England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Waverton St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Waverton lies in the western part of central Cheshire about 4 miles southeast of Cheshire county town Chester. Waverton lies just to the north of the A41 road which links Chester to the market town of Whitchurch in Shropshire and thence onwards to Wolverhampton. Waverton is a compact village which expanded when the Shropshire Union Canal was built through the outskirts of the village. Nowadays Waverton has spread to both sides of the canal as well along the lane heading southeast from the A41. The area was largely used for pastoral agriculture although a substantial quarry of the local red sandstone (utilized in repairing Chester Cathedral) provided alternative employment. The area is most famous for the Civil War battle in 1645 at nearby Rowton Moor at which the Royalist forces were heavily defeated thus preventing the lifting of the siege of Chester by the Parliamentarians. Waverton is sited at around 30 metres above sea level on what is a fairly wide plain, what drainage there is is heading northwards to join the River Gowy which meets the Mersey estuary at Ellesmere Port. The parish was quite substantial, as were most rural Cheshire parishes, covering almost 4,000 acres and it would have supported around 770 parishioners. In Domesday times the land was held by one Ilbert of Roullours and supported a meagre 4 ploughs

The Church

St Peter's church sits on the eastern side of Long Lane, the lane which heads southeastwards as the A41 turns more to the south. The church was heavily restored by the Victorians in 1888 making dating of the building rather tricky. Pevsner only confirms that the original was Perpendicular and late in that period if not post-Reformation. The nave roof can be dated to 1635 and the building must have been commenced within around 50 years of that date. The church sits in a very open site on the broad plain, the graveyard being segregated behind a local sandstone wall which has magnificent lichens adorning it. A pair of metal gates gives access right alongside the western tower which is tight to the roadway. There are few trees within the graveyard and photographic opportunities are not restricted unduly.