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

The Parish

The parish of Ulting lies in eastern central Essex about 3 miles west of the port of Maldon. Ulting is a tiny village, little more than a hamlet, sitting on the northern banks of the River Chelmer. Ulting sits, in lanes, about 2 miles south of the B1019 road which connects Maldon with Hatfield Peveral. Ulting's riverside location would have led much of the local farming practices to be arable, with cattle, in particular, grazing the extensive marshland pastures of the Chelmer's flood plains; on the rising ground towards the B1019 arable farming would have also been present. The Chelmer drains the parish eastwards to reach the North Sea through the extensive creek and channels of the Blackwater Estuary. Ulting is sited at between 10 & 30 metres above the sea as land rises gently from the Chelmer's banks; 30 metres is about the height of most local heights in this flat and gently rolling part of Essex. Ulting parish was relatively small even for Essex, it covered around 1,000 acres and would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Ulting was equally small, held by one Ralph Baynard it could offer just 5 ploughs, small meadows & woodland but did possess 2 mills.

The Church

All Saints' church is very much off the main tracks, it sits, accessed by footpath only, on the banks of the river in a very tranquil & rural setting. The church has fabric largely from two distinct periods. The origins are Early English Gothic and 13th century as evidenced by the lancet windows of both nave and chancel. The church was, however, extensively restored during the 1870s at which time the timber belfry, northern porch and southern vestry were added as well as extensive refreshing of the windows. All Saints is reached from the junction of Crouchman's Farm Road and Church Road by a footpath which winds its way to the delightful setting down by the river. The churchyard is small but so is the church and there are few restrictions to photography.