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

The Parish

The parish of Beachamwell, often spelt Beechamwell, lies in the southwestern portion of central Norfolk roughly 5 miles southwest of the market town of Swaffham. Beachamwell sits about 2 miles south of the A1122 road which connects Swaffham with Downham Market and is a small village consisting of two principal lanes forming a "T" shape with The Street running west from Old Hall Lane, the principal artery. Beachamwell is an estate village with all parish land held by the Motteux and, latterly, Cowper families this acted to discourage inbound migration and no substantial village developed. That development was also hindered by the poor quality of the soils which are sandy, friable and rather prone to wind-blow. In early times almost 50% of the parish acreage was set to rabbit warrenries, the most productive use of such land, today with the advent of modern machinery & fertilisers arable now dominates although in winter dust storms are not uncommon. Historically Beachamwell had 3 churches but both All Saints & St John were closed in early times, the former an attractive ruin southwest of the present village. Beachamwell is drained southwards by a small tributary of the Wissey which is met to the east of Stoke Ferry, the Wissey, in turn and much man-influenced, heads into The Fens to meet the Great Ouse, turn north and reach the North Sea through King's Lynn and The Wash. Beachamwell is sited at just over 10 metres above the sea in very gentle terrain where land rises gently eastwards to spot heights of just over 60 metres on the western edges of Swaffham, By Norfolk standards Beachamwell was an extensive parish, a result of the parish's poor quality land, of just over 3,800 acres within which it would have supported a population of around 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Beachamwell is reported as being amongst the largest 25% of settlements recorded by population, which is an anomaly indicated by its assets merely being just 4 ploughs and some small meadows.

The Church

It is quite sad to describe the St Mary that existed when I took these photographs, for on 2nd February 2022 a dreadful fire took hold destroying much of the church that has stood here since the 11th or 12th century. Thankfully restoration is in hand, the Streetview image of April 2023 for The Street shows well the state of the church at that date. St Mary's round tower shows the church is Anglo-Saxon in origin, probably 12th or possibly 11th century. Other Saxon work is shown in the nave walling. Apart from the early portions much else is of the typical Perpendicular era, the top-most stage of the western tower and the southern arcade illustrating the style ably. From the mid-14th century comes a doorway from chancel to vestry whilst of the 16th century is the stepped gable brick porch. A Georgian restoration of 1832 added two eastern bays. I am sure all will wish the parishioners well in their efforts to bring St Mary back to life after the disaster and back to serving its community for another few hundred years too. It is advised not to visit as at 2024 when this was written as the church is fenced for safety and work is in progress.