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

The Parish

The parish of North Benfleet is located in southern Essex close to its coastline with the estuary of the River Thames. North Benfleet lies about 2 miles east of the new town of Basildon. North Benfleet is located within a square of busy main roads, The A132, A127, A130 & A13 roads totally encircle the small area of North Benfleet and its agricultural land. Prior to 20th century expansion North Benfleet would have been a small village, little more than a hamlet, grouped around the junction of lanes to the west of North Benfleet Hall, nowadays housing has infilled much of the area to the south of the former village centre although much arable land still remains. The area around North Benfleet is part of the Essex flood plain of the estuary of the River Thames. It is low lying and alluvial in nature, North Benfleet is sited at just under 20 metres above sea level and the land about shows barely a contour on Ordnance Survey maps. There is little surface drainage that has not been influenced by man, what exists is headed northwards through field drains to reach the estuary of the River Crouch or south to the Thames. The parish of North Benfleet was of a typical size for this part of Essex, at around 2,200 acres it would have supported around 300 parishioners. In Domesday Book North Benfleet is not specifically mentioned being recorded with its larger southern neighbour, South Benfleet.

The Church

All Saints church is tucked away from the village behind the site of the demolished North Benfleet Hall and is accessed via that former Hall's lane. The church is clearly of little architectural interest as Pevsner dismisses the building in a few lines. Much is Victorian or later, at least on the surface. Pevsner does, however, note that the 20th century brick tower is built around a 15th century belfry. Traces of the mediaeval are also found in the western wall of the nave which indicate that the building in one form or another has been here since Norman times. The church closed for worship in 1994 and Pevsner reports that in 2004 there was no access to the interior. The building can only be reached on foot from a parking area by a large green bordered by the farm and some housing. The site is not unduly restricted in photographic angles.