England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Clippesby St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Clippesby lies in eastern Norfolk about 3 miles northeast of the large village of Acle. Clippesby sits on the B1152 road which links the Acle to Caister road (A1064) with the main coastal road between North Walsham & Great Yarmouth (A149). Clippesby is a tiny place, little more than a scatter of houses and a few farms grouped around the junction of the B1152 and Church Lane which runs westwards for a short distance. Clippesby parish runs for just a few hundred yards along the B1152 and a short distance either side. The odd shape was obviously to gain the parish a share of the differing land types in the area. The parish is sited on what was once an island (Roman times) that of Flegg, through a combination of drainage and dropping sea levels this is now an area of higher ground largely arable. Around the island on the lower ground reclaimed there are grazing marshes dominated by cattle. Clippesby sits at around 15 metres above sea level, keeping its feet dry whilst in the south of the parish the grazing marshes are effectively at sea level. One of Broadland's major rivers, the River Bure, forms the southern edge of the parish and drains away southeastwards to the North Sea at Great Yarmouth. The parish was small, less than 900 acres, and supported a small population too, just over 100 parishioners. In Domesday times, despite the small size the land was split 4 ways including substantial portions held directly by the King. The parish supported 6 ploughs and held meadows plus a share in a salt house.

The Church

St Peter's church sits, as you would expect, alongside Church Lane to its south side. It possesses a round tower which is characteristic of an early if not Saxon church, Pevsner is more cautious and places its origins in the Norman period of the 12th century. The tower, indeed, was a mere stump when the church was painted by Cotman so clearly the present edifice is mostly recent. Pevsner places the features within a 3 century period, 12th to 14th, but clearly the restoration of the 1870s changed much. St Peter's is very effectively hidden from the road by numerous mature trees and the entrance to the graveyard is less than obvious. Fortunately a small parking area allows exploration. Inside the site is also quite well wooded making for a rather tricky church to gain good views.