England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Longford St Chad

The Parish

The parish of Longford lies in southwestern Derbyshire roughly 10 miles west of the county town of Derby. Longford sits within a broad area devoid of significant numbered roads, the closest such road lies over 3 miles to its northeast, the A52 linking Derby with Ashbourne. Longford, which donates its name to the parish, is an estate village mainly built around a "C" shape of lanes south of the hall, Longford Hall, a much altered 16th century mansion set in extensive parkland, the parish also includes the village of Hollington, a small and compact village sitting between 1 and 2 miles northeast, and the small hamlet of Alkmonton, a similar distance westward. The whole parish is intensely rural and consists mainly of pastures sitting across the rolling foothills of the Peak District which lies to the north. The area has a long history, Longford sits upon an ancient Roman route linking Staffordshire's Rocester with Derby nowadays followed by the broader of the local lanes. Longford is drained southwards by the Sutton Brook, it changes name to Hilton Brook shortly before meeting, in quick succession, the River Dove and then the Trent which is followed on its long journey to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Longford is sited at around 80 metres, Hollington some 50 metres and Alkmonton some 60 metres higher in rolling countryside where local high spots briefly cross the 150 metre contour to the northwest at Yeaveley. Longford parish was atypically sized for lowland Derbyshire, at a little over 5,800 acres it was sized similarly to the upland parishes of the Pennine area, that extensive acreage supported a population of close to 1,250 of whom only 50% were residents of Longford village. In Domesday times Longford lacks a mention but Alkmonton, a holding of Hugh de Ferrars offered 4 ploughs, Hollington a further 8, tiny Rodsley a further 13, here Hugh shared with Burton Abbey, and even tinier Bupton a further 11 ploughs, again Hugh shared here with the Bishop of Chester. The total of 36 ploughs for the entire parish is impressive and backed up at each holding with meadows & woodlands whilst Bupton also held a mill making the whole rather wealthy indeed.

The Church

St Chad's church sits within the parkland surrounding Longford Hall cheek-by-jowl with the hall, itself. Given the location it is a church best visited on foot using the public footpaths that cross said parkland. Whilst the church undoubtedly has ancient origins it is one which was much altered in the early & mid 19th century. It is only internally that Pevsner recognises the 12th century origins of the building, here in the Norman Romanesque style of that century he points out the 3-bay northern arcade's circular piers characteristic of that era. Whilst the arcades are 12th century the aisles are later and given a date of c1300 during the brief Transitional stage between Early English Gothic and Decorated, the aisles have Early English Gothic lancets but with Decorated style tracery. Also Decorated in style and from the early 14th century is the chancel showing tall 2-light windows. Whilst the nave was almost certainly contemporary it was modified during the 15th century using the Perpendicular style to insert that characteristic feature of the 15th century, the clerestory, here battlemented too. At the same time the ashlar-faced western tower we see today was also added. Alteration in the 19th century began under the Georgians with much work in 1831 followed in early Victorian times by a second phase in 1843, the great east window being a product of the latter phase. Parking should be sought in the main village and approach is usually by the public footpath from the South Lodge which passes the hall to reach the churchyard, whilst there are a few trees to the south they can be avoided by the photographer.