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

The Parish

The parish of Carno lies in western central Montgomeryshire roughly  11miles northwest of the market town of Newtown. Carno sits on the A470 road, which links Newtown with Machynlleth, in the valley of Afon Carno. Carno is a lengthy linear village which runs for well over a mile along the A470 with two distinct clusters, that around the church is Carno, proper, whilst at the northwestern end of the village it is known as Sarn. Afon Carno carves an impressive trench of a valley through mountainous terrain bringing richer pastures to its valley bottom, where most population is gathered, suitable for cattle. Much of the parish sits above 300 metres and 60% of the parish acreage is best described as upland grazing for sheep, the peat was also exploited as a turbary, mainly for local fuel. Carno's position and the orientation of the Afon Carno's valley to the southeast also made it a natural route for some of the drover's taking livestock to English markets with Newtown a main gathering spot. Modern developments have come to Carno, the railway line crossing mid-Wales from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth passing along this natural route-way but not, these days, granting Carno a station. Today tourism is one of the main blocks of the economy, the scenery and rivers being the main attractions; in addition the west of the parish, on the hills above the source of Afon Chedan, is one of Wales' major wind-farm developments. Carno also has a link to the Laura Ashley business, her first factory being here in Carno until 2004. Carno is drained southeastwards by the Afon Carno which meets the juvenile River Severn at Caersws, from here the Severn conducts a broad loop northeast, southeast and finally south passing through Shrewsbury, Worcester & Gloucester before reaching the sea as the Severn Estuary. Carno is sited at 180 metres above the sea at its parish church, land rises to heights to both northeast, Garreg Hir at 485 metres, and to the southwest, Trannon at 482 metres, both are set in extensive mountainous blocks. Like most upland parishes Carno was extensive, covering 5,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 1,000 parishioners. Like most of Wales Carno is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St John's church stands on the eastern side of the A470 almost at the southern end of the village and directly opposite the Aleppo Merchant Inn, a venerable roadside establishment dating back to 1632. Sadly the original medieval church, a holding of the Knights of St John was demolished and today's church dates from 1867 so is not the venue in which these marriages were celebrated. North of the present church archaeologists have uncovered foundations of a medieval build believed to be the "hospitum" of the Knights Hospitaller. The present church is a single chambered church with a southern porch which carries, on its western side, a turret with a boarded clock stages and slate-covered spirelet. The turret has been a source of work for the local mason's ever since construction being modified in 1899, truncated in 1977 and restored once again in 1990. The work of 1990 was part of a rescue of the church which had fallen into near dereliction. As the A470 is a busy road traffic moves through constantly, a substantial layby allows safe parking outside the churchyard. The church sits in a vast churchyard with no obstacles whatsoever to concern the photographer.