England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Syleham St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of Syleham lies in the extreme north of Suffolk forming a lengthy stretch of the border, here formed by the course of the River Waveney, with neighbouring Norfolk. Syleham is located roughly 4 miles southwest of the Norfolk market town of Harlestonand sits just under 2 miles south of the A143 road which parallels the Waveney and links Harleston with Diss. Syleham has two distinct portions, there are some properties along the lane running south of the Waveney whilst Syleham's village, actually little more than a crossroads with a group of farms and cottage, keeps its fet dry almost a mile further south. Syleham's position in the Waveney valley would have varied its farming regime a little, the rich water-meadows providing some grazing to supplement the normal arable regime. The Waveney drains the parish eastwards, forming the county border for most of its course, before reaching the estuary of Breydon Water and the sea through Norfolk's port of Great Yarmouth. Syleham is sited at around 40 metres at the village and some 20 metres lower by the river, land is gentle hereabouts rising only to just over 50 metres to the east. Syleham parish was fairly typically sized for this area, covering close to 1,600 acres it would have supported a population of around 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Syleham was shared between Robert de Tosny & the Bishop of Thetford, collectively the assets totalled 11 ploughs, the usual meadows & woodland and there were 2 mills.

The Church

St Margaret's church sits away from the village and almost on the banks of the Waveney with just a pasture separating it from that river, it is accessed by a roughly surfaced track from the lane paralleling the river. The presence of a round-tower immediately alerts to the probability of the church being rather early and, indeed, Pevsner identifies quoins at the northwestern corner of the nave as being likely Anglo-Saxon, pre-Conquest, work.  In reality the church is a typical hotch-potch of ages, the tower likely to be early 12th or late 11th century in its main construction, the chancel showing the lancets of the Early English Gothic is 13th century. The chequerboard panelling on the tower of the 14th century and Decorated whilst the nave is classic Perpendicular style and late 14th or early 15th century. Like most churches the Victorians had their usual input, a restoration of 1891 saw the chancel arch rebuilt, the nave re-roofed and a general refresh to the remainder. This is a church best approached on foot from parking found in Syleham or Wingfield Roads, the roughly surfaced track heading out onto the marshland before arriving at the church. The church sits towards the western edge of the rough oblong churchyard, a position which makes the tower a bit tricky but otherwise there are no obvious difficulties for the photographer.