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

The Parish

The parish of Bircham Newton lies in northwestern Norfolk about 8 miles southeast of the coastal resort of Hunstanton. Bircham newton sits on the B1153 road which connects its larger neighbour of Great Bircham with Docking. There is not much to Bircham Newton, merely a short stretch of properties lining the B1153, in reality, today, it is little more than a northern extension of Great Bircham separated by just a half mile of clear road. This is an intensely arable area, a higher than normal stretch of Norfolk dominated by large cereal fields and skylarks. Whilst the fields may have been smaller at the time of this transcript nevertheless it was always an arable area of the county, variation was present only to graze sheep. The parish is underlain by porous chalk leaving little surface drainage, water makes its way westwards sub-surface to form the infant Heacham River at Fring arriving at the North Sea through the northern Wash, Norfolk's western coast. Bircham Newton is sited at around 60 metres above the sea with land rising nearby to just under 80 metres in gently undulating ground. Norfolk has many small parishes but most are in Broadland, in western Norfolk Bircham Newton is a small parish by standards hereabouts, covering just over 1,100 acres it would have supported a population of close to 100 parishioners. In Domesday time Bircham Newton was an equally modest place, held by Ralph de Beaufour it could muster just 8 ploughs as its assets.

The Church

All Saints' church sits on the eastern side of the B1153 as it passes through the hamlet. The church has its origins in the 12th century as evidenced by the presence of lancet windows in the western tower. This Early English Gothic style is also represented by the round-head to the chancel arch and by the window tracery in the wider chancel. An indication of later rebuild is the later Decorated style found in the nave which is late 13th century. Whilst there was a Victorian restoration Pevsner neglects to give a date for this albeit internally the seating was changed to box-pews in 1858 and this is perhaps indicative of the general restoration date. The B1153 is straight and consequently often carries fast traffic, only a meagre verge on the opposite side is available for parking, a footpath could be used a little to the north but is also a farm drive so care must be taken. The churchyard is hedged to the road with a small metal gate alongside a neighbouring properties drive as entrance, a sandy track leads to the church through an open and uncluttered churchyard with no obstacles for the photographer.