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

The Parish

The parish of East Walton lies in western Norfolk roughly 8 miles northwest of the market town of Swaffham and 9 miles east of the port of King's Lynn. East Walton sits about a mile north of the A47 road which connects King's Lynn with the city of Norwich. East Walton is a thinly populated small village with most properties lining the B1153 road which heads northwards from the A47 and runs along the base of the low range of hills which rise from the coastal plains. Church Road connects that road with the church and a few more properties lie along that road too. Most parishes in Norfolk are strongly arable and East Walton was no exception although it did possess a common, a wood and a warren all lying west of the village providing a little variation. East Walton sits just beyond the valley of the the River Nar but is only connected with that river by meandering streams and man-made channels which finally join at Blackborough End and Pentney. The Nar heads into Fenland before turning northwards to finally meet the Great Ouse in King's Lynn's southern suburbs, the latter passes to the North Sea through The Wash. East Walton is sited at around 20 metres above the sea, land rises steadily to the east underpinned by chalk heights of 80 metres being reached at the southern edges of Massingham Heath. East Walton was larger than the norm for a Norfolk parish covering just over 2,600 acres, it would have supported a population of around 200 parishioners. Given the size of today's small village it is difficult to imagine East Walton as large enough to rank amongst the largest 20% of settlements by population but is what is determined by the 36 households that were recorded as held by Count Alan of Brittany & Roger Bigot, their collective assets of 6 ploughs and small meadows would be just like today but for the recorded 4 mills and a salthouse they collectively held.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the western side of Church Road, an out-and-back lane running south and then east to meet the B1153. East Walton was once the proud possessor of 2 parish churches and the ruin of St Andrew's church remains in gardens to the east of Church Road. St Mary has two distinct ages within its fabric, the presence of a round tower is usually and correctly, in this case, indicative of an early church in the area. The western tower has lancet styled bell-openings and a similar styled western window and is confidently dated to the late 12th century within the Norman Romanesque period. The main body of the church is much later and typically for Norfolk it is Perpendicular in style, both nave and chancel being apparently contemporaneous and probably built in the late 14th century replacing an earlier version of the church. For once Pevsner fails to mention a typical Victorian restoration focusing rather on the replacement roofs of both nave and chancel dating from the 18th century. Church Road is quiet once passed the few cottages and wide enough for careful parking by the prominent white gate which marks the pathway to the church which is set back from the road by some distance. Once within there are few obstacles to concern the photographer.