England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Stalham St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Stalham lies in northeastern Norfolk not too far from its eastern North Sea coastline. Stalham is located roughly 14 miles northeast of the city of Norwich and 7 miles southeast of the market town of North Walsham. Stalham is a small market town, grown from village status in recent times, which sits on the former route of the A149 road which connects the port of Great Yarmouth, through North Walsham to the resort of Cromer and which nowadays follows a bypass along the former route of the Midland & Great Northern Railway Line. Stalham has a distinct centre around a crossroads on the former A149 and has properties lining that former route both to north and south, much modern development has expanded the small town especially to its north. Stalham's prosperity came because of its position on the River Ant, one of Norfolk's Broadland waterways, the staithe which runs from river to town and provides wharfage gave Stalham the means to engage in the transportation of local agricultural & weaving products through to internal markets such as Norwich and by means of Great Yarmouth to wider national and international markets. This trade, utilising the iconic wherries, supplemented the arable farming and traditional exploitation of the Broadland reed-beds that would have underpinned Stalham's economy. Modern developments, the M&GN rail line, as described above, have come and gone from the town. The Ant drains the parish southwards, meeting the Bure to the east of Horning and thence to the port of Great Yarmouth and the North Sea. Stalham is sited at below 10 metres above the sea in gentle terrain where a 10 metre contour lies over 3 miles away beyond the course of the Ant to the west. Stalham parish was small, as were most Norfolk Broadland parishes, covering close to 1,600 acres it would have supported a population of around 700 parishioners. In Domesday times Stalham was already a substantial settlement, one of the largest 20% by population, held by Count Alan of Brittany it could offer 14 ploughs, the usual meadows & woodland and an impressive array of animals was recorded down to a pair of bee-hives.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the eastern side of the High Street, the former A149's route through the small town. Despite a plethora of restorations the church core is one of the 14th century, begun with the nave in the Decorated style and completed in the later Perpendicular style. The nave and its southern aisle were probably begun in the early 14th century whilst its equivalent northern aisle and the western tower in the latter half of the same century. Docuemntary evidence in the form of donations in wills date the tower's construction between 1481 & 1533 making it late in the Perpendicular period. The tower is also curiously unfinished with its top lacking a centrepiece. Much else comes from the many restorations and rebuild, notably the chancel which dates from the Georgian restoration of 1827 whilst the nave received its major restoration in 1854. The southern porch followed with a rebuild of 1872 whilst both nave & chancel were re-roofed and the chancel heightened in a final tranche of 1886. The High Street has short-term parking bays but for an extended visit a car park should be sought. The extensive churchyard covers a square of land between the High Street and the Brunstead Road with entrances through typical flint & brick walling from both sides. A few trees are to be found to the southwest but these are easily avoided by the photographer.