England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
West Bilney St Cecilia

The Parish

The parish of West Bilney lies in western central Norfolk roughly 6 miles southeast of the port & town of King's Lynn. West Bilney sits on the A47 road which links King's Lynn with the city of Norwich. West Bilney is a relatively small village with a presence on the busy main road, the wider parish includes the hall which sits over a mile to the southwest and a few dotted farms and cottages. Like most Norfolk parishes arable agriculture dominated the local economy as it still does, the south of the parish, however, is influenced by the valley of the Rover Nar where several gravel pits were worked but which are now flooded. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, the railway line linking King's Lynn with Swaffham once passed through but has closed and, in places, reused as the upgraded route of the A47, only bridges remain to mark its passing. Several small streams make their way the short distance to the Nar in draining the parish, the Nar heads out into Fenland before meeting the Great Ouse on the edges of King's Lynn and passing into the North Sea through The Wash. West Bilney is sited at around 15 metres above the sea with much of the parish below that figure, only a few spots are higher in this rather flat terrain. West Bilney parish was typically sized for a western Norfolk parish covering just over 2,400 acres and supporting a population of close to 300 parishioners. West Bilney's Domesday entry records 50 households, bigger than today's small hamlet, which is sufficient to place this small village into the top 20% of settlements by population at that time, the assets of the manor, shared between 2 landholders, however are typical of the small rural farming manor it is today, 6 ploughs, meadows & woodland but there were 3 mills.

The Church

St Cecilia's church sits on the southern side of the A47 as it passes through the village, it stands at the junction with Paws Lane. The church has been declared redundant and is today managed by the Norfolk Churches Trust. This is a church with some ancient fabric, the nave is dated to the 12th century Norman Romanesque period and whilst heavily restored does show a blocked window of that period on its northern face. The church appears foreshortened due to the loss of its chancel which, at some unknown time, was removed. By way of contrast the western tower is standard Norfolk Perpendicular from the early 15th century and has neat flushwork battlements at the top. The church received a typical Victorian restoration of 1881 which did not add any significant element to the build layout. Following damage in a gale of 1976 it was originally proposes to demolish the western tower in 1983, thankfully instead the church was further restored in 1990. The A47 is very busy so it is better to find parking in Paws Lane, the main entrance is a simple gap in the walling surrounding the churchyard. Sadly for the photographer the church is placed tight to the southern boundary of the churchyard removing all of the favoured aspects and leaving only views from the north and east.