England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Weston Beggard St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Weston Beggard lies in the eastern portion of central Herefordshire, about 5 miles east of the county town of Hereford. Weston Beggard lies in the valley of the River Frome, a tributary of the Lugg, and is sited to the north of the river at the edge of its flood plain. The village lies midway between the A438, which connects Hereford to Ledbury, and the A4103, which leads towards Malvern in Worcestershire, between these two roads a narrow lane winds its way across the river valley through Weston Beggard. The village is sited at about 60 metres above sea level, a 10 metre rise from the river level, and the parish is dominated by pasture land and small fields. The parish is small, less than 1,000 acres and supported around 300 parishioners. In Domesday times the land was owned by Roger de Lacy and supported 11 ploughs and a mill.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church hides away down a farm track and behind some farm sheds. The church is mostly from the early 13th century through the early 14th. Some features date from around 1200 but most are later and the nave, southern porch and chancel are all of one date. The tower is probably later than the main body. All, however, was heavily restored, as is often the case, by the Victorians in this case in the 1880s. The church is accessed by a farm track south of the lane which passes through the village, this eventually becomes a footpath crossing the valley of the Frome. The tower can be seen from the lane peeping over the tops of the barns. The graveyard is well supplied with mature trees both deciduous and conifers making for a peaceful spot.