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

The Parish

The parish of Hockwold lies in the extreme southwest of Norfolk forming stretches of the county's borders with both Cambridgeshire and with Suffolk at a 3-counites meet. Today Hockwold is united with neighbouring Wilton with the latter becoming that holding the parish church, during the time of this transcript they were separate. Hockwold is located roughly 4 miles west of the Suffolk market town of Brandon and sits on the B1112 road which links Feltwell with Lakenheath and onward to Mildenhall. Hockwold has most of its properties on the eastern side of the B1112 with additional ones on side lanes. There is no "air-gap" with Wilton the two being one continuous village. Hockwold sits on the edges of two important land-forms, to its east lies Breckland whilst to its west is Fenland. The Brecks were renowned for their poor soils which restricted the crops that could be grown, much lane was used a rabbit warrenries (much today is fast growing conifer plantations) and the high incidence of flint was a local trade for the production of sparking flints and also as building materials; in complete contrast the west of the parish consisted of rich arable lands formed on largely reclaimed Fenland. Hockwold's drainage is complicated by these man-made structures, prior to drainage schemes the River Little Ouse drains westwards into Fenland joining its larger cousin the Great Ouse to the south of Southery. A massive "Cut-Off Channel" was constructed skirting the eastern edges of the Fens taking water not only from the Little Ouse but the Lark and Wissey by a circuitous route to the vast sluices at Denver before passing north along the Great Ouse to the North Sea arriving though King's Lynn and the Wash. Hockwold is sited at just 5 metres above the sea, land gradually rises into the forests to the east reaching a spot height of 38 metres on nearby Methwold Warren. The combined parish of Hockwold with Wilton covered some 4,900 acres of which Hockwold's portion was about 2,300 acres which would have supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. Domesday Hockwold was a holing of William de Warenne offering 8 ploughs backed by meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Peter's church was declared redundant following the merger of the two parishes, it sits on the western side of the B1112 roughly 300 metres north of the crossing of the Little Ouse. Whilst the majority of the fabric dates from the later medieval period Pevsner identifies fluted plinths which may be as old as the 11th century and Anglo-Saxon. More certain of date is that of the nave and the western tower where documentary evidence indicates a construction around c1340, the style is Perpendicular as are so many in Norfolk. The chancel is later in the Perpendicular period having been constructed in the 15th century at which time both the nave and southern aisle were also remodelled, it is likely that the clerestory was inserted in a similar time period. A few repairs were deemed necessary prior to Victorian work notably the "mendying" of the porch in 1603. The Victorian restoration of 1857 replaced many of the window but kept to a similar style as per the originals. Whilst the church may be closed for worship the churchyard is open to the public, care should be taken in choosing a parking spot on the straight B1114 although there is a pavement for keeping largely off-road. Metal gates at the southern end of the churchyard grant entry to one beset with trees which hug closely to the church, only a few good sight-lines may be found as the trees impede many of the favoured angles.