England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ayot St Lawrence

The Parish

The parish of Ayot St Lawrence lies west central Hertfordshire about 3 miles west of the former market town (and new town) of Welwyn. Ayot St Lawrence is a small and relatively compact village lying in lanes about 2 miles east of the B651 road which connects Hitchin with St Albans. The village is much dominated by the estate of Ayot House. Ayot St Lawrence would largely have been an agricultural area at the time of this transcript and much of land follows that use today. Ayot St Lawrence is drained by small streams which feed eastwards to join the River Mimram, this river heads to join the Lea at Hertford and thence to the Thames Estuary through eastern Greater London. Ayot St Lawrence is sited at around 120 metres above the sea and stands on quite an eminence in gently rolling countryside. Even by Hertfordshire standards Ayot St Lawrence was quite a small parish, it covered just 900 acres and would have supported fewer than 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Ayot St Lawrence was largely held by the Abbey of Westminster and could offer 7 ploughs, small meadows and woodland plus a mill.

The Church

There are two churches within this tiny parish both dedicated to St Lawrence. The original village church (illustrated here) sits on the northern side of Hill Farm Lane whilst "New" St Lawrence lies in the grounds of Ayot House. New St Lawrence was built between 1778 & 1779 at the behest of Sir Lionel Lyde to glorify his house but Old St Lawrence which was partially demolished remains the more interesting building and is the focal point of the village despite its semi-ruinous nature. The church had a standard nave and chancel but enhanced by a northern chapel and a northern aisle which had the northwestern tower incorporated. Despite the intervention of the Bishop the partial demolition was not reversed and what Pevsner describes as "today's picturesque ruin" survives. The building sits slightly back from the road behind a neatly clipped lawn and low flint & brick wall. The church is tightly hemmed with trees making for a very tricky photographic exercise.