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

The Parish

The parish of Bentley lies in southern Suffolk not too far from its border with neighbouring Essex. Bentley is located roughly 6 miles southwest of the county town of Ipswich and sits a mile south of the A12 road which links Ipswich with Colchester and on to London. Bentley is a small and compact village largely built upon the lane which runs from the A12 eastwards towards Tattingstone Reservoir, most properties lie either side with extensions along 3 side lanes to the south and along Church Road running north. Like most Suffolk parishes Bentley would have largely earned its income from arable farming, still the predominant activity in the parish today, with cereals the most frequently encountered crop, although a traditional 4-year cycle cropping regime was often still followed. Modern developments have come to Bentley but been partially removed, the railway line from London to Ipswich, and on to Norwich, passes through the parish albeit the station that Bentley once boasted has since closed. Bentley sits only a few miles from the estuary of the River Stour, the border with Essex, and a small creek, Newmill Creek feeds the parish drainage into the outer estuary thereof. Bentley is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in gentle terrain where that height is rarely exceeded by much for some considerable distance. Most Suffolk parishes are traditionally small in acreage and at around 2,800 acres Bentley was, therefore, one of the more extensive within that acreage would have been supported close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Bentley was a relatively insignificant holding of King William its assets merely offered 5 ploughs together with the usual meadows & woodland, a smaller holding by Count Alan of Brittany had no obvious assets.

The Church

St Mary's church sits some considerable distance away from the village that it serves, a mile or so north on Church Road and in close proximity to Bentley Hall and its park, Bentley Hall is an important remnant an intact and largely untouched example of a medium sized Tudor house with fabric dating back to the start of the 15th century. It is therefore moderately sad that little remains of the medieval in its accompanying church due to the excesses of the Victorian restorers who have largely rebuilt it. The southern doorway and a single (albeit renewed) window in the chancel's northern face hint at what may have been lost as their style is that of the 12th century Norman Romanesque, it is unfortunate that they are adjoined to a largely Victorian re-creation. The main remaining medieval fabric is that of the western tower, complete with its battlements and a southern polygonal stair-turret. Donations in wills record its building, helped by these donations, in the period either side of 1459, a date in agreement with its typical Perpendicular styling. Three phases of Victorian restoration.rebuild have, however, transformed the church, the nave the main focus of that in 1856, in 1858 the northern aisles received the same treatment and finally in the 1880 the chancel was restored and the nave extended eastwards. Church Road is fairly narrow but is widened by a small bus-shelter with enough room for a car or two to carefully get largely off-road. The churchyard is un-fenced, with merely a low bank to separate it from the road with a gravel path heading to the main entrance. Within there are few obstacles for the photographer making for an easy subject.