England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Byfield Holy Cross

The Parish

The parish of Byfield lies in the extreme southwest of Northamptonshire forming a stretch of the border with neighbouring Warwickshire, indeed only Boddington parish separates it from Oxfordshire too. Byfield is located roughly 7 miles south west of the market town of Daventry and sits on the A361 road which links Daventry with the Oxfordshire town of Banbury. Byfield is a large village with a substantial presence on the A361 as well as to both east and west of that road's course. The village sits upon a mixture of ironstones and limestones from the Jurassic times creating fertile soils which favoured arable farming especially in more recent times. Modern developments have come and largely gone from Byfield, at one time it was quite a railway village  but lines to Daventry, Banbury and Brackley have all closed and been largely dismantled. Byfield is drained southwestwards by a small brook which falls into Boddington Reservoir, emerging as the headwaters of the River Cherwell which after passing through Banbury eventually reaches the Thames deep into Oxfordshire, the Thames head east through the capital and finally reaches the North Sea. Byfield is sited at around 150 metres above the sea but a higher spot exists to the southwest where 192 metres is reached before Aston le Walls, the countryside is generally rolling rather than hilly. Covering almost 3,000 acres Byfield parish was large for its county and would have supported a population of around 1,050 parishioners. In Domesday times Byfield was already a mid-sized village of 23 households, the majority share lay with Earl Hugh of Chester whilst Hugh de Grandmesnil held a small stake, the assets of 7 ploughs with meadows backing indicate a modest rural settlement, however.

The Church

Holy Cross church sits in the southeastern portion of the village known as Church End on Church Street. Holy Cross is one of those relatively rare churches which was built almost entirely within a single campaign, here it is the early half of the 14th century and the Decorated style which shines through. The entire core from chancel through to western tower seems to have been built in the consistent style with the tracery consistently Decorated. There have been minor changes since completion but minor is the key, the top stages and spire of that western tower are later than the base and Perpendicular in style indicative of 15th century work. Whilst the church was created with a round-windowed clerestory, the Perpendicular era also saw those remodelled with 2-light windows in the 15th century. The elaborate southern porch completes the late-medieval changes and saw the church largely static in design until the Victorian era. A typical Victorian restoration of 1871 refreshed the church and updated the great east window with flowing tracery to make a notable piece of work. Whilst Church Street is quite narrow parking may be found to the south of the site. The churchyard stands above road height for most of its run and thus the southern aspects are better for imaging than any other angle, a simple church for photographers.