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

The Parish

The parish of Mapperton lies in southwestern Dorset about 2 miles southeast of the market town of Beaminster. Mapperton sits about a mile south of the B3163 road, a linking road that connects Beaminster with the A359 (Dorchester to Crewkerne) road. Mapperton is an estate village, actually little more than a hamlet which is dominated by the manor house and its grounds, the parish functioned as a "closed parish" with almost all land held by a single landowner who restricted access and as a consequence no formal village developed. The sole access is by narrow lane south of the B3163 off which an even narrower lane leads to what Pevsner calls "an enchanting manorial group", nowadays quite a tourist attraction in its own right as a survivor. Mapperton sits in chalk country, at the time of this transcript sheep would have provided the main income but the land has migrated increasingly towards arable farming over time. Sitting on porous chalk Mapperton is mainly drained sub-surface, a tributary of the River Brit eventually arising and leading westwards to join that river, the Brit meets the nearby English Channel through Bridport. Mapperton sits at around 120 metres above the sea in an enclosed amphitheatre with chalk downs looming all around and rising to almost 220 metres on Dimstone Hill to the northeast. Mapperton was also a small parish in terms of its acreage covering only a little over 800 acres it would only have supported a population of between 50 & 100 parishioners. In Domesday times Mapperton was altogether a more important place, shared between Arnulf de Hesdin and William de Mohun its assets totalled 7 ploughs, meadows, pasture & woodland and also had a mill and with 22 households was probably bigger than today.

The Church

All Saints' church sits at the end of the dead-end lane which serves the small community, beyond lie footpaths headed for North Poorton, it is almost an integral part of that "manorial group" as it also functions a the southern range of the manor house. The age of the church is a little uncertain, Pevsner calls the main body "medieval" declining to give an exact date whilst the Royal Commission on Historic Buildings grants the chancel a c12th century dating, which would place it within the Norman Romanesque period. The doubt arises largely because of the many changes imposed over the centuries. The southern doorway, too, is early probably 13th century but certainly re-set at later times. To this chancel is attached a nave totally rebuilt in 1704 and further west is a curious truncated tower-let of the 15th century, Perpendicular in style. Besides the 18th century rebuilding of the nave there were further works in 1846 when the southern porch was added and as recently as 1908 restoration work took place. As a popular and picturesque location it is fitting that the narrow lane ends in a small car park, allowing an extended visit. Sadly the entire southern aspect is removed from the photographer's portfolio by closely sitting trees leaving a challenging subject, especially on a sunny day.