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

The Parish

The parish of Ampney St Peter, one of a small group of three Ampneys, is located in southeastern Gloucestershire close to its border with neighbouring Wiltshire. Ampney St Peter lies about 4 miles southeast of the market town of Cirencester and sits adjacent to the A417 road which links Cirencester with Faringdon. Ampney St Peter is a compact and rather pretty Cotswold stone village, most property is located up small side lanes to the north of the main A road. Ampney St Peter would have have earned its keep from two principal activities, sheep farming and limestone quarrying. The local limestone is a particularly attractive building stone and most cottages in the village are built from it. Ampney St Peter sits at about 100 metres above sea level in the shallow valley of the Ampney Brook, this stream heads off southeastwards to join the juvenile River Thames just to the east of Cricklade before setting out on the long journey to the North Sea. By the standards of the Cotswolds Ampney St Peter parish was rather small, it covered just over 500 acres and would have supported around 200 parishioners. In Domesday times Ampney St Peter was held by Gloucester Abbey and boasted a mere 5 ploughs although it did possess a mill.

The Church

St Peter's church sits just to the north of the busy A road along a lane that, past the church, becomes a footpath heading for the sister village of Ampney St Mary. St Peter's church is extremely old and it is almost certainly one of those great rarities - a pre-Conquest survivor. The nave is the oldest portion which Pevsner dates as Saxon, the chancel only a bit later and in the Norman style. With the addition of a few Perpendicular windows and the Victorian northern aisle, porch and vestry you get the usual mix of ages. The squat western tower is also quite unusual. Inside there are remains that normally have been erased namely the rood loft stairs. The church sits about 50 yards north of a triangular green, the site is accessed best on foot. There are a few trees and shrubs but they do not unduly restrict photography.