England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Covehithe St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Covehithe lies in the extreme east of Suffolk forming a stretch of the county's eastern North Sea coast. Covehithe is located roughly 3 miles north of the port & resort of Southwold and sits about 2 miles east of the A12 road which connects Lowestoft with Ipswich. In medieval times Covehithe was a substantially fishing port but the ravages of the ever-encroaching North Sea has not only destroyed the port but also removed almost the entire village; as one arrives along Mill Lane you are confronted by signage warning of what lies ahead, the road ending in a cliff above the beach. Today's Covehithe is a small hamlet of farms and cottages formerly lying on the western edge of the vanished port. What remains of the parish is a mixture of arable farming and coastal salt marsh and lagoons, an attractive area for nature lovers and walkers. As a coastal settlement mostly field drains lead the water northwards into Benacre Broad and through its shingle bar to the North Sea. Covehithe is sited at just 10 metres above the sea in gentle terrain where does not rise above 20 metres until beyond the course of the A12. Covehithe parish remains fairly typically sized for its county, covering just under 1,500 acres it would, at the time of this transcript, have supported a population of close to 200 parishioners.

The Church

The sight of the largely ruinous St Andrew's church is one of the most picturesque on its coastline and results not from natural or man-made disaster but from the deliberate efforts of the parishioners following the loss of the bulk of the former village. The original building is clearly on a scale matching, there are 7 bays, that of nearby Southwold and reflects the size of the parish at the time of its construction. The building ages from west to east with the western tower earliest and Decorated in style whilst the nave and chancel are Perpendicular. Both styles are consistent with a 14th century date. Only the tower is in use today together with a small, thatched chapel built within the former nave. Today the church is supported by the Churches Conservation Trust and is something of a visitor attraction it itself. Parking is tight in the narrow lane, a short bay allowing a few cars to the west of the church is often full for visitors to the coastal cliffs, an early visit is encouraged. The churchyard, behind a typical flint and brick wall, is open uncluttered and with no obstacles for the photographer.