England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Collyweston St Andrew

The Parish

The parish of Collyweston, often rendered Colly Weston, lies in the extreme north of Northamptonshire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Rutland, Lincolnshire, too, is also not far away. Collyweston is located roughly 4 miles southwest of the Lincolnshire town of Stamford and stands on the A43 road which connects Stamford with Corby. Collyweston is a small and compact village with properties lining the main road and most lining two parallel lanes running northwest from it. Today this is a quiet rural area but the local stone was once so well-known as roofing slates "Collyweston Slates" were quarried extensively in the parish. Other than this industry which has since largely died out the parish was a typical farming parish bordering the course of the River Welland offering pastures alongside as well as arable for mainly cereals on drier ground. Collyweston is drained northeastwards by the Welland, here it forms the county border, which passes through Stamford then crosses Fenland to reach the North Sea through The Wash. Collyweston stands on higher ground at around rising from 60 to 90 metres above the sea, this height is not exceeded for many miles as the highest ground hereabouts. Collyweston parish was relatively small covering only just over 1,300 acres which supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. Domesday Collyweston, held by one Ralph de Limesy, was also fairly typical of a southern farming holding offering 7 ploughs backed by meadows & woodland with the Welland providing a mill.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits between the village's twin lanes, High Street & Back Lane and is shielded from the former by fronting properties. St Andrew has ancient origins having masonry in large blocks dating back to the 11th century, albeit rebuilt in later restorations, in the lower courses of the southern walls. This 11th century Saxo-Norman church consisted of a simple nave and chancel design which has been built upon and overlaid by later work. The eastern end, the chancel, was first to be rebuilt in the 13th century as witnessed by a now blocked lancet window of the Early English Gothic style, the chancel arch was completed slightly later and is Decorated in style from the early 14th century. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style through the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the western tower being the stand-out feature of this style in ashlar blocks and ornamented in the 16th century with pinnacles and crockets. The local Beaufort family had a southern chapel built in  the 15th century and a few windows show replacement in the 17th. A modest Victorian restoration re-seated the church between 1857 &1858 and in 1929 the southern chapel was converted into a vestry to complete today's church. Parking is available on-street in the High Street from where an enclosed footpath runs between properties to the churchyard. sadly for the photographer this is very busy with mature trees severely limiting the angles available and requiring careful searching for the better aspects.