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

The Parish

The parish of Kilverstone lies in the extreme south og Norfolk roughly 2 miles east of the town of Thetford. Kilverstone sits immediately east of the former route of the A11 road which links Norwich with Thetford, that road now takes a western bypass around Thetford leaving the former route as the A1075. Kilverstone is a tiny estate village, a line of pretty flint-built cottages sit outside the grounds of the parkland of Kilverstone Hall, a 17th century mansion built for one Thomas Wright and who's family owned the estate until the mid 19th century. The attractive parkland is set on the northern banks of the River Thet which has been landscaped for the landholders, part of the estate has been turned into a wildlife park for visitors. Like most estate parishes the local farming economy was dictated by the Hall, a mixture of roughly 3/4s arable with some sheep walks and pastures to leaven the mix. Kilverstone is drained westwards by the Thet which soon meets the Little Ouse at Thetford, the latter heads westwards into The Fens meeting the Great Ouse and turning north to reach the North Sea through The Wash. Kilverstone is sited at around 20 metres above the sea in generally flat terrain, a few spots further away from the Thet rise to just over 40 metres as a general height. Kilverstone parish covered just over 2,000 acres but would only have supported a population of close to 50 parishioners. In Domesday times Kilverstone was shared between Robert Malet & King Willism with just 3 ploughs, some small meadows but 2 mills & 2 fisheries.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits within Kilverstone Hall estate accessed from Kilverstone Road by a roughly surfaced track acroos parkland. As is usual for a round towered church this one dates back to the Norman Romanesque period of the 12th century, the round-headed windows to the bell-ringing chamber confirm the dating. Also 12th century but slightly later is the church's southern doorway. Both Pevsner and Historic England neglect to date the main body of the church, Historic England being more forthcoming in indicating the church was refurbished in the 14th century, that fits with the stylistic elements of the nave and chancel. The church did, at one time, have a northern aisle but at some indeterminate time that was removed. Restoration came late for this church being completed in 1906 and responsible for the southern porch, a few windows and much of the exterior detailing. It is better to find parking amongst the estate cottages and walk the short distance down the track to the church which sits in a churchyard with no significant obstacles for the photographer.