England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
North Cheriton St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of North Cheriton lies in southeastern Somerset roughly 2 1/2 miles southwest of the market town of Wincanton. North Cheriton sits immediately west of the A357 road which connects Wincanton through to Blandford Forum in Dorset. North Cheriton consists primarily of two parallel lanes leading westwards from the A357 and sits within a thin strip of a parish with its long axis also running east to west. Like most Somerset parishes farming was the main economic activity with pastoral methods dominant, the local stone was also found good for local building and road mending so was quarried employing a few more. North Cheriton is drained eastwards by the Bow Brook which soon joins the River Cale, the latter joins eventually the Stour which continues southeast to reach the Englaish Channel through Poole Harbour. North Cheriton occupies a rising site, 90 metres above the sea at the A357 and rising westwards to 120 metres, to the south the mass of Windmill Hill rising to 185 metres marks the highest land in rolling countryside. North Cheriton parish was small, covering just under 1,100 acres and supporting a population of close to 300 parishioners. In Domesday times North Cheriton was shared by 3 landholders with assets totalling 8 ploughs backed by meadows, pastures and woodland it was a typical farming settlement of its time.

The Church

St John's church sits at the western, highest, end of the village where the main village lane performs a double right-angled bend around its churchyard. Due to extended Victorian restoration and rebuild only the western tower remains unaltered from medieval times, the tower is of the early 14th century and Decorated in style with the exception of its battlemented bell-stage which was added in the later Perpendicular style. The chancel arch, too, remains from the 14th century but is connected to a 19th rebuilt chancel. The major restoration came in 1878 when most of the fabric was restored and a northern aisle added to the nave, the chancel was rebuilt later in 1886 making most of the church relatively modern. From the apex of the bend a short driveway leads to the gates with room for a car to safely park without blocking entry, the photographer will find the churchyard rather busy with trees making for a restricted set of angles especially with clusters to both southwest and southeast removing most of the favoured views.