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

The Parish

The parish of Aubourn lies in western central Lincolnshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Nottinghamshire. Aubourn is located roughly 6 miles southwest of the city of Lincoln and sits on the eastern banks of the River Witham some 2 1/2 miles south of the A46 road (following the ancient Roman Road of the Fosse Way) which connects Lincoln with Newark on Trent. Aubourn is a simple strip village sitting either side of the lane which parallels the Witham, the parish also incorporated part of the hamlet of Haddington across the river. The riverside setting would have varied the farming economy from the norm for Lincolnshire with the water-meadow pastures provided diversity in the farming regime from the normal arable. The River Witham drains northwards through Lincoln before turning southeast to meet the North Sea through the port of Boston. Aubourn is sited at just 10 metres above the sea and sits in very gentle terrain where local heights rise to barely 10 metres higher within a couple of miles. Aubourn parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering a little over 1,800 acres it would have supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. In Domesday times Aubourn was held by one Robert de Tosny and was a modest place with 6 ploughs and a meadow but augmented by a profitable fishery and mill.

The Church

Aubourn has two churches, the one illustrated being the more prominent and sited alongside Bassingham Road, the other more ancient and sitting within the grounds of Aubourn Hall. The latter is ancient have its origins in the 13th century and largely built in the early English Gothic style, the church illustrated was built as a replacement in 1862. Something of a Gothic fantasy and consisting of nave & chancel augmented with transepts and topped by a steeple, the church was declared redundant in 1973 and partially demolished. Services have since returned to the original church within the hall grounds, a confusing situation for the photographer. The 1860s church does, however, present a more picturesque prospect than the simple structure that is the old church.