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

The Parish

The parish of Reymerston lies in southern central Norfolk about 5 miles south of the market town of East Dereham. Reymerston is located about a mile west of the B1135 road which connects East Dereham with Wymondham. Reymerston largely consists of a linear strip of cottages alongside The Street with satellite settlements at North Green and by Reymerston Hall. The old hall has dates of the early 17th century associated with it and it was the major landholder within Reymerston which may have functioned largely as a closed parish; with most land held by a single landholder, no formal compact village could arise with little in-migration. Like most Norfolk parishes Reymerston would have primarily been an arable farming village albeit with some pastures on wetter ground. Reymerston is drained eastwards by the Blackwater River which soon meets the infant River Yare, the latter passes the city of Norwich and reaches the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Reymerston is sited at around 50 metres above the sea in very gentle terrain where land rises imperceptibly to local heights of close to 70 metres. Norfolk has many small parishes and Reymerston was fairly typical, covering close to 1,600 acres it would have supported roughly 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Reymerston was a tiny place, offering just a half share in a plough and a small meadow, the holding of Hermer de Ferrers who has many such holdings in this area south of East Dereham.

The Church

St Peter's church sits almost centrally within the propertied area of the village and is tucked away from The Street behind properties. Superficially a church commenced in the Early English Gothic style of the 13th century and augmented in both Decorated & Perpendicular styles, the church's irregularities were such that even Pevsner was unable to accurately determine the order of build. Both tower and arcades retain the 13th century styling whilst nave and chancel show later remodeling, nave & clerestory windows being Perpendicular. For once Pevsner doesn't mention a Victorian restoration so perhaps any changes at that time were either delicately done or minimal. St Peter is reached by a side lane, Silver Street, which leads to both a small car park and entrance. Sadly the churchyard has many trees which somewhat impede most photographic angles.