England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ashbocking All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Ashbocking lies in the southeastern portion of central Suffolk roughly 7 miles north of the county town of Ipswich. Ashbocking village sits on the B1077 road which links Ipswich with Debenham whilst the church and hall stands a mile away to the west. Ashbocking is thus a combination of two settlements, a linear village strung out along the B1077 and an estate village clustered around the hall. Like most Suffolk parishes arable farming dominates the local landscapes with fertile and easily worked soils providing for cereals, beet and oil-seed in abundance. In earlier times a more mixed farming regime would have applied as well as exploitation of the wooded areas for useful products such as hurdles and besoms. Ashbocking is drained east and then southeast by a stream named The Gull which eventually merges with other rivers of the region at Martlehsam Creek for entry to the North Sea close to Woodbridge. Ashbocking is sited at around 60 metres above the sea in generally flat terrain at or close to that height for some distance, a spot height of 64 metres being the highest ground for well over 4 miles in any direction. Covering just under 1,400 acres Ashbocking was typically sized for a small rural Suffolk parish, that acreage supporting a population of close to 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Ashbocking was equally small and rural, shared by 4 landholders its meagre assets of 5 ploughs backed by meadows & pastures.

The Church

As already mentioned All Saints' church sits almost 1 mile west of the current village and in close proximity to the Hall. It is accessed along the typically named Church Road from the B1078 running east from Needham Market. The earliest part of the church is the chancel which is 13th century and Early English Gothic in style albeit not showing the characteristic lancet styled windows of that era. Slightly later is the nave which comes from the first half of the 14th century and is in the slightly later Decorated style. Both nave and chancel are mostly covered in render with the exception of the eastern wall which was rebuilt in brick at some unknown time. Also in brick is the unusual western tower which stands out amongst its neighbours which largely show a flint construction, the tower was built in early Tudor times in the 16th century. A typical Victorian restoration, here in 1872, added the porch as well as generally restoring the church. Church Road ends with a roughly surfaced area outside the gates for parking, the churchyard is bordered with a low hedge and pierced by a pair of metal gates. Once within there are no obvious significant obstacles for the photographer.