England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Dodleston St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Dodleston lies in the extreme west of Cheshire forming a stretch of the border with Flintshire & Denbighshire and thus with Wales. Dodleston is located roughly 5 miles southwest of the city of Chester and sits about a half mile west of the A483 road which links Chester with Wrexham in Denbighshire. Dodleston is a small and compact village with most properties lining a single lane running from north to south through the settlement. Dodleston sits on soils described in early gazetteers as either marl or a stiff clay making them relatively unsuitable for arable farming, as such pastures dominate with dairy cattle forming 2/3rds of the parish acreage. Modern developments have come to the parish with the railway line linking Chester with Wrexham passing through to its east without granting Dodleston a station, the A483 has also been upgraded to a fast dual-carriageway highway. Dodleston is drained eastwards by the small Pulford Brook which soon meets the River Dee and turns back northwestwards to pass through Chester to the Irish Sea through the Dee's estuary. Dodleston is sited at just 10 metres above the sea in very gentle terrain, land rises into Wales to the west reaching close to 120 metres within a few miles. Cheshire parishes are often very extensive but at close to 4,000 acres by this county's standards Dodleston parish was modest, within that acreage it could support around 350 parishioners. In Domesday times Dodleston being close to Wales was only loosely developed, held by one Osbern son of Tezzo it could only muster a pair of ploughs and had a league of woodland.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the southern edge of the village adjacent to the site of a Norman motte & bailey archaeological site, one of a multitude that lined the border with Wales. The church, sadly, has almost totally lost its medieval content having been extensively, if not completely, rebuilt in 1870. A few windows, showing a Perpendicular style, have been reused in the rebuild and a trace of the basal stages of the western tower remains too from medieval times. The use of Perpendicular styling in the rebuild is attributed, by Pevsner, to be a nod to the style of the building which was replaced. Church Croft leads from the centre of the village to the church and to the north of the entrance sits a substantial car park allowing a relaxed visit. A neat lychgate grants entry to an extensive churchyard, the church sits well back from the entrance. Sadly for the photographer most southerly aspects are impeded by trees but all northwards facing surfaces are available but challenging on a sunny day.