England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Clifton upon Teme St Kenelm

The Parish

The parish of Clifton upon Teme lies in the extreme west of Worcestershire and by a strange geographical anomaly forms two portions of the border with neighbouring Herefordshire. Clifton upon Teme is located about 6 miles northeast of the small Herefordshire market town of Bromyard and sits on the B4204 which connects Worcester with Tenbury Wells. Once a market town, granted by Edward III, that status has lapsed and Clifton upon Teme is reduced to a medium sized village, but still a centre for a sparsely populated area. Most of the properties within the village are situated along the B4204 or to its west. The pastoral farming which dominates this area would have been the main employer but the local stone was also quarried if only for local use. As the parish name suggests the River Teme drains the parish, albeit it is something of an exaggeration to describe Clifton as being "upon Teme" as the river is over a mile away and considerably lower in height. The Teme drains southeastwards to join the Severn near to Worcester and thence to the Bristol Channel. Clifton upon Teme is sited at around 190 metres above the sea and, as stated, sits on the crest of a high ridge, the highest point for some distance, the Teme is almost 160 metres lower in a trench of a valley. Clifton upon Teme parish was slightly larger than many in its county, it covered almost 2,900 acres and would have supported a population of close to 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Clifton upon Teme, as befits a border location with Wales not too far away, was a relative backwater. The parish was held by one Osbern and could offer just 9 ploughs and a small woodland.

The Church

St Kenelm's church sits on the northern side of the B4204 just east of its right-angled bend within the centre of the village. The local sandstone is used extensively in the building, the red colour being an attractive feature. The church has its origins and most of its basal fabric in the 13th and 14th century but has been extensively altered mainly by Victorian restoration which has masked much of the dating detail. Pevsner identifies the lancets of the western tower to the early English Gothic period and the 13th century. Apparent Decorated style windows within the chancel are believed to be restoration features and not original and the only certain 14th century piece identified is the southern aisle of the early 14th century. Two major restorations, the first in 1843 the second a decade later have made major changes and are largely responsible for the appearance of today's church. The church is set a little back from the road with a small lay-by to park, surrounded by a low local stone wall entry is by way of an unusual double lychgate. There are quite a number of trees within the churchyard making for a limited set of angles available for photography.