England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Milborne St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Milborne St Andrew lies in southern central Dorset roughly midway between Dorchester and Blandford Forum being 9 miles northeast of the former and 8 southwest of the latter. Milborne St Andrew sits either side of the A354 road which links the 2 places, the two distinct portions of Milborne St Andrew were once known as Milborne St Andrew & Milborne Churchstone. The latter carries the church and consists of an "L" shaped run of properties along the valley of the small stream that runs through with the base of the "L" rising eastwards up the valley-side, the main village north of the A354 is the larger but confined solely to the stream's valley. Milborne St Andrew sits within an ancient landscape, to its south sits Weatherby Castle, actually an Iron Age Hill Fort with much landscaping still retained, whilst on the hills around are dotted individual barrows and indeed complexes of the same from the Bronze Age. Milborne St Andrew sits on low chalk hills rising northwards into billowing Downs, at the time of this transcript they would have formed extensive sheep-runs but nowadays many are ploughed for cereals despite the thin soils. Milborne St Andrew is drained southwards and then east by its chalk stream which passes through Bere Regis to join the River Piddle, the latter passes through Wareham to reach the English Channel though Poole Harbour. Milborne St Andrew is sited at around 80 metres above the sea in its valley setting, hills rise all around to about 130 metres whilst further north Coombe Hill tops out at 212 metres in the higher Downland. Milborne St Andrew parish is curiously shaped as an inverted "L", the main stem being the valley with the villages whilst the arm rises to take in chalk downs, the whole covered just over 1,700 acres and the twin villages combined would have supported a population of around 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Milborne St Andrew was a much smaller place of just 10 households, held by Matthew de Mortagne it held just 2 ploughs, meadows and woodland but did possess a mill.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits west of Milborne St Andrew stream on the northern side of Church Hill which rises up the western side of the valley. Despite much later changes there are still parts of the church which date back to the 12th century, the most complete is the southern doorway with scallop shell decorations and much chevron work; the chancel arch remains but has been moved to sit at the eastern end of the northern aisle it too is from the late 12th century and some quoins remain within the nave. In contrast to the early main body of the church the western tower is a typical 15th century Perpendicular piece. battlemented as are so many of that period and augmented with a northern stair-turret. Two phases of Victorian work are responsible for the much of what we see today, the first of 1855 added the long northern transept whilst the second of 1879 rebuilt the chancel, enlarged the church and added the vestry and that northern aisle so much is 19th century rather than medieval. As Church Hill is rather narrow and has few spots to be able to park it is best to find room on Chapel Street and climb the 100 or so metres to the churchyard. There are acceptable views from the favoured southern aspects but needing a landscape view along the church due to the proximity of trees, most of the northern aspects are similarly impeded.