England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Coln Rogers St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Coln Rogers lies in southeaster Gloucestershire roughly 6 miles northeast of the market town of Cirencester. Coln Rogers sits about 1 mile east of the A429 road (which follows the line of the ancient Roman Fosse Way) which links Cirencester with Bourton on the Water. Coln Rogers is a small village sitting on the western banks of the River Coln, most properties line a single lane which parallels the river. Coln Rogers is one of 3 such villages to which the river donates its name as a prefix. Sitting close to the rover would have given the parish richer pastures to vary the short turf that would have sat upon the typical Cotswold limestone beds. Both sheep and cattle would therefore have been farmed, the wool from the sheep in medieval times being almost as important as the meat, there was high demand from the weaving trade of the market towns nearby. Coln Rogers is drained southeastwards by the River Col which passes through the flooded gravel pit complex of Cotswold Water Park before joining the Thames at Lechlade for the long journey to the capital and to the North Sea. Coln Rogers is sited at around 120 metres above the sea in its valley setting, westwards away from the river land rises steadily to 237 metres at Chedworth Beacon the highest local ground. Coln Rogers parish was relatively small in extent covering just 1,400 acres and supporting a population of close to 150 parishioners. Domesday Coln Rogers was held directly by King William and offered 8 ploughs and 2 mills, presumably powered by the Coln.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits tucked away on the northern edge of the village accessed by a narrow lane from the main street. St Andrew is a very rare survivor, a genuine pre-Conquest Saxon church which retains not only its confirmational fabric and style but also its 11th century footprint largely intact. Both the simple aisleless rectangular nave and its accompanying narrow chancel date to the mid-11th century and show distinctive Saxon features such as long-and-short work, and round-headed windows and in the chancel arch a tall, narrow, and starkly plain Saxon semicircular arch separating the nave and chancel. a truly remarkable survival and worth a visit for that alone. Later, and in the period other early churches were still being built, the 12th century Norman southern doorway was added. The later medieval period saw a little further change with the chancel's eastern end rebuilt, the small western tower seems to have been added at the very end of the Perpendicular period, maybe even the 16th century. Pevsner bemoans that the Victorians had to have their input to the church with restorations of 1845 and 1892 whilst even into the 20th century work added the organ gallery in 1912. A small sign stating "Saxon Church - No through Road" points the way off the main street, the lane becomes rather narrow but another reassuring sign states the church parking is in 50 metres, cue relieved sigh. Unfortunately for the photographer the trees bordering the southern edges of the churchyard are a little too close but most other angles are readily available.