England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Nutfield St Peter & St Paul

The Parish

The parish of Nutfield lies in southeastern Surrey not too far from its border with neighbouring Sussex. Nutfield is located about 4 miles east of the market town of Reigate and sits on the A25 road which connects Reigate eastwards to Sevenoaks in Kent. Nutfield consists of two main settlements, Nutfield grouped around the A25 and South Nutfield, about three-quarters of a mile further south. Nutfield is almost surrounded by modern communications, the A25 runs through it, the M23 is just a half mile east whilst the junction of that road with the M25 is just over 2 miles to the north. At the time of this transcript, Nutfield would have largely been an agricultural community, although the local fuller's earth was also extracted and of a superior quality, the agricultural regime would have seen a mixed farming economy with both arable and pastoral in place. Much of the parish is drained by small streams heading westwards to join the River Mole this turns north to reach the Thames by Hampton Court and thence to the North Sea. Nutfield sits on a ridge which is formed by the local Greensand, to the north about 3 miles stands the line of the North Downs whilst The Weald stretches away to the south. Nutfield is sited at around 140 metres above sea level although land drops away to both north and south. Nutfield parish was of a fairly typical size and shape for this corner of Surrey where most parishes are elongated from north to south such that each parish gains a share of the differing land types. Nutfield parish covered and area of around 3,400 acres and would have supported a population of around 850 parishioners. In Domesday times Nutfield was held by one Countess Ida of Boulogne and could offer 16 ploughs, meadows & pastures plus a mill.

The Church

St Peter & St Paul's church sits in Nutfield itself about 300 yards north of the A25 on the lane that leads to South Merstham. This is Church Hill and the road drops some 20 metres in height from the ridge to the church. Pevsner rather laments the fate of this church, it was originally a 13th century church with a 15th century Perpendicular tower until the Victorians got to work. The church has been renewed from end to end and such a thorough job was made that Pevsner states the building is a "macedoine" (a cooking term for a mixture of chopped vegetables) and bemoans the patchwork of original mediaeval with modern Victorian. The church is on the eastern side of Church Hill and in an elevated position whereby sloping ramped pathways rise to the lychgate granting access to the churchyard. The churchyard is rather too well-wooded and this rather restricts the angles available for photography.