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

The Parish

The parish of Bickington lies in southeastern Devon roughly 3 miles northeast of the small market town of Ashburton. Bickington is a long straggle of a linear village which is largely built upon the route of the former A38, which fortunately now passes to the northwest as a fast dual-carriageway. The River Lemon forms the southern boundary of the village which stretches for almost 3/4 of a mile northeast from that crossing point. Bickington sits on the south-eastern corner of Dartmoor, the A38, Plymouth to Exeter road, marking the boundary of the National Park. Like most Devon villages from this area pastoral farming supplemented by a limited amount of extractive industries dominated the local economy. The River Lemon drains the parish eastwards, joining the Teign in Newton Abbot before reaching the English Channel through the latter's estuary. Bickington occupies a rising site, 75 metres above the sea at the Lemon bridge whilst rising to almost 120 metres at the northeastern end, land rises steeply to the northwest onto Dartmoor reaching 473 metres on nearby Rippon Tor. Bickington parish was fairly typically sized for this area, covering close to 1,300 acres it would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. In Domesday Book Bickington is not mentioned specifically but the manor of Ingsdon, jointly held by Ralph Paynel & Osbern de Sacey is within the parish acreage and could offer 13 ploughs as well as extensive pastures, meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Mary's church sits at the far northeastern end of the village on the northern side of Old Hill. Whilst the site is believed to be pre-Norman as a burial site, the church, a daughter church of nearby Ashburton, is fairly late for the area. The nave dates from the 15th century as does the chancel whilst the western tower, complete with a central star-turret, is from the succeeding century, all being from the later Perpendicular style of those centuries. Also from the 16th century is the northern aisle and priest's doorway. Much else, however, dates from a rather extensive restoration of the early 1880 whereby a major refresh took place. Visiting the church is facilitated by a substantial car park at the church hall opposite. The churchyard is small and rather hemmed in by trees at the western end but there are plenty of angles remaining for the photographer.