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

The Parish

The parish of Swyre lies in the extreme south of Dorset forming a stretch of the county's English Channel coastline. Swyre is located roughly 5 1/2  miles southeast of the market town of Bridport and stands on the coastal B3157 road which links Bridport with Weymouth. Swyre sits about 3/4s of a mile inland from the English Channel tucked into a steep-sided valley with most properties either rising up the slopes alongside the B3157 or alongside the stream that flows through the valley. Swyre, despite its proximity to the sea, was and is a farming parish with most land set to pasture and sheep the dominant livestock. In addition to farming the local highly fossiliferous limestone was quarried for local building in particular for roofing material.Today tourism forms an integral strand with the village's inn providing, in addition the South Coast National Trail passes through the parish, trudging along the beginnings of Chesil Beach's smaller shingle. The small stream drains the parish the short distance to the sea. Swyre covers land from sea-level to 181 metres, The Knoll, with strongly undulating landscapes. Swyre parish was relatively small covering only a little over 1,000 acres which would have supported a population of close to 250 parishioners. Domesday Swyre was just as small and rural as today, held by William d'Eu it offered 6 ploughs, meadows & pastures and held a mill.

The Church

Holy Trinity church stands on the easstern side of Swyre Road, the lane headed inland parallel to the small stream. The church has its origins in the 14th century but was extensively rebuilt in 1844 at the expense of the 7th Duke of Bedford who held the estate. The Decorated styled northern doorway from the 14th century is probably the earliest surviving fabric whilst the western tower and chancel arch are given the tentative dating of c 1400 by Pevsner and are in the later Perpendicular style. Unusually for the period the western tower is not battlemented rather it has a plain parapet. Much else dates from the Victorian rebuild which was a thorough affair which built anew but also reused existing masonry complicating the dating process. Swyre Road is broader south of the church allowing on-street parking by the village's postbox. The churchyard is rather beset by trees with prominent clumps all along the southern side of the church removing the favoured aspects, only views from the northwest through to the east are viable for the photographer.