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

The Parish

The parish of Clipsham sits in the northeast of Rutland, like many of the parishes it forms part of Rutland's border (it is a tiny county). in Clipsham's case it forms part of the border with neighbouring Lincolnshire. Clipsham is located on a lane which heads eastwards from the busy A1 road which links London with Edinburgh. Clipsham is about a mile down this lane, it is a compact village built around the southern end of its hall grounds and around the main junction of lanes. Clipsham sits in rather rolling countryside, typical hunting country with fields bordered by hedges. At the time of this transcript it would have had a mixed farming regime equally split between pastures and arable fields. Clipsham sits at about 90 metres above sea level to the north of a small incised valley containing a tributary of the River West Glen which flows eastwards to eventually join the River Welland north of the Lincolnshire market town of Spalding and thence into the Wash. Clipsham parish is of a typical size for the area and supported just over 200 parishioners. There is no mention of Clipsham in Domesday Book, however.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the northern end of Clipsham cheek by jowl with the hall. The church is much older than its heavily restored external appearance would suggest. Pevsner places much of the buildings origins as early as the Norman period but does document additions and amendments from 12th through to the 14th centuries. The Victorians made a restoration in the 1850s which refreshed and altered the external appearance but underneath this is a venerable building indeed. St Mary's sits down a tarred driveway to the east of the lane that heads north from Clipsham's centre. It sits behind a tall stone wall, local ironstone, and is accessed by gates at the southern end of the site. Whilst there are quite a few trees they do not restrict the photographic opportunities unduly.