England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Saxlingham St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of Saxlingham, not to be confused with that of Saxlingham Nethergate in south Norfolk, lies in northern Norfolk not too far from its northern North Sea coastline. Saxlingham is located roughly 4 miles west of the small market town of Holt and sits a couple of miles north of the A148 road which links Holt with Fakenham. Saxlingham is a small and compact village, its centre being formed by an oblong of lanes around which most properties sit with a "tail" of properties long the southeastward leading approach road. Like most Norfolk parishes Saxlingham would have primarily earned its living from arable farming, here early gazetteers place almost 90% of the parish acreage as set to arable, cereals formed the main crop whilst supplemented today by beet & oil-seed. Saxlingham is drained northwestwards by the easternmost of the two branches of the River Stiffkey, both merge to the northeast of Warham before reaching the North Sea through the village of the same name. Saxlingham is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in rather level terrain, local "hills" form the highest ground around, though scarcely deserving of the title being less than 60 metres in height. At around 1,500 acres Saxlingham parish was fairly typically sized for its area, within that acreage it would have supported a population of close to 150 parishioners. Saxlingham has an entry in Domesday Book though it is certainly a reference to an area rather than to the manor specifically. Reconciling today's small village with one of the largest 20% of settlements recorded in the book, scattered across 10 landholders including the King and recording 41 ploughs, extensive meadows & woodland and no fewer than 6 mills, is scarcely credible.

The Church

St Margaret's church sits in the southeastern corner of the oblong of lanes that form the village centre, at the junction of School Lane with that forming the main access to the village from the southeast. The church is a typical Norfolk perpendicular church, built during the late-medieval period a time when many Norfolk churches were rebuilt from the proceeds of the wealth of wool. In this case, however, the details of the dating, largely 15th century, are masked by an extensive restoration in Victorian times. That restoration has almost totally removed dating detail from the earliest remaining portion, the western tower, a rather plain affair which may once have supported a steeple, a rare phenomenon in Norfolk, which is recorded as having fallen in the 17th century. Doubt remains as to whether the tower dates from the early 14th century, Decorated style, or late 14th century and Perpendicular. The main body of nave & chancel, under a single roof, is augmented with transepts, all is solidly Perpendicular and assigned to the 15th century. One remarkable feature of the church no longer survives, a large alabaster memorial to Lady Heydon, died 1593, once dominated the chancel but was largely removed in the 18th century. Two phases of restoration saw many changes and the loss of essential dating detail, the tower in 1888 and the remainder in 1896 to result in today's church. Parking is easier in the calm of School Lane where a small gate grants entry, the main entrance is off the approach lane.. Sadly for the photographer the church sits within a churchyard that is extensively wooded making finding suitable angles a difficult exercise.