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

The Parish

The parish of Compton Dando lies in northern Somerset roughly 3 miles south of the market town of Keynsham. Compton Dando sits about a mile and a half west of the A39 road which links the city of Bath with the city of Wells. Compton Dando is a small and compact settlement sitting on the eastern banks of the River Chew with most properties sitting either side of its main street which joins two T-junctions of lanes, south of the village a scatter of cottages and farms continue along the main lane to a smaller hamlet of Compton Common. Also on the Chew but its western bank is the further hamlet of Woollard which is shared with neighbouring Publow parish. Compton Dando sits upon limestone, it was quarried but was not of sufficient quality to be monetarised, the main economy being pastoral farming with sheep dominant as the main livestock. Crossing the parish is a stretch of the Wansdyke, a 5th or 6th century territory marker between early kingdoms, its course is less distinct than it would once have been through the activities of centuries of farmers. Compton Dando is drained northwards by the River Chew which soon meets the Avon at Keynsham, the latter passes through Bristol, under its iconic suspension bridge and reaches the outer Bristol Channel. Compton Dando is sited at around 20 metres above the sea, rising to 50 metres at Compton Common, away from the Chew's valley land rises swiftly to summit at the Iron Age Hill Fort atop Stantonbury Hill which stands at 178 metres, the highest ground around. Compton Dando parish was typically sized for the area covering a little over 1,800 acres, it would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. In Domesday times Compton Dando was a holding of Bishop Georffrey of Coutances offering 7 ploughs, meadows, pastures & woodland and there were 2 mills, presumably water-mills on the Chew.

The Church

St Mary's church hides itself away from the main street it is accessed by a lane and footpath from directly opposite the Compton Inn, Church Lane. St Mary was a church which Pevsner found to be perplexing with several features in styles not typical of their suspected date from documentary and mason's mark dating. The arcade may very well be the earliest feature, it may be 13th century Early English Gothic or posing as such after later modification. The exact dating of the nave and chancel is complicated by later change, a plaque on the eastern wall indicates work was progressing in 1735 and further dates are found for work marked in 1783 & 1793. The nave is certainly unusual in having a clerestory only on the southern face with none on the opposite face. The western tower, too, is a curious mixture, the belfry lights show early 14th century Decorated styling whilst the remainder is typical Perpendicular, but again is marked with a date of 1674 indicating substantial repairs ongoing at that date. Of more certain dating are 2 19th & 20th century restorations, that of 1840 - 1847 added the northeastern vestry and organ chamber whilst the second of 1905 virtually rebuilt the chancel from the ground up. The church is best met on foot after parking in the village, the lane forks after about 100 metres, that to the right being merely a footpath leading to the churchyard, only a row of widely spaced trees to the south of the church imposes on the aspects available to the photographer.