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

The Parish

The parish of Crowfield lies in central Suffolk about 7 miles east of the market town of Stowmarket. Crowfield sits just over a mile south of the A1120 road which connects Stowmarket through to Yoxford on the A12. For much of its history Crowfield was a mere chapelry of nearby Coddenham, but was licensed for marriages hence its own page here. Crowfield is a dispersed village, most properties lies along the route of an ancient Roman Road which cuts northeastwards across this area of Suffolk, they sit over a half mile away from the church. This area is one of the most intensive arable areas in the country, a patchwork of large cereal, beet and oil seed fields; at the time of this transcript a more rotational farming regime would have brought some diversity to the landscape. Crowfield is drained by a small tributary of the River Gipping to which its heads southwestwards and thence through Ipswich to the North Sea. Crowfield is sited at around 60 metres above the sea and land for many miles is plateau-like and close to this height. The parish of Crowfield was fairly typically sized for this area, it covered just over 1,700 acres and would have supported close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Crowfield was an insignificant place, indeed. Despite being shared by Bishop Odo of Bayeux and Roger de Rames it had few assets, not a plough was recorded merely a meadow and wood dominated by livestock.

The Church

All Saint's church, as stated, sits just over a half mile to the west of the main area of properties and sits at the junction of Church Lane & Spring Lane. The church has its origins in the 14th century although virtually nothing remains in original situ from that era. The 14th century doorway has been resited during later restoration. Crowfield's most interesting feature is, however, the chancel. From the 15th century it is certainly unusual in showing its external timber framing, making for a rather picturesque appearance. The remainder of the church including the whole nave date from what must not be termed a restoration more a complete rebuild. The original 14th nave was taken down to the foundations and rebuilt and topped with a bell-turret and adorned with a northern vestry. Despite these Victorian changes the church remains an attractive one. There is a substantial area of parking on the west of Spring Lane and the church is then approached along a footpath through the trees surrounding a moated house site. The trees which surround the churchyard are too close to permit a full landscape view but otherwise there are no further obstacles to photography.