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

The Parish

The parish of Wakes Colne lies in northeastern Essex sufficiently close to neighbouring Suffolk to form a tiny stretch of the border. Wakes Colne is located roughly 7 miles northwest of the port and ancient Roman settlement of Colchester. Wakes Colen sits on the A1124 road which connects Colchester with Halstead. Wakes Colne occupies a prominent crossing point of the River Colne with its near neighbour. Chapple, on the southern  bank. Most of the village of Wakes Colne lies at right angles to the A1124 along a prominent lane heading for Bures in Suffolk. Like many villages in this area Wakes Colne would have earned its living from arable farming, the good, productive soils being renowned for cereal, beet & oil seed production. Modern developments have come to Wakes Colne, a branch line connecting Colchester with the Suffolk market town of Sudbury providing the village with communications and a station. The River Colne drains the parish southeastwards through Colchester to the nearby North Sea through the latter's estuary. Wakes Colne is sited at between 20 metres, by the river's crossing, up to 40 metres above the sea, away from the Colne's valley land continues to rise to a general height of around 70 metres in gentle terrain. Wakes Colne parish was fairly typically sized for this area, covering just over 1,800 acres it would have supported a population of around 450 parishioners. Wakes Colne is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

All Saints' church sits aloof from the village, almost a half mile west along the A1124 and sat on its southern side almost on the banks of the Colne. Consisting of nave & chancel with the former topped with a wooden bellcote, this is certainly a church with ancient origins. Pevsner notes the 12th century style of Norman Romanesque in not only the windows of both northern and southern faces but also in the southern & northern doorways. The chancel shows suspicious widening which Pevsner attributes to a remnant of a central crossing tower which was removed in the 14th century., the present spire-topped wooden belfry dates from the 15th century Perpendicular era. The earlier Decorated style is shown by some windows indicating a period of refresh towards the start of the 1th century, perhaps coincident with the removal of the crossing tower. For once Pevsner does not mention a significant Victorian restoration so if one occurred it was light & sensitive. The churchyard is set slightly back from the busy A1124 with a substantial parking area outside, a brick lychgate grants entry. Whilst there are individual trees close by they present a challenge rather than defeating the photographer in acquiring acceptable images.