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

The Parish

The parish of Bodney lies in southwestern Norfolk about 6 miles west of the large village of Watton. There is not much to Bodney, there is no defined village as such merely a collection of farms and cottages scattered across a wide area. Bodney's notional centre sits just east of the A1065 road which links the market town of Swaffham with Mundford. Bodney is situated in Norfolk's Breckland, an area known for its poor soils and whilst agriculture was important the poor soils were often used for the raising of rabbits in warrenries. Nowadays much of the area of Bodney parish is enclosed (and out of bounds) within the Army training area of STANTA, a large area of Breckland co-opted during World War II and still not re-released by the armed forces. The River Wissey runs through Bodney parish and drains westwards to join the Great Ouse and meet the North Sea through The Wash. Bodney is sited at just 30 metres above sea level and the land hereabouts is mainly gently undulating at or around that height. Bodney parish was of a fairly typical size for a west Norfolk parish, it covered around 2,600 acres but supported just under 100 parishioners. In Domesday times, despite being equally small, Bodney was shared three-ways, portions were held by William of Warenne, Ralph of Tosny & Hugh de Montfort. The parish could offer just 3 ploughs, some meadow & woodland plus 2 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church is located on the northern side of the B1108 road which links Watton to the A1065 about 150 yards east of its crossing with the River Wissey. The church is rather small, as befits a tiny congregation, and consist of a conjoined nave & chancel with a western bellcote. Most of the fenestration has been replaced but appears stylistically to have maintained the Perpendicular style of their originals. The church is probably all of this period, the major church-building era for Norfolk, and dates from the 14th or 15th centuries. St Mary's is rather hidden from the road by a copse, there is a small pull-in at the eastern end and a short path leads to the churchyard where a metal gate grants access. There churchyard is relatively open with few restrictions on photographic angles.