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

The Parish

The parish of Mudford lies in southeastern Somerset was once separated from neighbouring Dorset only by Trent parish, since that parish was transferred to Dorset as part of boundary reorganistions Mudford now forms a stretch of the county's border with Dorset. Mudford is located roughly 3 miles northeast of the town of Yeovil and stands on the A359 road which links Yeovil with Bruton and onward to Frome. There are 4 distinct small settlements within the parish, Mudford, itself, is a linear small village with most properties lining the A359 up to its bridge over the River Yeo, to its west by a little over a quarter of a mile is West Mudford, a riverside hamlet, south of Mudford and closer to Yeovil is Up Mudford, which sits on a small knoll above the river and to its west, across the A359 is the strangely named Mudford Sock, a mere hamlet. The parish has mixed landscape, the north has grazing marshes bordering the Yeo whilst the south has rising ground which would have been arable, as Yeovil has expanded there is little more than a mile gap nowadays between Mudford and its much larger neighbour. Mudford is drained northwestwards by the Yeo which joins the Parrett in the Somerset Levels at Langport with the latter continuing onwards to the outer Bristol Channel. Mudford rises from 20 metres above the sea at the Yeo to 30 metres at Up Mudford, land rises steadily into Yeovil reaching 110 metres in its higher northern suburbs. Mudford is slightly larger than many parishes in this area, covering just over 2,200 acres it would have supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. Mudford manor, including both West & Up Mudfords were returned as a single entity in Domesday Book albeit each had a different landholder, King William, Count Robert of Mortain & Serlo de Bercy all having shares, the collective assets totalled 12 ploughs, meadows & pastures and there was a mill.

The Church

St Mary's church stands in the main village of Mudford, it is set into the lane headed for West Mudford by roughly 100 metres from the A359. The church is mainly built in the later medieval style of the Perpendicular, the one exception to that styling being the east window of the chancel which shows reticulated tracery from the first half of the 14th century in the Decorated style. The remainder of the church, nave, chancel and western tower all seem to have been built as a single campaign which had finished by the end of the 15th century. Both nave and tower show characteristic battlementation frequently seen on such churches, the tower also carrying pinnacles and a stair turret. The Tudor period saw the addition of a northern transept with both its own arch and that of the chancel also completed, or replaced in the latter case, during the 17th century. The porch, similarly, is 17th century with a 1685 completion date. For once Pevsner fails to mention a Victorian restoration so if one occurred it was light and sensitive. The lane, whilst narrow, has a few spots where safe parking may be found, a short access road leads to both church and some modern development, once within the churchyard there are few significant obstacles to concern the photographer.