England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Chew Stoke St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Chew Stoke is located in northern Somerset roughly 8 miles southwest of the city of Bristol. Chew Stoke stands on the B3114 road, a linking road which joins the A368 (Bath to Weston Super Mare) road with Chew Magna. Chew Stoke stands in a side valley just a half mile west of the reservoir of Chew Valley Lake, which supplies Bristol with its drinking water and also provides for nature. The village is mainly built between two crossroads where lanes leave the B3114, that to the west holding many properties including the parish church. Chew Stoke sits in limestone country, the stone was extensively quarried employing many whilst much of the parish was devoted to raising sheep on the thin soils. In addition to the limestone a white lias is also extracted and mainly used for paving the streets of Bristol. Chew Stoke has its own small brook which drains the parish meeting the River Chew below the exit from the reservoir, the Chew heads eastwards and then north to meet the Avon at Keynsham before returning as that river through Bristol to the Bristol Channel. Chew Stoke is sited at around 60 metres above the sea in undulating terrain where local hills rise to 120-130 metres, views to the south are dominated by the Mendip Hills rising to more than twice that height. Chew Stoke was an extensive parish, covering almost 2,100 acres it would have supported a population of close to 800 parishioners. Domesday Chew Stoke was a much smaller place of just 12 households, shared between Serlo de Burcy and one Aldwin (presumably a Saxon survivor), the combined assets totalled 4 ploughs, meadows, pastures & woodland and there was a mill.

The Church

St Andrew's church stands on the western edge of the village reached by the dead-end Church Lane and amongst farms and cottages. The church is a mixture of medieval Perpendicular styling from the 15th century and much additional fabric added during Victorian and later times. The church's stand-out feature is its dramatic 3-stage western tower, a typical Perpendicular piece complete with a stair turret and a large spirelet. Pevsner seems to feel that the tower dominates what is otherwise a fairly short and compact main body.With its additional aisles that travel the length of the church the layout is almost square if seen from above. The Perpendicular is repeated in the east window of the southern chapel & southern aisle. Much of the northern side of the church including the northern aisle and chapel date from the extensive work of the 1860s, that work at least kept similar styling to match that already in existence. Further work followed in 1900 when the tower was restored. Pevsner also felt the 156 Victorian demi-angels which decorate the interior rather intimidating and giving the feeling of being continuously watched. The west of the village sits mainly around a curving lane which leaves and rejoins the B3114, about midway along Church Lane heads west to terminate at the churchyard with a substantial parking area. Whilst there are close trees mainly to the southwest most other angles are readily available for the photographer.