England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Bishops Sutton St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of Bishop's Sutton lies in central Hampshire roughly 8 miles east of the county town of Winchester. Bishop's Sutton sits immediately north of the A31 road which links Winchester through to London, that road previously ran through the village but, thankfully, now bypasses to the south with the former route downgraded as the B3047. Bishop's Sutton is a small and linear village with most properties lying along the former route of the A31 or on side lanes, the village lies along the southern side of a tributary of the River Alne. It is that tributary which saw much wealth for the village, its pure chalk-based waters being ideal for the growing of watercress which was a local speciality. The wider parish would have been farmed with sheep as the main source of revenue in the time of this transcript, today the area is much more arable. Modern developments have come to the area but stayed in modified form, the branch railway line from neighbouring New Alresford through to Alton now preserved as one of the country's renowned heritage steam lines and a major tourist attraction, in tribute to the area's industry it is The Watercress Line. Bishop's Sutton's small tributary drains the parish westwards meeting in short order the Alne and then the Itchen, the latter turns southwards at Winchester to pass through Southampton and to the English Channel. Bishop's Sutton is sited at around 80 metres above the sea but wither side of its valley setting chalk hills rise to a local high spot at 178 metres near West Tisted. At a little over 2,900 acres Bishop's Sutton parish was extensive and that acreage would have supported a population of around 500 parishioners. A very different story is recorded in Domesday where Bishop's Sutton was of sufficient size as to be amongst the largest 20% of settlements by population with 152 households in complete contrast to today's small village; a holding of Count Eustace of Boulogne its assets were formidable too, 28 ploughs backed by meadows and woodland and no fewer than 4 mills made for a very wealthy holding indeed.

The Church

St Nicholas' church sits on the western side of one of the B3047's side lane, Church Lane. This is a church with its ancient credentials preserved despite the ravages of both time and the Victorians and their habitual restorations. The nave together with two doorways date from the 12th century and the Norman Romanesque period of architecture. Windows on both northern & southern faces show the Norman styling rather well. Moving eastwards the chancel arch, often the earliest portion of the main body is also 12th century given an approximate date of c1150 by Pevsner, like the nave the chancel arch is wide with nook-shafts and a plain point to its arch. The chancel at the eastern end is later, 13th century, and shows the characteristic lancet windows of the Early English Gothic style. At the western end stands not a tower but a bell-turret covered in shingles which stands on sturdy 14th century chamfered posts, Decorated style in age and the youngest of the medieval fabric. The brick porch, which stands in marked contrast to the main body's flint, is of uncertain dating either 17th or 18th century. Of course the Victorians couldn't leave the church untouched but at least their restoration of 1891-3 was fairly light and sensitive even if the chancel required further restoration in 1962. Church Lane is widened south of the site to allow a car or two for on-street parking. Regrettably there are rather close trees to the south limiting those favoured aspects to views along the church but all other aspects are available to the photographer.