England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Fritton St Catherine

The Parish

The parish of Fritton lies in southern Norfolk about 8 miles northwest of the Suffolk market town of Bungay. Fritton lies just over 2 miles south of the B1527 road which cuts across from the A140 (Norwich to Ipswich) road to the B1332 (Norwich to Bungay). Fritton is a largely linear village built along a north to south running lane from the church, in the north, to both hall and extensive common, in the south. Like most Norfolk parishes the good quality soil and flattish terrain lend themselves to arable farming and almost 80% of the parish acreage was managed thus, according to early gazetteers. Today little has changed, the common a welcome break from the broad cereal fields that surround. Fritton is drained northwards by one of the small tributaries of the River Tas, the latter, when joined heads north to meet the Yare near Norwich before the Yare meets the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Fritton is sited at around 40 metres above the sea and land is within 10 metres of that height for a considerable distance in largely gentle terrain. Fritton parish was relatively small even by Norfolk's standards, covering just under 900 acres it would have supported a population of close to 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Fritton was a much more significant settlement, shared between no fewer than 5 landholders its population was sufficient to place it amongst the largest 20% of settlements recorded in the book, offering an impressive 33 ploughs across the many holdings together with meadows & woodland and a mill it was a profitable holding indeed.

The Church

St Catherine's church sits almost a half mile north of the common and is set down a dark and shady roughly surfaced track to the west of the lane leading to Hempnall. The presence of the round tower is usually indicative of an early church and St Catherine certainly has a 12th century tower to prove it. The tower was modified in the 15th century, however, to give it the octagonal top. Lancet windows in the nave and the nave's northern doorway are also indicative of a church of 12th or 13th century origins albeit much modified over the centuries. Unlike many churches these changes were wrought not only in the Victorian era but much earlier too; a southern porch was added contemporaneously with the octagonal topping to the tower, the nave was increased in height in the 16th century and the chancel restored and renewed in the 17th. Of course the Victorians too had their restoration, in this case of 1853 which replaced much of the fenestration whilst as recently as 1913 the nave roof was replaced. As you head north from the village a small blue sign indicates the track leading to the site which sits within a group of concealing trees. Parking can be found outside the lychgate which grants access, sadly the churchyard is narrow on a north to south axis limiting severely the angles which are available to the photographer.