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

The Parish

The parish of Luxborough lies in western Somerset not too far from both its northern Bristol Channel coastline and also, as the county narrows markedly in this area, close to neighbouring Devon. Luxborough is located roughly 6 miles south of the coastal resort of Minehead and sits about 2 miles north of the B3224 road that crosses Exmoor from Bishops Lydeard to Simonsbath and on towards Devon's Blackmoor Gate. Luxborough is made of two distinct parts, the cluster of properties gathered around its church is appropriately enough known as Churchtown whilst to its east by a half mile sits Kingsbridge, set within a deeply cut valley. Luxborough sits within the heart of Exmoor, the high ground lines the Bristol Channel coastline forming the northern extremities of both western Somerset and northern Devon. The high ground makes arable farming difficult, early gazetteers place as much as 20% of the parish acreage as "waste" or open moorland, the wet climate is also not an assistant and pastoral farming was the main economic driver, there was also some extractive industry with the local limestone used for improving soils and road-building and even tentative experiments with iron-ore extraction. Today the area is noted for its attractive scenery and is a haven for wild-life enthusiasts, fishermen and hikers. Luxborough is drained eastwards by the infant Washford River which heads to the nearby Bristol Channel arriving through the small port of Watchet. Kingsbridge is sited at around 170 metres above the sea with Churchtown some 40 metres higher, however Luxborough is surrounded by some of the highest ground in Exmoor with the nearby Brendon Hills regularly exceeding 400 metres and culminating in Wiveliscombe Beacon at 412 metres. Luxborough parish was large by Somerset standards, covering around 3,600 acres it would have supported a population of close to 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Luxborough was a relatively obscure rural holding of one William de Mohun, offering just 6 ploughs together with the usual meadows, pastures & woodland.

The Church

St Mary's church, as you would expect, sits within Churchtown on the northern side of the narrow lane which skirts Croydon Hill and tucked away behind fronting properties. Naturally all eyes immediately turn to its distinctive western tower complete with its steeply pitched saddleback topping. Whilst the basal stages are ancient, either 13th or early 14th century and utilising a mixture of both Early English Gothic and Decorated motifs, best described as Transitional, the distinctive top is a Victorian addition added subsequent to this transcription period in 1860 and would not have been known to these participants. Like the tower the chancel is also of the 13th century, indicated by the presence of lancet-styled windows, albeit they have been restored. The nave is, contemporary or early 14th century, again both Early English Gothic and Decorated styles are present but heavily restored and perhaps not totally genuine. Besides the changes to the tower of the 1860s, a further restoration phase extended from 1890 to 1900 which culminated in the addition of the arcade and a thorough re-roofing. To the southwest of the church there is a small junction of lanes with sufficient space around to carefully park off-road, the churchyard being found up a rising pathway behind a white-painted house. Once within there are no obstacles for the photographer within the open & uncluttered churchyard.