free of photographic obstacles.