England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
High Littleton Holy Trinity

The Parish

The parish of High Littleton lies in northeastern Somerset roughly 9 miles southwest of the city of Bath. High Littleton sits on the A39 road which links Bath with Wells. There are 2 main settlements in the parish, High Littleton, itself, is a linear settlement which has formed into an "S"-shape due to the changes of direction of the A39 which it follows, it runs for almost a mile with the side roads providing a little spread from the main road. To the southwest lies Hallatrow another linear but smaller village sitting across The Cam, a small brook which drains the parish, it rises southwestwards  from the brook's bridge for almost a half mile along the A39. For much of its existence High Littleton would have been a farming parish, pastoral methods were dominant, there were also many woodland patches within the parish which would have been managed for woodland products. High Littleton, however, sits on the small Somerset coalfield, early surface workings from bell-pits are documented as early as 1633 and were worked through to the start of the 18th century. In 1783 the first deep pit, Mearns, opened followed in 1833 by the Greyfield Colliery, the village expanded rapidly during this boom time. Further expansion of mining followed the arrival of railways linking the village with the port of Bristol (they have all now closed). The Greyfield closed in 1911 bringing mining to a conclusion, since that time High Littleton has become more of a commuter settlement serving both Bristol & Bath. High Littleton is drained eastwards by the Cam Brook which eventually meets the Wellow Brook and then the Avon to the east of Bath, water then turns back westwards to pass through Bath and then Bristol, under the Avon Gorge's iconic bridge and to the outer Bristol Channel. High Littleton sits on a shelf on the southeastern side of Clutton Hill at around 130 metres above the sea, Hallatrow rises from 90 to 100 metres. To the northwest Clutton Hill rises steadily to summit at just over the 200 metres contour as the highest ground around. In Domesday times High Littleton was a modest farming manor held by Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances, its assets of 5 ploughs, meadows & pastures and also with a mill were typical of many such holdings, in addition Hallatrow, also with the Bishop added a further 3 ploughs and more meadows & pastures.

The Church

Holy Trinity church stands on the southeastern side of the A39, here it is High Street, opposite the village's primary school and close to southwestern limit of the village. Sadly there is very little of this church remaining from the medieval period, not the "ancient structure" described in early gazetteers. The western tower is that largest remaining medieval piece and that is from the late 14th century in the early Perpendicular style. The remainder of the church was entirely rebuilt between 1884 & 1888 removing all traces of what came before. The work continued into a second lengthy phase running from 1890 t0 1897 which added the northeastern chapel. The photographer will also find this to be a troublesome church, beset by trees which sit tight to the church's western and southern sides there are no views whatsoever from the favoured aspects, even views from the north are dominated by the large evergreen obscuring much of the landscape views, it is a challenge to adequately record this church.