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

The Parish

The parish of Clothall lies in northern Hertfordshire roughly 2 1/2 miles southeast of the town of Baldock. Clothall sits immediately southwest of the A507 road which links Baldock with Buntingford. Clothall is a small village in an extensive parish, a few properties line the dingle lane through the village (Ashanger Lane) whilst most of the parish has scattered farms and cottages, many lying along the course of the A507. The village stands on the chalk-lands rising to the south of Baldock and is nowadays part of the nations bread-basket, strongly arable and largely growing cereals in broad and largely hedge-less fields, at the time of this transcript a more rotational farming regime would have been in place. The landscape, however, sows signs of early occupation, the ancient trackway of Ickneild Way passes through and Clothall sits on the course of an ancient Roman Road, in addition there are several moated sites around the parish remnents of a much more occupied landscape. Clothall is drained southwards by small headwaters that form together to become the River Beane eventually meeting the Mimram at Hertford and emerging as the River Lea, after passing through the eastern edges of Greater London it reaches the outer Thames estuary and thus to the North Sea. Clothall is sited at around 120 metres above the sea on its chalk ridge, a few spots to the northeast reach to just over 130 metres as the highest ground around. Clothall parish covered just under 3,400 acres so was extensive for a southern farming parish, that acreage would have supported a population of close to 500 parishioners. Domesday Clothall was shared by 4 landholders with the major share with Bishop Odo of Bayeux, its assets of 10 ploughs represent a similar rural farming manor just like today.

The Church

St Mary's church is well hidden from most directions being accessed from Ashanger Lane by various footpaths but sitting behind any fronting properties. It is believed that the church has its origins in the 12th century as a simple aisleless nave but successive modifications have removed most fabric from that period. The earliest fabric identified by Pevsner relates to the chancel and southern chapel which were added during middle of the 14th century, a time when Decorated style was giving way to Perpendicular, a date of c1350 is mooted as that of the southern chapel with the chancel more firmly in the early Perpendicular period erected between c1350 & c1370. Also added in the similar time-frame is the unusual southwestern tower, a stumpy, two-stage tower carrying a pyramidal plain-tile roof. Its ground level uniquely functions as the south porch and ringing chamber, featuring a deeply splayed, hooded entrance door. A typical Victorian restoration, not dated by Pevsner, added the northern vestry as well as repairing and restoring much of the main fabric. 3 differing footpaths lead to the churchyard from Ashanger Lane, the usual entry being from the east, the churchyard is open and uncluttered with few obstacles to concern the photographer.