England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Horsey All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Horsey is located in eastern Norfolk, indeed it forms part of Norfolk's eastern North Sea coast. Horsey is in a remote area of the Norfolk coast about 11 miles north of the seaside resort and port of Great Yarmouth. Horsey village sits on the narrow and twisting coastal lane which parallels the shore. Horsey is small with most housing grouped around the combination of Hall & Church on a sharp bend in the lane. The landscape hereabouts is flat grazing marsh protected from the ravages of the North Sea by a barrier of coastal dunes. This fragile barrier has been breached many times most notoriously in 1953 when Horsey suffered terribly. To emphasise the vulnerability Horsey stands at barely 1 metre above sea level, despite this proximity to the sea, however, the drainage is flowing westwards to join the River Thurne and thence the Broadland river systems which exit through Great Yarmouth. This idiosyncrasy shows the threat of salt inundation to the Norfolk Broads, an event that would, should it happen, return the land to the south to its former status as an island, Flegg Island. The landuse is dominated by grazing cattle on the rich marsh grasses, although much is nowadays preserved as nature reserves, reserves which throng with birds in particular in winter. The parish is small as befits a southern parish and only supported just over 150 parishioners. In Domesday times the land was split 4 ways although one Roger Bigot held the majority, the parish supported 22 ploughs as well as meadows, salthouses and a mill - a wealthy place indeed.

The Church

All Saints church sits in the heart of Horsey accessed down a narrow tree-covered (a rarity in these parts) lane. The round tower is usually indicative of an early church but Pevsner is more cautious going for 13th century. The church seems to have been built all as a piece from that century, only changed during a lengthy restoration in Victorian time. The church follows the standard pattern of nave, chancel and western tower. The churchyard is surrounded by a low flint wall with access through a pair of wooden gates at the eastern end of the site. The graveyard is dotted with rather tall mature trees, the landscape all around being devoid of trees apart from a few pollarded willows this is an oasis. The tree cover does, however, rather restrict photography angles although there are good enough views of the entire building.