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

The Parish

The parish of Warham St Mary, one of two parishes in this small community, lies in the extreme north of Norfolk forming a short stretch of the county's northern North Sea coastline. Warham is located roughly 2 miles southeast of the small port & resort of Wells next the Sea and sits just under a mile south of the A149 coast road which links Wells with Sheringham & Cromer. Warham sits on the northern banks of the River Stiffkey and the two parishes are still discernible in the distribution of property within the village which has two distinct clusters of property lying around each church, St Mary being the church of the western portion of the village. Like most Norfolk parishes Warham would have been a farming village, its situation, however, granted almost equal amounts of land to arable & pastoral regimes. The northern portion of the parish lies amongst North Norfolk's renowned salt-marshes, a wildlife refuge of national importance whilst supporting harvesting of specialist foods like marsh samphire. Modern developments have come to the parish, the light railway from Fakenham to Wells nowadays being a heritage steam line the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway. Warham is drained northeastwards by the Stiffkey which soon reaches the North Sea to the east of Stiffkey village. Warham is sited at around 10 metres above the sea in gentle terrain which rises inland to local high spots of almost 70 metres a few miles to the southwest. Warham St Mary parish was just short of 2,100 acres in extent yet supported fewer than 100 parishioners. The two parishes were recorded in a single entry at Domesday, a much larger settlement existed than today's small village with a population large enough to be amongst the largest 20% by population recorded in that book; no fewer than 6 landholders from King William, himself, down to lowly Aldgyth of Wells, a Saxon survivor, held land and the collective assets of the 6 were impressive, 17 ploughs were backed by meadows woodland & pastures and 2 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church sits in the western cluster of properties on the northern side of The Street with expansive views to the south across the area. Like most Norfolk churches St Mary received a thorough make-over during the 14th/15th centuries but traces of earlier fabric can still be found to indicate a church here since Norman times. The northern doorway, now blocked, is an example of the 12th century Norman Romanesque styling whilst the early 14th century western tower has masonry in its lower courses which Pevsner dates to either same 12th century or even earlier to the 11th. All else dates from the early 14th century or later with the Decorated style much on show. From then into the 18th century much was left untouched until the mausoleum to the local Taylor family was added in brick contrasting with the flint of the main body. Restoration came early, in Georgian times c1801, and largely targeted the interior, the exterior being left largely medieval intact. The Street is rather narrow and whilst a small space outside the gates might fit a single car it is better to find parking elsewhere and approach on foot. The church is set back a hundred yards or so from the typical flint & brick walling of the surround and whilst it is crowded by trees on most faces the favoured southern views are uninterrupted for the photographer.