England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Chiselborough St Peter & St Paul

The Parish

The parish of Chiselborough lies in southern Somerset about 4 miles north of the market town of Crewkerne. Chiselborough is a small village which sits just east of the A356 road which connects Crewkerne with the busy A303 running from London to Exeter. Chiselborough is a rather scattered village with no real defined centre, it sits at the foot of Chiselborough Hill and perched above the course of the River Parrett. Like many Somerset parishes Chiselborough was engaged in farming, here pastoral farming dominated with the lush meadows of the Parrett's flood-plain providing rich grazing whilst tougher grass was the domain of sheep on the nearby hill. The Parrett drains the parish northwestwards running across the Somerset Levels and reaching the outer Bristol Channel through the port of Bridgwater. Chiselborough occupies a sloping site, properties at the A356 being 30 metres above the sea whilst those to the east rise to over 60 metres, land continues to rise in an escarpment to reach 131 metres on Chiselborough Hill. Parishes in this area are often small and Chiselborough was one of those, covering just under 750 acres it nevertheless could support close to 550 parishioners. In Domesday times Chiselborough was a holding of Count Robert of Mortain and an equally small place, offering just 5 ploughs, meadows & woodland but there was a mill.

The Church

St Peter & St Paul's church sits towards the River Parrett on the western edge of the settlement, accessed along the dead-end lane of Church Lane. The church is of ancient origin but has been much modified over the centuries. The central crossing tower is a feature of Norman era churches and Pevsner finds scattered remains of Norman Romanesque work in the form of a column and the bases of colonnettes at the meeting of nave with the crossing. The tower is later and shows the lancet windows characteristic of the Early English Gothic period albeit it towering spire, a landmark for many miles, is a 14th century Perpendicular embellishment. The chancel is next historically having been replaced in the 17th century whilst the nave, whilst showing the same Early English Gothic styles as the tower is as a result of the restoration of 1842. Church Lane is narrow but ends in a small turning circles cum parking area, enough only for a single car. The low wall of local stone is breached by piered and arched metal gates leading into a churchyard which is open, uncluttered and with no obstacles to the photographer.