England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
West Hatch St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of West Hatch lies in southwestern Somerset roughly 5 miles southeast of the county town of Taunton. West Hatch sits a half mile west of the A358 road which links Taunton with Ilminster. West Hatch is a small and compact settlement built around a multiple junction of narrow lanes, the village sits on the northern banks of a small brook rising up the hillside northwards. Like most of the parishes in this vicinity pastoral farming and orcharding dominate the local farming landscape. This is rich dairy countryside with small cider apple orchards also dotting the landscape.  Whilst the village may be small, the wider parish is well served by numerous farmsteads and cottages. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, a branch railway line linking Taunton with Ilminster has closed and left only bridges & cuttings to remind us of its former existence. West Hatch's small stream drains the parish northeastwards, becoming the Sedgemoor Old Rhyne as it passes into The Levels. Much of its route to the outer Brisol Channel follows either the River Sowy or a series of man-made channels such as the King's Sedgemoore Drain until it reaches the Parrett just before that river reaches the sea. West Hatch is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in rolling countryside, to the east a sharp rise up an escarpment tops out at 85 metres as the highest ground nearby. Covering just under 1,700 acres West Hatch parish was typically sized for its area, that acreage would have supported close to 450 parishioners. West Hatch is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits in the northwestern segment of the village but is tucked away from most of the lanes through the hamlet. Outwardly a typical Perpendicular church of the late 14th or early 15th century St Andrew was actually almost totally rebuilt in 1861 and whilst true to the original style of the church it would not be recognisable to the participants in these marriages. As the rebuild reused Perpendicular windows from the old church in the new northern aisle we know the predecessor was such a church. The western tower too appears to be a faithful copy of the original church's western tower maintaining that style. From the main junction by the stream West Hatch Lane head northeastwards towards the A358, shortly after a narrow roughly surfaced track leaves westwards signed to the Village Hall, a further footpath heads southwest to the churchyard. There are trees west of the tower and close trees to the south limit the scope for retreating away to encompass the church in landscape mode, all other angles are available for the photographer.