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

The Parish

The parish of Yatton is located in northern Somerset close to its coast on the Bristol Channel. Yatton is a large village about 7 miles northeast of the seaside resort of Weston Super Mare sited on the B3133 road which links Congresbury to Clevedon. Yatton is a linear village running from northwest to southeast along the B3133 and for a few hundred yards either side. The parish sits on the edge of a portion of the Somerset levels where they butt up against higher ground in the form of limestone outcrops, outliers of the nearby Mendip Hills. Yatton is sited at around 10 metres above sea level a few metres above the River Yeo which runs to its south towards the sea. Yatton has major through routes passing the parish, the M5 motorway and the Bristol to the South West railway line although there is no motorway exit or station. Yatton parish would have been dominated by pastoral farming, cattle on the marshlands of the Levels and sheep on the limestone. The limestone itself was extensively quarried and also provided employment. The parish is a large one for Somerset, it covered almost 5,400 acres and supported almost 2,000 parishioners. In Domesday times Yatton was split three ways although the tenant in chief was the Bishop of Wells. The parish supported no fewer than 22 ploughs as well as possessing meadows and woodlands.

The Church

St Mary's church is located towards the southeastern end of Yatton and lies to the south of the B3133 surrounded by housing but in its own close of land. The church is a mixture of a 14th century church, in the Early English style consisting of a nave with aisles, chancel, transepts and set off with a crossing tower, and an extensive enlargement from the 15th century in the Perpendicular style which remodeled the nave and aisles and added the porch and chancel chapel. The strangely truncated tower is a notable feature, it was intended to carry a spire in the original design. The church is approached appropriately enough along Church Road where you come to a large green, from here the church is accessed by footpath off The Causeway. The graveyard is enclosed by a shoulder height stone wall but with gaps. There are quite a few mature trees which rather inhibits the photography.