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

The Parish

The parish of Welford (nowadays Welford on Avon) once sat in the extreme north of Gloucestershire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Warwickshire, nowadays Welford  and a few other parishes have been administratively moved into Warwickshire, the former border was formed by the River Avon. Welford  is located about 4 miles west of the town of Stratford upon Avon and sits immediately across the river from the course of the B429 which links Stratford upon Avon with Bidford upon Avon. Welford  is a substantial village bordering on becoming a small town, a single main street leads southwards from the Avon lined with properties for well over a mile, to the west sits a further oblong of lanes in which sits more properties and the church. All of Welford  sits enclosed in the loop of a meander of the Avon. Welford  would have had a varied farming regime with the floodplain of the Avon providing pastures whilst drier land grew mainly cereals, early gazetteers estimated 2:1 in favour of the latter. In addition the local stone was quarried and the navigable Avon used for transportation of produce to the market of Stratford upon Avon. The Avon drains the parish westwards to eventually meet the Severn from where water turns south and reaches the sea through the Bristol Channel. Welford  sits on rising ground, the bridge at 30 metres whilst the southernmost end stands at 50 metres above the sea, the isolated knoll of Welford  Hill stands out in generally flattish terrain but only reaches 82 metres as the highest ground nearby. Welford  parish was a larger than average parish covering just over 3,000 acres and supporting a population of close to 750 parishioners. Whilst Welford  is mentioned in Domesday Book the entry is clearer referencing the region rather than the individual manor.

The Church

St Peter's church stands at the northwestern corner of the oblong of lanes to the west of the High Street, it stands where Church Street becomes Boat Lane. At its core St Peter is a church of the later Norman Romanesque period albeit with additions made over the centuries since its first construction in the 12th century. The tower is 12th century up to its string-course, both northern and southern doorways too but it is the arcades which are most impressively Norman complete with short stubby round piers. The western tower is actually the most complex piece, Norman at its base as one progresses upwards it changes to a 13th century piece with lancets from the Early English Gothic period, the topmost stages and battlements are 15th century and Perpendicular. Although the chancel was originally Norman it was rebuilt in the early 14th century and now shows the Decorated styling of that half century. Completing the medieval fabric are the aisles which were altered in the 15th century and show the Perpendicular style in their windows. Two phases of Victorian restoration are recorded, the first of 1867 impressed Pevsner with its careful approach whilst the second of 1885 restored the tower following an unfortunate fire. To the east of the churchyard Church Street has ample room for on-street parking. The churchyard is entered by a double-lychgate set slightly into Boat Lane, once within there are no substantial obstacles for the photographer.