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

The Parish

The parish of Deene lies in northern Northamptonshire roughly 8 miles northwest of the market town of Oundle. Deene sits a half mile west of the A43 road which links Stamford in Lincolnshire with Kettering. There are two settlements within the parish sitting either side of the A43, Deene, itself, is the estate village for Deene Park with a linear run of properties lying along Kirby Lane whilst Deenethorpe sits immediately southeast of the A43 gathered around a triangular junction of lanes. The parish is dominated by the estate of Deene Park, the long term home of the Bridenell family since they acquired the estate in 1514. The house is a 16th century construction much modified over the centuries which sits in extensive parkland sitting in the tiangular space formed by the A43 & Kirby Lane, the parkland exploits the modified course of the Willow Brook. Deene Park has a special place in the respect of wildlife enthusiasts as one of the first sites for the highly successful reintroduction of Red Kites to England and they are a familiar sight in the local skies as a consequence. The parish economy was dictated by the needs of the estate with arable farming the dominant farming method in place. Deene is drained largely eastwards by the Willow Brook which eventually meets the Nene near Fotheringhay, the Nene passes through Peterborough, crosses Fenland and reaches the North Sea through The Wash. Deene is sited at around 70 metres above the sea in gently rolling countryside where a spot height of 116 metres west of Rockingham Motor Speedway is the highest local point. Deene parish was larger than most southern farming parishes covering 3,200 acres and supporting a population of close to 500 parishioners roughly equally split between Deene and Deenethorpe. In Domesday times Deene was a holding of Westminster Abbey offering 8 ploughs, substantial woodland, still a feature of the area today, and a mill.

The Church

St Peter's church stands within the parkland of Deene Park accessed from Kirby Lane by a signed footpath. The church has been deconsecrated and is now managed by the Churches Conservation Trust. The church has its origins in the 13th century when it would have sat within the now-cleared village, today it stands alone in the park. The main substantial original fabric is that of the western tower, 13th century in origin and in the Early English Gothic style, it carries a recessed broach spire which is one of the earliest such features in the land. The 13th century arcades complete with circular piers and abaci with double-chamfered arches also survives the Victorian prettification of the church. Rather than a Victorian restoration the work of 1868-9 saw the complete rebuilding of the entire eastern end of the church, extending the nave eastwards and adding the extremely ornate chancel and its chapels, the Early English style is, at least, maintain through this rebuild. Kirby Lane has a layby to the west of the signed footpath allowing several vehicles to safely park, a wooden gate grants access to a path which curves downhill to the churchyard which has some small trees, easily avoidable, but nothing to concern the photographer.