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

The Parish

The parish of Dormington lies in the southeastern portion of central Herefordshire roughly 5 miles east of the county town of Hereford. Dormington sits on and mostly southwest of the A438 road which connects Hereford with Ledbury and is a very small place, indeed. The actual village consists merely of a strip of properties lining the lane which heads southwest from the A438 towards Mordiford whilst the wider parish also includes the equally small hamlet of Bartestree, a chapelry register for marriages, and a dotting of farms and cottages. The parish has a varied topography, the village sits within the valley of the River Frome, the water-meadows granted rich cattle pastures, to the south east rises the steep hill of Backbury Hill, offering forestry management and sheep grazing whilst its slopes provided well drained soils for the local speciality of cider orchards. Today even Bartestree has a vineyard. Water changes rivers in quick succession hereabouts, the Frome soon joining the Lugg and swiftly thereafter the Wye before making a lengthy journey to the Bristol Channel arriving through Chepstow. Dormington is sited at around 70 metres above the sea but the looming bulk of Backbury Hill dominates southwards views rising to the local high point at its hill-fort top standing at 225 metres. Dormington parish was tiny, if one excludes the chapelry of Bartrestree it covered merely 1,000 acres and supported close to 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Dormington was yet smaller holding only 2 households who shared a plough, meagre returns for its landholders the Canons of Hereford.

The Church

St Peter's church stands on the southeastern side of the Mordiford lane about 100 metres from the A438. The church, at its core, is of the 13th century but was much modified by restoration and addition during Victorian times. Of the remaining fabric from the 13th century one finds the main body of nave and chancel largely intact, most of the windows, of 2-lights with trefoiled or cinquefoiled heads, date from the last era of the 13th century and may be deemed Transitional rather then purist Early English Gothic. The chancel arch, often the first part of a church to be erected and from where building proceeds both east and west, is also late 13th century. Matters rested in this state until the major Victorian work of 1876-7, here there was not only a major restoration of the medieval content but also significant additions, the church's stand-out feature is the shingled bell-turret complete with a lead-coated broach spire, a Victorian addition as was the northern vestry, the southern porch in oak and its southern doorway, the eastern end of the chancel is also marked by a "Gothic-styled" Victorian east window. The lane passing the church carries significant traffic acting as an unofficial by-pass for traffic-clogged Hereford so careful road-side parking is required. Wooden gate grant entry to the churchyard which carries a few problems for the photographer, trees gather close around the southeastern corner removing the favoured aspects but all other angles are available.