England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Uffculme St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Uffculme lies in northeastern Devon not too far from its border with neighbouring Somerset and roughly 8 miles east of the market town of Tiverton. Uffculme sits just over a mile south of the A38 road which links the Somerset town of Wellington through towards Exeter, with the construction of the M5 motorway much of that road has been downgraded to B status. Uffculme is a large village and formerly was a market town, although even early gazetteers describe it as "a decayed market town", sitting on the northern banks of the River Culm. In early times Uffculme was quite an important centre, large enough at Domesday to be amongst the largest 20% of settlements by population, development of competing market towns such as Tiverton, Wellington & Cullompton largely removed its market. Despite the decline Uffculme is a large village with a history of weaving as well as a centre for the exchange of goods, mainly produce of the pastoral landscape around, and a centre for specialist trades. Modern developments, in the form of the M5, have come to the parish, the presence of an exit adjacent has stimulated some growth in light industry as well as some commuter development. Uffculme is drained southwestwards by the Culm, its course paralleled by the M5, before meeting the Exe to the northwest of Exeter, thence to the English Channel through the latter's estuary. Uffculme has a sloping site on the slopes rising from the Culm, the bridge over the latter is at 75 metres whilst the westernmost properties lie around 120 metres above the sea, land continues to rise northwards reaching 166 metres in rolling countryside. Uffculme parish was extensive, covering just over 5,500 acres substantially larger than many of its near neighbours, that acreage would have supported a population of close to 2,000 parishioners. In Domesday times Uffculme was held by Walter of Douai and was a populous settlement indeed, its assets also were substantial 17 ploughs were augmented by meadows, pastures and woodland and the manor held 2 mills, presumably on the Culm, as already stated its 59 households made it a large settlement for the time,

The Church

St Mary's church sits toward the northeastern end of the village in the junction formed by Fore Street and Bridge Street and just a little east of The Square. This is a church of two periods, the western end is largely medieval but the eastern is a Victorian rebuild. The earliest portion is the nave and the basal stages of the western tower, a mixture of late 13th and 14th century structures reflecting early modifications. The arcade is the earliest part remaining, of the 13th century and Early English Gothic whilst much else dates from the 14th and is a mixture of Decorated & Perpendicular styles. The western tower has a mixture of the two periods, the spire fell in the early 18th century and it was replaced, along with the extensive rebuild of the chancel and the rest of the eastern end during a prolonged phase of Victorian work between 1843 and 1849. Pevsner calls the work an "ambitious early Tractarian restoration" which was financed by wealthy families the News & Markers. Parking for the church is best sought in The Square which is only a stroll away. For the photographer St Mary presents a challenge as the church spire is tall and the churchyard compact not allowing a good landscape view to be captured.