England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Uphill St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of Uphill sits on the western coastline of northern Somerset slightly more than 2 miles south of the resort of Weston Super Mare. Uphill sits immediately west of the A370 road which links Weston Super Mare with Highbridge & Burnham on Sea. Uphill is a village much expanded by speculative development following the success of Weston Super Mare as a Victorian seaside resort, the original village is largely built around a fork of lanes enclosing the modern St Nicholas, Uphill Road South & Old Church Road whilst modern & Victorian development have turned the previously small village into a sizeable one. Uphill's situation is unique with with the 45 metres limestone mound on which "Old St Nicholas" sits forming a termination of the southern edge of the village whilst further limestone fossil reefs form the dramatic headland of Brean Down offshore. Prior to Victorian times Uphill would have primarily been a pastoral farming village exploiting the coastal grazing marshes and limestone grasslands with cattle & sheep respectively. Railway lines have also come to the parish with that from Bristol to Exeter squeezing through the gap in the limestone ridges and passing through the parish, it is also joined by a line from Weston Super Mare. Uphill sits at the mouth of the River Axe with most water in the parish making its way through man-influenced channels into that river and the Outer Bristol Channel. Uphill is sited between sea level and 20 metres, the reef to its south being at 45 metres whilst further east limestone rises to 175 metres on Loxton Hill overlooking the M5 motorway. At just over 1,000 acres Uphill parish was relatively small and would have supported a population of around 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Uphill was relatively small too, held by one Serlo de Burcy its assets of 7 ploughs coupled with typical meadows and pastures reflected a small rural farming holding.

The Church

Whilst a new St Nicholas church now serves the parish from Uphill Road South old St Nicholas would have been the venue for these marriages sitting atop its limestone bluff and perilously close to a cliff-edge. The layout, with a central tower is typically Norman but lacks the transepts necessary for the full cruciform layout, perhaps its tenuous position urged caution in venturing too close to the edge. The main body is certainly early, 12th century and Norman Romanesque in style. The central tower was rebuilt during the 15th century and Perpendicular style motifs were introduced into the coursed stonework accordingly. Victorian work of 1864 saw the nave roof removed in 1864 leaving that portion open to the sky, whilst a collapse to the northern porch required a rebuild using the original materials in 1904. The church can only be approached by footpath, parking should be sought in Uphill Way from where a brown sign points the way across grasslands to the site. The spectacular location has no obstacles for the photographer with the remains sitting within the original open chuchyard.