England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Lyng St Bartholomew

The Parish

The parish of Lyng lies in central Somerset about 6 miles southeast of the market town and port of Bridgwater. Lyng sits on the A361 road which connects Taunton through to Street & Glastonbury and sits in the heart of the Somerset Levels on the ancient Isle of Athelney. Most properties are built along this slightly raised route with two distinct settlements East & west Lyng forming the distinctly linear village. The Isle of Athelney was allegedly the refuge of Alfred the Great during the low point of his campaign against Danish invaders, Athelney Abbey being founded here in thanksgiving for that safety. Modern developments have traced a similar route through the levels with the Taunton to Frome railway line passing through Lyng. The Levels are low lying and dominated by grazing marsh and pastoral farming would have formed the backbone to Lyng's economy. The area today is well known for its abundance of wildlife refuges, a hark back to the levels of pre-manmade intervention. The River Tone drains the parish northeastwards the short distance to the Parrett which then heads for the Bristol Channel through Bridgwater. Lyng is sited at just 10 metres above the sea, land is characterised by former islands and peninsulas within the marsh and land rises to almost 60 metres on the ridge of land holding Stoke St Gregory to Lyng's south. Lyng parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering just over 1,400 acres it would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Athelney Abbey held the parish, a small place of just 4 ploughs and attendant meadows and woodland.

The Church

St Bartholomew's church sits on the southern side of the A361 within the hamlet of East Lyng. The church is a mixture of two styles, Decorated and Perpendicular, with the latter dominant. The Decorated style portions being limited to the windows of nave & chancel together with the chancel arch, everything else is Perpendicular; together these factors indicate a single-phase build beginning in the early 14th century and spreading through to the latter stages of that era. The church's crowning glory is the western tower which displays a mixture of Blue Lias and Ham Stone (limestone) to good effect. For once Pevsner does not mention the Victorian restoration so in this case if it occurred it was light and sensitive. The church sits in a highly elevated position relative to road level, a set of steps rising to the wall which surrounds. The churchyard is rather small and tightly bound surrounding the church making the better views from outside and severely limiting the better angles for photography.