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

The Parish

The parish of Aisthorpe lies in western Lincolnshire roughly 6 miles north of the county town of Lincoln. Aisthorpe sits on the B1398 road which links Lincoln with Kirton in Lindsey by meandering along the base of the limestone escarpment, Aisthorpe like many such villages was formed as a spirng-line settlement at the base of that escarpment. Aisthorpe is a tiny place with no village facilities just a collection of properties around a crossroads of the B1398. Most of the parishes along this road are thin from a north to south axis yet elongated from west to east with their eastern boundaries formed by the A15 (the Roman Ermine Street), the purpose was to give access for each parish to all available land-types. This arrangement gave Aisthorpe access to prime arable land as well as clay-rich pastures and also allowed quarrying of the limestone for local building stone. The major modern development of the area sits to Aisthorpe's east where Scampton Air-base, created in World War II, still carries air forces. Aisthorpe is drained westwards by small brooks which feed into the River Tilt, the Tilt meets the Witham at Lincoln and heads broadly southeast to reach the North Sea through the port of Boston. Aisthorpe is sited at 20 metres above the sea with the escarpment to its east topping out at between 60 and 70 metres. Aisthorpe parish was a typical small Lincolnshire parish covering just 807 acres and supporting between 50 & 100 parishioners. In Domesday times Aisthorpe was equally small, the majority landholder was Gilbert of Ghent but a Saxon survivor Wulfgeat retained a small share, the assets of 5 ploughs and 120 acres of meadows typify this small rural manor.

The Church

St Peter's church sits west of the B1398 and is accessed by a roughly surfaced track south of Church Lane. Sadly due to structural issues the church has been abandoned for worship due to a lack of funds for remedial work, it is becoming overgrown as a consequence. The present church is not, however, the venue for these marriages as it was a Victorian replacement for a medieval predecessor completed in 1868. The church features designs based upon the 13th century Early English Gothic, perhaps harking back to its earlier version, the church's standout feature is its western tower complete with broach spire. The track is broadened close to the site for parking but potential photographers should note the grounds are becoming wild and paths across few, better views are available from outside the churchyard. It is sad to see the church unused but left to ruin is better than being sold for private use with access restricted.