England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
North Newbald St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of North Newbald, which includes the former parish of South Newbald, lies in southern Yorkshire, not too far north of the Humber Estuary and thus its border with Lincolnshire. Newbald, as the two settlements are more commonly known today, is located roughly 4 miles south of the market town of Market Weighton and sits immediately east of the A1034 which links Market Weighton through to the busy A63 at South Cave. Newbald sits on the western edges of the Yorkshire Wolds hills, it consists still of two distinct entities albeit the pair are slowly being connected by properties along the lane linking them, North Newbald, the larger of the two has properties lining the three wings of lanes that meet at a large rectangular village green which still holds the base of the ancient market cross, Newbald having once been a small market town in its own right. The wider parish is farming country and whilst today it is largely typically arable once sheep would have grazed the Wolds' slopes too. The hills are formed from Jurassic limestone and it makes a fine building stone, as in the church, consequently there are many working quarries exploiting this asset. A small stream drains off the Wolds through Newbald and eventually, heading southwards, becomes the Mill Beck, it eventually reaches the inner Humber Estuary and the North Sea. Newbald is sited at between 40 & 50 metres above the sea, the Wolds rising to the east, however, soon rise to a local high spot at 162 metres within a couple of miles, the Yorkshire Wolds Way hiking trail, utilising the heights neglects to enter Newbald, passing through the parish to the east. Newbald parish was extremely extensive for a largely lowland parish, covering a little over 5,700 acres when combined, within that acreage a population of just under 1,000 parishioners would have been supported. In Domesday times Newbald, recorded even then as a single entity, was a tiny place of just 8 households, held by the Archbishop of York its assets were a mere 4 ploughs, albeit potential for a further 12 was recognised, its greatest asset were its 4 mills.

The Church

St Nicholas' church sits within North Newbald on a tight bend in the main lane South Newbald Road, that winds through the village and links the two. Pevsner rightly identifies the church as of great importance, describing it as "the most complete Norman church in the Riding". Most of the fabric of the church is of very early date, immediately post-Conquest with a supposed dating of mid to late 12th century and exhibiting the Norman Romanesque style of that early period to great effect. A neat cruciform layout with central crossing tower, there are no aisles to clutter up the simplicity of this style, typical of early Norman churches. Of course there is later work too, the crossing tower acquired parapet, pinnacles and a stair-turret in the 13th century whilst lancet style windows indicate Early English Gothic windows in the southern transept too, also of the 13tth century. A feature of the church which has been removed, and as indicated by the markings remaining on the transepts, indicates that each transept was once terminated in an apsidal chapel, Pevsner speculates these were removed at the same time as a major rebuild of the chancel. Pevsner records no fewer than 4 Victorian restoration campaigns throughout the 19th century, besides refreshing the church these also removed a southern porch and added a reredos. There is ample street parking around the church so a leisurely visit is easy and recommended to appreciate this fine building. There are some close trees, especially near to the western end and one, in particularly sitting right in the optimal location for a landscape shot, the ingenuity of the photographer will be tested to gain adequate imagery.