England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Chilfrome Holy Trinity

The Parish

The parish of Chilfrome lies in western central Dorset and is situated about 9 miles northwest of the county town of Dorchester. Chilfrome is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet, which sits about a half mile east of the A45 road connecting Dorchester with the Somerset market town of Crewkerne. Chilfrome, as its name suggests, sits on the western banks of the River Frome, a deeply incised valley which cuts north to south through high chalk downlands. Chilfrome is a farming community and thus it was at the time of this transcript, mainly pastoral with cattle in the valley bottom and sheep on the higher ground. The Frome drains the parish southwards and then east to reach the English Channel through Poole Harbour. Chilfrome is sited at around 100 metres above the sea but land rises with a couple of miles over 230 metres on the wonderfully named Break Heart Hill across the eastern side of the Frome valley. Chilfrome parish was relatively small in extent, covering just over 900 acres it would have supported just over 100 parishioners. In Domesday times Chilfrome was held by one William de Mohun, still a relatively small place it could offer 4 ploughs, meadows, pastures & woodland but did possess a mill.

The Church

Holy Trinity church sits at the southeastern corner of the village, close to the flood plain of the Frome. A small church, as befits a small parish, consisting merely of nave & chancel topped by a bellcote. Pevsner's description is short and carries no comment on styles merely dating the chancel arch tentatively to c1300 but noting also that the chancel was rebuilt in 1852. Clearly a small country church with nothing unusual to merit further comment. The church sits, strangely, on St Helen's Lane which is perhaps a reference to an earlier dedication. At its sharp bend the church sits to the southeast behind a post and rail topped low wall. A short gravel pathway leads to the church, sadly the church is rather hemmed in from the south by trees which do somewhat limit the angles available for photography and making for a difficult subject on a sunny day.