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

The Parish

The parish of bedfield lies in north central Suffolk about 5 miles west of the market town of Framlingham. Bedfield is a rather linear settlement built along lanes and sitting about 3 miles northwest of the A1120 road which connects Stowmarket through to the A12 at Yoxford. The area is, today, intensively arable its plateau-like features dominated by vast fields growing cereals, oilseed and beet. At the time of this transcript it would also have been dominated by arable farming albeit with more mixed than today's monocultures. Bedfield is drained northwards by a small brook, a tributary of the Waveney which is joined near Hoxne, from there things head east to reach the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Bedfield is sited at around 60 metres above the sea and sits, as stated, on a largely level stretch of land where contours are few and far between, the area around the village does represent something of a local high point in the generally flat landscape. Bedfield parish was typically sized for this area, it covered just under 1,300 acres and would have supported a population of around 350 parishioners. In Domesday times Bedfield was held by one Robert Malet, a relatively small place then too, it could offer 11 ploughs, woodland and meadow and a detailed reckoning of domestic animals headed by pigs.

The Church

St Nicholas' church sits almost a half mile away from the main areas of property along the dead-end lane of Church Road and in company of the 16th century Hall and a couple of large modern farms. The church has early origins, Pevsner is quick to highlight the northern doorway which shows Norman styles, he also speculates that the noticeable change in masonry of the chancel is a relict of a Norman predecessor to a later rebuild. Other than these notable historic features the remainder of the church is fairly typical Perpendicular East Anglian, the prominent western tower is more ornate than is usual showing flushwork paneling. For once Pevsner doesn't mention a Victorian restoration so if one occurred it was clearly rather light in its effects. A highlight of the church is the 17th century font cover, standing 6 foot 6 inches high and having elongated Tuscan columns. Church Road meanders past the farms and takes a sharp left bend where a path leads through trees into the churchyard, there are trees crowding close to the southern side of the church but there are sufficient angles for adequate photography.