England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
East Lockinge All Saints

The Parish

The parish of East Lockinge lies in central western Berkshire, that portion of the county which was transferred to Oxfordshire in the 1974 Local Government Reorganisation. East Lockinge is located about 2 miles southeast of the market town of Wantage. East Lockinge is really a rather small place, a string of cottages and farms lying along a small valley. The village was largely redeveloped as an estate village during the 19th century but the mansion which once dominated the parish was demolished after the Second World War, its grounds remain as parkland containing All Saints Church. East Lockinge sits in lanes about a mile south of the A417 road which connects Wantage with Reading. At the time of this transcript the parish economy would have been based around the activities of the estate but dominated by a mixed farming regime. East Lockinge is drained by a small tributary of the Thames towards which it runs in a northeasterly direction, eventually reaching the North Sea through the Thames Estuary. East Lockinge is sited at around 100 metres above the sea but land rises to its south to the notable chalk escarpment of the Berkshire Downs which rise to local heights of just over 200 metres, along the crest runs the Ridgeway National Trail. East Lockinge parish, like many in this area was elongated on a north to south axis to maximise the land types available to the parish, the parish also included the detached area of West Ginge and totaled around 2,900 acres, it would have supported a population of around 350 parishioners. In Domesday times East Lockinge was held by Abingdon Abbey, it could offer 6 ploughs, a small meadow & a mill.

The Church

All Saints' church sits in a parkland setting in the grounds of the former estate, it is accessed either by Park Lane or by a footpath from the lane running southeast to West Ginge. Like many churches All Saints shows features from multiple architectural periods, the earliest on show is that from the Norman period in the northern doorway and a Norman window has been reused in the southern chapel. The bulk of the fabric, however, covers the period covering the Decorated & Perpendicular styles. The chancel from the early 14th century being the former whilst the western tower is late 16th century and Perpendicular. Further modifications were made in 1886 when a southern aisle was added. All Saints is best approached on foot by the footpath through the trees from the lane, a square gatepost marks the route, once through the screen of trees the site is open with few restrictions to photography.