England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Syston St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Syston lies in southwestern Lincolnshire not too far from the county's border with neighbouring Leicestershire. Syston is located roughly 3 miles north of the market town of Grantham and sits immediately west of the A607 road which links Grantham though to Lincoln. A small out-and-back lane links Syston with the A607 and most properties in this tiny village are along it or off the dead-end lane leading to its church. Like most Lincolnshire parishes arable farming formed the backbone of the parish economy, the parish was largely owned by a single landholder, the Thorrold family of Syston Hall and the needs of their estate dominated employment. Modern developments have come to the parish, the East Coast Railway line from London to Edinburgh passes through the western part of the parish without granting a station. Syston sits on the eastern banks of the River Witham which drains the parish initially northwards before performing an about face and heading to the North Sea arriving through the port of Boston. Syston is sited at around 40 metres above the sea, the eastern view is dominated by the low escarpment of Jurassic limestone which rises relatively steeply to local high point of 123 metres on nearby Barkston Heath. Syston parish is one of a number which have their eastern border at the ancient Roman route of Ermine Street, each having a share of land-form types from that track westwards into the clays of the Vale of Belvoir, at just under 1,900 acres Syston parish was typically sized for its area and would have supported a population of around 200 parishioners. In complete contrast, in Domesday times, Syston was an important settlement with enough population to place it amongst the top 20% of settlements recorded, held by Guy de Raimbeaucourt it could muster 13 ploughs, some meadows and no fewer than 6 mills making for a wealthy holding indeed.

The Church

St Mary's church sits west of the A607 tucked away along a short dead-end track, so little used as to have a grassy bank down its middle and two concrete strips either side. The church is a very early example and dates mainly from the 12th century Norman Romanesque period, indeed Pevsner points to Saxon-type shafts and heads which may indicate earlier origins still. Certainly the southern doorway is assigned to the 11th century retaining a lintel from that early period. Norman features definitely identified include the chancel arch, often amongst the starting points for a church build, windows of the nave's southern face and the northern arcade. Work to alter the church began as early as the 13th century when a pointed arch was inserted into that southern doorway but most medieval alteration came during the Perpendicular period. The buttresses and pinnacled top to the western tower were added to its Norman core probably in the early 15th century whilst that typical Perpendicular modification, the clerestory, was inserted to improve internal lighting. As is customary the Victorians made their usual intervention, here it came in the early 1860s to finalise today's church. Thankfully the narrow track leading to the church widens on reaching its northern end and enough space for a car to two to park may be found. The main entrance is at the southern end alongside an impressive limestone wall, once within there are no obstacles for the photographer.