England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Wraxall St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Wraxall lies in western central Dorset roughly 8 miles east of the market town of Beaminster. Wraxall sits about a mile east of the A356 road which links Maiden Newton through to Crewkerne in Somerset. There are two distinct settlements to Wraxall, both small and both little more than hamlets; Lower Wraxall sits on the valley floor of a small tributary of the River Frome and holds the parish church whilst Higher Wraxall, as its name suggests, sits higher in a side valley to its northwest. Wraxall's location gave it access not only to the valley and rich pastures alongside the stream, suitable for cattle, but also access to the chalk downland of Rampisham Down which would have supported many sheep but has now been largely converted to arable land. Modern developments have come to the parish, the Dorchester to Yeovil railway line scarping the eastern edge of the parish as it passes through. Wraxall is drained southeastwards the short distance to the Frome, after passing Dorchester the Frome turns more to the east to eventually meet the sea through the expanse of Poole Harbour. Lower Wraxall is sited at around 120 metres above the sea with Higher Wraxall some 20 metres higher, the downs to the west rise steeply to 219 metres on Rampisham Down in strongly undulating chalk countryside. Wraxall is one of the smaller parishes in its county covering merely 952 acres it would have supported a population of around 50 parishioners. Domesday Wraxall was slightly larger, it was held by one Roger Arundel and offered 4 ploughs, meadows, pastures and woodland and there was a mill.

The Church

St Mary's church sits in the valley in Lower Wraxall within a tight right-angled bend in the main village lane, the lane crosses the small stream just to its east. Like many small and isolated rural churches St Mary has fabric dating back to the earliest times, the nave, the chancel arch and southern doorway being attributed to the 12th century, the Norman Romanesque era. Both the doorway and chancel arch show characteristic pointed arches from that era. The chancel, itself, is later and 13th century from the Early English Gothic period, both nave and chancel show lancet styled windows which may be original or later insertions as the nave also has twin 15th century windows in the Perpendicular style on its southern face. The octagonal bell-turret and the nave's northern projection both date from the restoration in early Victorian times, here it fell in c1840, it also added the triplet window to the eastern face of the chancel. Just west of the churchyard the broad entrance to a farm provides safe parking and a gate for entry. Sadly for the photographer the church is placed tight to the southern boundary where thick tree cover removes all of the favoured aspects, there are views only from the west or north making for a challenge on a sunny day.