England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Fersfield St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Fersfield lies in the extreme south of Norfolk not too far from its border with neighbouring Suffolk. Fersfield is located about 4 miles northwest of the market town of Diss and sits about 2 miles north of the A1066 road which links Diss with Thetford. Fersfield is a rather loosely aggregated village with most properties lying scattered along a north to southward running lane past the church, there is no village centre as such. Like most Norfolk parishes Fersfield would have been, and still largely is, an arable farming parish, the soils hereabouts being well suited to the growing of crops such as wheat & barley as well as the more modern crops beet & oil-seed. A small stream drains the parish southwards the short distance to the River Waveney, here forming the border of the two counties. The Waveney heads eastwards to eventually meet the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Fersfield is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in very gentle terrain which rises slowly to a local high spot of 58 metres on the edge of Fersfield's former World War II airfield. By the standards of its county Fersfield was one of the smaller parish in the south, covering just over 1,100 acres it would have supported a population of around 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Fersfield was equally small and rural, the larger holding was held by King William, himself, whilst Rober Malet had just a token holding, together their assets amounted to a mere 8 ploughs.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits on the north to south running lane, here named simply The Street it is toward the southern edge of that lane's strip of properties. The church is mostly of the typical Perpendicular period found throughout the county with some minor exceptions. Reflecting the earliest origins of the church is the southern doorway and a single window on the western side of the southern aisle, these two relatively obscure features are Early English Gothic in style and reflect a date of c1300. That the church was almost totally rebuilt during the Perpendicular era is not in doubt as almost everything else carries that style. Pevsner worries a little concerning the small and narrow western tower then finds a Perpendicular style window to confirm that it too is of that era. Documentary evidence has been found which dates the southern porch to a late Perpendicular date of 1493 but that seems later than the style shown by the majority. Of course the Victorian's made there usual intervention, on this occasion Pevsner neglects to give a date, which altered the chancel's appearance externally giving it lancet style windows that are not 13th century. The Street is rather narrow so parking should be careful, away to the south is best, the church's entrance is partially hidden behind hedging immediately north of the village signpost. The churchyard is rather compact and carries many trees which markedly restrict the angles available to the photographer,