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

The Parish

The parish of Sawley lies in the extreme east of Derbyshire where it forms not only part of the border with neighbouring Nottinghamshire but also part of the border with neighbouring Leicestershire. Sawley is located roughly midway between the city of Derby and the town of Nottingham and slightly south of both, it being about 7 miles southeast of the former and the same southwest of the latter. Sawley, the village (or former market town to be correct) has largely been overtaken in size and importance by its chapelry of Long Eaton which has outgrown its mother parish by some considerable margin. Sawley itself sits on the B6540 road which cuts across between the A50 & A52 roads and makes an impressive crossing of the River Trent to the southwest of Sawley. Sawley had been a market town which lapsed, an attempt at revival in the 18th century failed and Sawley was a sleepy place until the coming of modern communications. Canals, railways and modern roads (the modern M1 runs through the west of the parish) all crisscross the parish. The area's economy was mixed, agriculture (arable on higher ground, pastoral on the Trent floodplain) was augmented by the local framework knitting manufacture. Sawley sits less than a half mile from the River Trent, one of England's major rivers, which drains the parish to the east and eventually reaches the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Sawley is sited at just 30 metres above the sea on a fairly level plain stretching some distance from the river. Sawley parish was of a fairly typical size for a Midlands parish, it covered some 4,000 acres and supported a population of around 1,900 parishioners (spread between Sawley itself and Long Eaton). In Domesday times Sawley was held by the Bishops of Chester and could offer 16 ploughs, some woodland and meadows plus a mill and a fishery making it a medium sized prosperous location.

The Church

All Saints' church sits on the southern side of the B6540 road just where it bends to cross the Trent a few hundred yards to the south. The church is a large one and sits in an extensive churchyard. The church has early origins with the chancel arch demonstrating Norman features that could indicate a 12th century commencement, if not an earlier manifestation. The building then shows features of all the subsequent architectural styles across a period of some 4 centuries. The chancel is 13th century and the bulk of the nave from that period into the 14th. The northern aisle also has Early English style lancet windows from the same period. The southern aisle is Decorated in style and later in the 14th century whilst the western tower and clerestory are Perpendicular and 14th or 15th century. The church sits enclosed within a high brick wall and entry is from the northern side where a metal gateway grants access. There are a few trees around giving some restrictions on photographic angles but without totally preventing fine views.