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

The Parish

The parish of Plaitford, historically was one of a small number of parishes which formed the southeastern extremes of Wiltshire, it has since, however, been transferred into Hampshire and now forms the southwestern extremes of the latter county. Plaitford is located roughly 5 miles west of the market town of Romsey and sits on the A36 road which links Southampton with Salisbury. Plaitford now forms part of the revised county border line, it runs immediately west of the majority of the village leaving some properties in Wiltshire even today. Plaitford is a linear village with most properties lining the A36. Plaitford is a village which belongs to the New Forest, early gazetteers estimate almost half of the parish acreage as being unimproved heathland suitable only for rough grazing, the remainder would have been arable. Plaitford is drained eastwards by the River Blackwater, its name coming from the peat of the heath creating the stain, which merges with the Test to form Southampton Water before reaching the English Channel. Plaitford is sited at around 30 metres above the sea in gentle terrain, land rises steadily southwestwards into Wiltshire but only reaches 70 metres at nearby Nomansland. By the standards of either county Plaitford parish was toward the smaller end of the scale, covering only 1,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Plaitford was even smaller and rural, held by a Saxon survivor, Edmund son of Aiulf, it offered a single plough, a small wood but did have a mill.

The Church

St Peter's church stands away from its village, almost a mile to the north and separated by the River Blackwater, it sits on the southern side of Church Lane close to a former moated manor site. This is a church which is almost wholly restored, mere fragments survive to document its medieval history. A small lancet window in the southern wall of the vestry indicates the origins lie in the 13th century and in the era of Early English Gothic styling. Both the southern and northern doorways similarly show the same dating and style, a scatter of quoins are all else that is left once Victorian work is discounted. The major restoration which shaped today's church came in 1856 and produced a simple church of nave & chancel with only the bell-turret complete with shingled spire adding external interest. To the east of the entrance Church Lane is widened into a rough triangular parking area, wooden gates lead through thick hedges into a churchyard with few obstacles for the photographer.