England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Thurlbear St Thomas

The Parish

The parish of Thurlbear lies in southwestern Somerset about 4 miles southeast of the county town of Taunton. Thurlbear is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet with no defined village as such, it sits deep in lanes a little over 2 miles west of the A358 road which connects Taunton with Ilminster. Thurlbear largely consists of a few farms and cottages running for a half mile along a narrow north to south running lane and sits at the foot of a low knoll of limestone. That limestone helped to diversify the economy from a typical one of pastoral farming found in this area, the limestone being quarried for local building stone and road mending. Thurlbear is drained by small tributaries of the Broughton Brook which head northwards to join the Tone to the east of Taunton, from here the Tone heads east to join the Parrett and reach the Bristol Channel through the port of Bridgwater. Thurlbear is sited at around 50 metres above the sea but that limestone knoll rises to over 150 metres on nearby hills to the south. There are many tiny parishes in this area of the county and Thurlbear was typical of such, it covered just under 950 acres and would have supported close to 200 parishioners. In Domesday times Thurlbear was an equally modest place, held by Count Robert of Mortain it could muster 9 ploughs as well as the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Thomas' church sits at the southern end of the lane's north to south course on its eastern side just before the lane turns westward. Outwardly this is a routine country church, largely Perpendicular and heartily restored by the Victorians. It is internally, however, that a surprise awaits as within this shell lies a Norman church dating back to the start of the 12th century. The Norman Romanesque aisles and arcades which sit within the church (which must have been largely re-cased in the 14th or early 15th century) are almost unique. Traces of former transepts on the walls of the chancel hint at what may once have been a cruciform building. The church has, therefore, met with two significant changes, the first to Perpendicular and the second to Victorian restoration. The lane past the church is fairly narrow but an ample verge allows parking, a low local stone wall has metal gates for entry into a churchyard which is spacious and with no obstacles to photography.