England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Elvaston St Bartholomew

The Parish

The parish of Elvaston lies in southeastern Derbyshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Leicestershire. Elvaston is located roughly 5 miles southeast of the county town of Derby and sits just a mile east of the A6 road which connects Derby with London. Elvaston is dominated by the grounds of its eponymous castle, the original building having been severely damaged during the Civil War by Parliamentarian forces the present building is 17th century. The grounds are roughly circular and cover a half mile in diameter, the twin settlements of Elvaston and Thulston sit towards the southeast and south respectively whilst to the north the course of the River Derwent crosses the parish. Sitting within the latter's valley the local economy, underpinned by the estate, would have been dominated by pastoral farming. The Derwent drains the parish eastwards joining the Trent close to Long Eaton and making the long journey to the North Sea which is reached through the Humber Estuary. Elvaston is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, the ridge of land between Derwent and Trent rising to just above 70 metres within a couple of miles. Elvaston parish was fairly typically sized for lowland Derbyshire, covering around 2,600 acres it would have supported a population of close to 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Elvaston was a holding of one Geoffrey Alselin and was a prosperous place offering 18 ploughs, extensive meadows and also possessed a mill.

The Church

St Bartholomew's church sits just south of the "castle" within the grounds of the estate. Like many churches St Bartholomew has fabric from many differing periods, a reflection of continuous change over the centuries. The oldest fabric identified by Pevsner is c1200 and Early English Gothic, the lancet windows of the chancel being retained despite later changes. From the Decorated period of the late 13th century one finds the nave, southern aisle and southern porch whilst much else, including the unusually designed western tower are Perpendicular. A major upgrade of the church, funded by Lord Mountjoy, lead to restoration and rebuild in the 1470s whilst the modern restoration came in the early 20th century. The estate grounds are open to the public with signage taking cars to designated car parks from where access is best on foot. The church sits within relatively open setting with few obstacles for the photographer.