England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Attlebridge St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Attlebridge lies in the northeastern portion of central Norfolk roughly 8 miles northwest of the city of Norwich. Attlebridge formerly sat on the A1067 road which links Norwich with the market town of Fakenham but this road now thankfully bypasses the village to its south. Attlebridge is a relatively small and compact village, little more of than a hamlet, as its name suggest it stands at the point where the A1067 crosses the River Wensum. Besides the small group of farms and cottages that form the hamlet, Attlebridge Hall sits on the A1067 about a mile further southeast. Its riverside setting gave the parish some pastures to vary the typical arable farming regime found throughout its county but the latter was still the dominant economic force. Modern developments have come and gone from Attlebridge, the Norwich to Reepham railway line having arrived and departed leaving a legacy of a traffic-free hiking and cycling route that is well-used today. Attlebridge is drained southeastwards by the River Wensum, after passing through the city of Norwich the Wensum joins the Yare before reaching the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Attlebridge occupies a gently rising site rising from 10 metres to 20 metres above the sea as one moves away from the Wensum's bridge, the land is gently rising north and eastwards to local high points of 44 metres in the extensive pine plantations of Swannington & Felthorpe. At only a little over 1,200 acres Attlebridge was toward the smaller end of the scale of Norfolk parishes, that acreage supporting barely 100 parishioners. In Domesday times Attlebridge was shared in 4 small shares to 4 separate landholders but its aggregated assets were merely 5 ploughs and the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Andrew's church once stood alongside the A1067 now that lane is the "Old Fakenham Road" and a much quieter location. St Andrew has its oldest fabric from the turn of 13th into 14th century, a lancet-styled window at the eastern end indicative of Early English Gothic work from the 13th century. Both nave and chancel show this period in their style with the later Decorated style dominant; both were later modified by 15th century Perpendicular additions. Slightly later but still in the Decorated style one finds the northern arcade of 3 bays, it has piers without capitals and arches with continuous chamfers. The slim western tower is something of an enigma lacking in dating detail, documentary evidence in the form of donations in wills show work was ongoing in 1439, whether this is for construction or later changes is unclear, certainly the crenellated parapet is 15th century and Perpendicular. Much work dates from the Victorian restoration of 1864 which targeted the windows replacing entirely the tracery of the nave windows. The "Old Fakenham Road" headed westwards is cut-off by bollards to prevent traffic through-flow leaving a short dead-end suited for parking. The churchyard is mainly hedged with metal gates for entry and is free of obvious obstacles for the photographer.