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

The Parish

The parish of Siddington St Peter, one of two Siddington's with St Mary, lies in the extreme southeast of Gloucestershire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Wiltshire. Siddington is located roughly 2 miles south of the market town of Cirencester and sits a half mile southwest of the A419 road which links Cirencester with Swindon. The twin parishes of St Mary, which served Upper Siddington, and St Peter merged in the late 18th century. Siddington is a mid-sized crossroads village sitting on the western banks of the River Churn, most properties lie to the south of the main junction which forms the centre of the village. As Cirencester has expanded over the years it has crept closer to Siddington and nowadays only a few hundred yards separate the village from Cirencester's outer industrial estates and modern developments. At one time Siddington was noted for the quality of its pottery but this was discontinued, the local stone was also extensively quarried forming excellent paving slabs but most were engaged in farming with a mixture of both arable and pastoral present in roughly equal proportions. Modern developments have come and largely gone from the parish, the Thames & Severn canal branch to Cirencester and the railway line linking Cirencester with Cricklade both having been closed. Siddington is drained southeast by the River Churn which soon meets the infant Thames near Cricklade, the latter has a long journey before eventually passing through the capital to the North Sea. Siddington is sited at around 100 metres above the sea with land generally at or close to that height for some distance. The combined parishes of St Peter & St Mary amounted to just over 2,000 acres and supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. In Domesday times Siddington was recorded a single entity, shared between Roger de Lacy, Hascoit Musard and Humphrey the Chamberlain, it collectively offered an impressive 20 ploughs, meadows, pasture & woodlands and 2 mills, making it one of the largest 20% of settlements recorded in that book, a much smaller place today.

The Church

St Peter's church sits north of the main part of the village accessed east of the lane running into Cirencester along a right-angled dead-end lane, Church Avenue. The church has both ancient, typical medieval and relative modern elements due to a collection of rebuilds and restorations following its original construction. Originally a Norman 12th century church the principal elements of which remain in today's chancel arch and southern doorway, the doorway being a fine example of craftsmanship from that era. The 13th century is shown by the church's 4-bay northern arcade in the Early English Gothic style showing cylindrical columns and double-chamfered arches. The Decorated period saw the rebuilding of the chancel in the early 14th century, albeit much altered by Victorian work but retaining both northern and southern windows of that period. The later medieval period saw the building of the Langley Chapel an essay in the late Perpendicular style and completed in the 15th century along with the northern aisle. Victorian rework of 1864 was extensive not only renewing and replacing many windows they also rebuilt the entire western end of the church and demolished a previous northwestern tower replacing t with today's southern porch tower complete with broach spire, a piece which marks the church out today as a noted landmark.  Church Avenue is signed simply "To the Church" from the lane and after performing a right-angled bend ends at a turning circle and small parking area with the southern porch tower looming ahead, the churchyard offers ample views with few obstacles for the photographer.