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

The Parish

The parish of Alresford lies in eastern Essex forming a stretch of the county's highly convoluted eastern North Sea coast. Alresford is located roughly 6 miles southeast of the port of Colchester and sits on the B1027 road which connects Colchester with Clacton on Sea. Alresford has a triangular site with most properties along the B1027 or the two converging lanes that form the point of that triangle. Whilst Alresford was a quiet rural village at the time of this transcript in modern times it has expanded significantly as a commuter settlement for nearby Colchester. Alresford is bounded on its southern side by the creeks of its Alresford Creek and also the wider River Colne estuary, these waterways diversified the economy by allowing access to coastal trades notably the oyster beds for which this area is famed; inland the parish would have been a typical arable farming parish of this area. Modern developments have come to Alresford, aiding that commuter growth, the Colchester to Clacton railway line passing through and giving Alresford a station. Small brooks and the creek drain the parish into the Colne Estuary and the nearby North Sea. Alresford is sited at around 20 metres above the sea in gentle terrain where land is below 40 metres for many a mile. Alresford parish was fairly typically sized for this area, covering just over 1,400 acres it would have supported a population of just under 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Alresford was held by no fewer than 4 landholders but their holdings were insignificant in the main as collectively the parish could only muster 2 ploughs together with meadows, pastures and woodland.

The Church

As can readily be seen St Peter's church is in ruins following a disastrous fire in 1971. The former church stood almost a half mile south of the village on the western side of Ford Lane which heads for the creeks from the main area of properties. It took fully 5 years for a replacement church (St Andrew & St Peter) to be built being completed in 1976 and sited within the village. St Peter shows traces of its ancient origins with reused Roman brick quoins shown in the northwestern corner of the nave which shows a 12th century origin. The original chancel and nave were extended in the 14th century, the chancel eastwards and the nave to the south. The usual Victorian restoration partially rebuilt the chancel whilst adding a vestry and southern aisle together with a porch to the north. All is very sadly ruinous today. As one heads down Ford Lane the painted white cross of the village war memorial marks the entrance to a car park which allows a visit to the poignant ruin which has few obstacles around to inhibit the photographer.