England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Chelwood St Leonard

The Parish

The parish of Chelwood lies in northern Somerset not too far from its border with neighbouring Gloucestershire. Chelwood is located roughly 8 miles south of the city of Bristol and stands on the A368 road which links Bath with Weston Super Mare. Chelwood is a very small place with just a few properties lining the A368 plus a scatter of farms and cottages across the wider parish. Like many parishes in this area pastoral farming of mainly cattle is the dominant land-use but Chelwood also sits upon the small Somerset coal-field which is exploited by Chelwood and its neighbouring parishes employing most of the village. Small brooks drain the parish northwards to join the nearby River Chew flowing out of Chew Reservoir, the Chew continues northwards through Keynsham meeting the Avon before turning westwards through Bristol & its iconic gorge to the Bristol Channel. Chelwood is sited at around 90 metres above the sea but views southwards are dominated by the fore-hills of the Mendips and rise to 207 metres on nearby Blackberry Hill. Chelwood parish was small for its area, covering only a little over 1,100 acres it would have supported a population of around 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Chelwood was equally small and rural, shared between Alfred of Marlborough & Count Eustace of Boulogne it could muster just 4 ploughs as well as the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Leonard's church sits at the eastern end of the village and south of the A368 accessed along the dead-end lane of Church Lane. Whilst there has been a church here since early medieval times little remains of that church save 2 corbel heads which sit in the southern aisle's arcade, these are said to be 13th century. All else of the medieval has disappeared from two successive rebuilding events, the first of 1772 was also almost wiped away by the extensive Victorian rebuild of 1861. Thus what we see today would be unrecognisable to the participants recorded in this transcript. The main interest of today's church is the saddleback roof which sits upon the western tower. Outside the entrance a small triangular area allows just a single car to get off-road and park. A iron arched gate grants entry to the churchyard which only has obstructions to the north of the church so has few to impede the usual aspects favoured by the photographer.