England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hartley Wintney St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Hartley Wintney lies in northeastern Hampshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Berkshire. Hartley Wintney is located roughly 10 miles northeast of the market town of Basingstoke and sits on the A30 road which links Basingstoke through to London. Hartley Wintney is a much expanded settlement, early maps show a pair of distinct clusters, Hartley Wintney, itself, and to the southwest Phoenix Green both compact mid-sized villages and surrounded by much woodland and heath. Today the two are conjoined into a substantial near-town which stretches for almost 2 miles along the course of the A30 and, in the case of Hartley Wintney village, for a half mile to its northwest. At the time of this transcript this was a distinctly rural area with over 75% of the parish acreage set to arable, much of the remainder being woodland exploited for forestry products such as poles and hurdles as well as building timber. Modern developments have come to the area, the railway line from London to Southampton carves through the southern portion of the parish whilst a similar line is followed by the modern M3 motorway en route to the same places from the capital. These excellent transport networks have largely driven the area's increasing urbanisation. Hartley Wintney is drained by twin rivers, to the east the River Hart to the west the Whitewater River both meet and then join in turn the Blackwater River and then the Loddon which flows steadily northwards to meet the Thames at Wargrave in Berkshire, from there waters head through the capital to the North Sea. Hartley Wintney is sited between 60 and 80 metres above the sea on a site rising from the banks of the Hart, in generally gentle terrain few spots exceed 100 metres for some considerable distance. Hartley Wintney parish was typically sized for its area but surrounded by extensive one, it covered 2,300 acres and supported a population of close to 1,400 parishioners. Hartley Wintney is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits almost a half mile south of the edges of Hartley Wintney village on the eastern side of Church Road. The church has been closed for worship and is now managed by the Churches Conservation Trust, more suitably placed churches within the settlement having taken on the role. The church has ancient origins with its chancel possibly dating from Saxon times and maybe 11th century, a Saxon chancel arch was present in Victorian descriptions but has now been lost. The lengthy nave is later with the style of the Early English Gothic of the 13th century with some Decorated style detailing from c1340 when the church was managed by Hartley Wintney Priory. Also 13th century is the rather grand western doorway. Much of the remainder is of the 19th century with the transepts from 1834 and the porch-tower of 1843 as well as general and typical Victorian restoration work. North of the attractive lychgate which forms the entry a substantial parking bay is cut into the eastern side of Church Road allowing safe parking. Once within there are only minor inconveniences for the photographer in what is an open and uncluttered site.