England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Withiel Florey St Mary Magdalene

The Parish

The parish of Withiel Florey lies in western Somerset roughly 7 miles northeast of the small town of Dulverton. Withiel Florey sits about 2 miles west of the B3190 road which crosses the Brendon Hills from Bampton in Devon to Watchet. There is no village to Withiel Florey at all, there is a farm by the parish church and a few more dotted through the wider parish but no real concentration. Withiel Florey sits high in the Brendon Hills above the reservoir of Wimbleball Lake with most of the parish consisting of rough upland grazing dominated by sheep, and with a dotting of Exmoor ponies. At the time of this transcript almost half of the parish acreage was unenclosed common. Withiel Florey is drained southwestwards into the reservoir by steep sided becks, from the reservoir the River Haddon emerges but shortly meets the River Exe at Exebridge, the Exe has a generally southwards trending course to eventually pass through Exeter and thence to the English Channel by its lengthy estuary. Withiel Florey is sited at 280 metres above the sea at its church, a popular meeting point for several public rights of way, the church looks across at Blagdon Hill topping out at 360 metres whilst to its northeast the Brendon Hills summit at Wiveliscombe Barrow at 412 metres above the sea, some of the highest ground in southern England. Covering almost 2,500 acres the parish would have barely supported around 100 parishioners. Withiel Florey is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church occupies an isolated rural position with only Castlehill Farm and Trout Farm for company at a sharp right-angled bend in the only lane which heads through the parish. As can be seen the church has been rough-cast in a yellow-wash which masks the underlying fabric and some of the dating detail. Pevsner identifies the basal portion of the western tower as being from the 13th century Early English Gothic period and also suggests that the doorway might be even older and perhaps 12th century Norman. Of more certain dating is the porch for which documents record a date of 1695. Also dated well is the chancel which was rebuilt during the restoration of 1882 which also replaced many of the church's windows. The easiest approach is to leave the B3190 about 200 yards southwest of the radio mast taking a westward running lane, after roughly a half mile the lane leading to church & farm turns off northwards before resuming the westward trend. Both church and farm sits at a prominent right angled bend where there are numerous verges which have been worn by visitors parking. The church sits south of the farm in a churchyard with no obstacles whatsoever for the photographer.