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

The Parish

The parish of Framingham Earl lies in southeastern Norfolk about 5 miles southeast of the city of Norwich. Framingham Earl sits roughly 1 mile east of the B1332 road which connects Norwich with the Suffolk market town of Bungay. Until recent times Framingham Earl was a relatively insignificant small village, little more than hamlet, but modern suburban developments have spread from nearby Poringland eastwards almost engulfing this former rural spot. Like most Norfolk small villages Framingham Earl would have largely earned its living from farming with arable farming the dominant regime, in what remains as fields little has changed. Framingham Earl is drained eastwards by a small tributary of the Yare, after passing through Rockland Broad the Yare is joined and the North Sea reached through the port of Great Yarmouth. Framingham Earl is sited at around 60 metres above the sea and sits on something of a local high point with land falling away into the valleys of Yare and Tas to either side. Even by Norfolk standards Framingham Earl was a tiny parish, barely covering 500 acres and with 3 other churches within a mile of St Andrew; within this tiny area a population of close to 100 parishioners could be found. In Domesday times Framingham Earl was recorded together with Framingham Pigot as a single entity, no fewer than 4 landholders, including King William who held a small share, were responsible for 13 ploughs and some small meadows making for a substantial joint entity.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits close to Framingham Earl's main junction, set a few metres into the Yelverton Road. St Andrew's round tower immediately alerts to an early church but in this case it is not the earliest part of the building. The chancel, albeit altered in the early 13th century, is a remnant of a pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon church and possibly early 11th century, the apse with which it came was removed and replaced by a straight-ended Early English Gothic style eastern end, the apse being revealed by excavations in 1984. Both tower and nave are, however, genuine Norman Romanesque remains and, whilst late within that period, are from the 12th century. Pevsner comments on the huge flints, paramoudras, which have been utilised to form the western corner-stones of the nave. To this Norman and Saxon core an Early English Gothic porch has been added on the southern face, complete with the lancet windows of that style. As is usual a 19th century restoration, lamented by Pevsner, saw many changes to this ancient building but sufficient remains to appreciate its longevity. Yelverton Road is narrow but enough space is left for careful parking outside the attractive lychgate which allows entry and passage through attractive pine trees, their gnarled appearance complementing the church. The churchyard is compact but fortunately most of the obstructions are from the northern and least favoured aspects.