England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kimmeridge St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of Kimmeridge lies in southeastern Dorset forming a stretch of the county's English Channel coastline. Kimmeridge is located roughly 8 miles west of the coastal resort of Swanage and sits some distance from all major roads, the closest such road being the B3069 which links Corfe Castle with Langton Matravers. Kimmeridge is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet with a group of properties lying tight to the dramatic ridge of limestone that forms part of the intense geology of this stretch of the county, here beds of Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks stand on end with the harder rocks forming ridge-lines through the landscape. In the past Kimmeridge would have earned its living largely from pastoral farming with both sheep and cattle in the main. Today the geology introduces the incongruous sight of "nodding donkeys" as Kimmeridge is home to one of England's tiniest oil-fields exploiting the oil-rich Jurassic shales. The dramatic scenery also makes Kimmeridge a major draw for both hikers on the South West Coastal Trail as well as general tourist and geology buffs, the cliffs being highly fossil rich especially with the iconic ammonites that feature on this heritage coast.. A small brook drains the parish the short distance down to Gaulter Gap and the English Channel. Kimmeridge is sited at around 60 metres above the sea whilst the limestone ridge to its north rises to local heights of 165 metres on nearby Smedmore Hill. Kimmeridge parish was one of the smaller in this area, covering just under 1,600 acres it would have supported a population of close to 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Kimmeridge was shared between William de Braose and Cerne Abbey with assets totaling just 5 ploughs and the usual meadows and pasture.

The Church

The narrow lane that passes through Kimmeridge performs a set of tight bends with St Nicholas' church occupying the apex of one such bend. Sadly the ancient medieval church that once stood here is largely no more, the simple 12th century southern doorway is all that remains of the Norman Romanesque style that it clearly once had. The remainder is the product of a Victorian rebuild of 1872 and thus would not be recognisable to the participants in this transcript. The rebuild takes the style of 16th century Perpendicular and is a simple and plain church topped by a western bellcote, appropriately sized for the small congregation of today. Outside the rather concealed entrance is a small pull-in parking area which still requires care to avoid blocking the popular route to the coast. A short flight of steps rises into the churchyard, the southern aspects are a little constrained by the tightness of the church to the boundary but all other aspects are available for the photographer.