England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Methwold St George

The Parish

The Parish of Methwold lies in southwestern Norfolk not too far both borders with neighbouring Cambridgeshire & also with Suffolk. Methwold is located roughly 6 miles north of the Suffolk market town of Brandon and sits on and mostly west of the B1112 road which links the Suffolk town of Lakenheath through to the A134 (Thetford to King's Lynn) road. Methwold is a large village which has a presence along the B1112 but also largely consists of properties along and either side of twin lanes running westwards from that road out into The Fens, there is also a secondary settlement of Methwold Hythe about a mile and a half west of the main village which sits upon the banks of "The Cut-Off Channel", one of Fenland's major drainage schemes. Methwold was once of sufficient size to have dabbled with growing into a market town, a market existed for a short time but has lapsed with Brandon and Lakenheath taking away that business. Methwold sits in something of a unique position, on the edge of Norfolk's share of Fenland but also on the edge of Norfolk's share of Breckland. To the east soils are poor and sheep and the local speciality of rabbits were important economic forces whilst on largely reclaimed land to its west lie the rich agricultural soils of The Fens, intensely cultivated today early gazetteers confirm it was also so at the time of this transcript with an estimated 60% of the parish acreage as arable. Today the eastern quotient of the parish is dominated by large forestry plantations deemed the best use of the poor Breckland soils. Methwold is drained westwards into the Cut-Off Channel, a drainage scheme designed to get the water of the Wissey quickly across the low-lying terrain and into the Great Ouse and thence to the sea through the port of King;s Lynn and The Wash. Methwold is sited at around 15 metres above the sea with Methwold Hythe some 10 metres lower, the general terrain is flat westwards but gently undulating eastwards to local high points which rise almot to 40 metres between Methwold and Weeting. Methwold parish was one of the largest in its county, the large area of reclaimed Fenland boosting its acreage to a little over 13,000 acres, more reminiscent of an upland northern parish than one in the rural south, this acreage would have supported a population of around 1,450 parishioners. In Domesday times Methwold was an equally wealthy place, the largest share was held directly by the King with William de Warenne holding a much smaller portion. Collectively their assets totalled 20 ploughs and some small meadows, there were 2 mills plus a share in a third but it was the 7 fisheries at that time which made Methwold a wealthy holding for the King.

The Church

St George's church sits at the heart of Methwold set within the fork formed by Crown Street & Globe Street, named for the inns of the village, which both lead westwards out into The Fens. The Perpendicular style abounds within the church, a style fashionable from the mid-14th century right through to the 16th. A single window, the eastern window, has the slightly earlier style of the early 14th century, the Decorated, but all else is Perpendicular. The church is a rarity in Norfolk in being crowned with a spire, this feature has few equals in the county and stands at 120 feet high making it a landmark for a considerable distance across this relatively flat & low-lying landscape. Built in 3 stages it is topped by an octagonal top stage (known as a corona) with the spire rising yet further above this. Of the remainder of the church Pevsner is light on dating detail albeit the style is consistent with a build from the mid-14th century into the 15th, the only dating mentioned is that of the northern aisle given a c1440 dating. That date is probably typical of much of the main build. The church is also different in having no marked Victorian restoration, any work so done would have been light and sensitive. Crown Street is of sufficient width to allow on-street parking outside of the churchyard, this is surrounded by the typical flint wall with brick and tile topping found at most Norfolk churches with wooden gates at the western end for entry. The height of the tower rather defies the site in that it is difficult to gain sufficient distance back within the churchyard to achieve the landscape panorama which is best done from across the street, otherwise the churchyard is open & uncluttered with no obstacles for the photographer.