England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Betchworth St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Betchworth lies in southern Surrey roughly 3 miles west of the market town of Reigate. Betchworth sits a half mile south of the A25 road which links Reigate with Dorking. Betchworth is a slightly dispersed settlement with most properties lining a north to south lane following a brook, a feeder stream for the River Mole, which cuts through the low Greensand ridge, a further set of properties lies east of that stream whilst further residents gather around the junction with the A25. Much of Betchworth parish, however, sat south of the village forming a rough triangle of land extending onto the northern edges of the Weald, in typical fashion early gazetteers estimate as many as 500 acres were set to woodland with the remainder strongly arable. Modern developments have expanded Betchworth, the arrival of the railway between Reigate and Dorking and granting Betchworth a station north of the A25 also gave access to London and led to much suburban-styled development in the area. The river Mole runs just south of the village draining westwards and then north to cut through the North Downs it is renamed as the Ember north of Esher before finally meeting the Thames opposite Hampton Court, the Thames passes through the capital eastwards to the North Sea. Betchworth is sited at around 50 metres above the sea with its station some 30 metres higher, land rises steadily northwards to the sudden escarpment of the North Downs rising above the station to 224 metres within a half mile, the escarpment is followed by both the Pilgrim's Way and North Downs Way National Trail. Betchworth parish was extensive, covering almost 3.100 acres and supporting a population of around 1,150 parishioners. Domesday Betchworth had been passed by Count Gilbert to his son Richard and was a wealthy holding for such a son, 10 ploughs were backed by typical meadows, pastures and woodland with 2 mills for additional income.

The Church

St Michael's church sits at the southern end of the range of properties lining the Mole's tributary, it is tucked away and accessed by the dead-end lane of Church Street which parallels the main lane. Whilst the church contains fabric from pre-Conquest times it was extensively modified in the 19th century. The church retains, however, 11th century capitals and the arch between the southern aisle and the tower, albeit reset during those 19th century changes. Once that arch marked the entrance between the nave and the former central crossing tower which has been removed. The remainder of the original medieval church is from the Early English Gothic period of the 13th century and shows lancet styled windows characteristic of that style. The southern chancel arcade is of the earliest part of that style and retains some features typical of the earlier Norman Romanesque. The Victorian changes were perhaps amongst the most extreme of any such work, removing the central crossing tower, Norman in origin, and building a new tower at the eastern end of the southern aisle in 1851 was radical. It was followed by the 1870 restoration which introduced the yellow-coloured limestone, in 1880 the northern transept was rebuilt and in 1884 the nave was further restored and the chancel re-roofed. Even in modern times work has continued as in 1963 the top of the 1751 had to be restored in a Portland stone. Church Street is well-used for parking and ends in a wide turning bay outside the lychgate, whilst the churchyard has some trees they are just about set back enough to not inconvenience a photographer.