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

The Parish

The parish of Old, or Wold as it was known in ancient times, lies almost centrally in Northamptonshire and roughly 6 miles southwest of the market town of Kettering. Old sits about 2 miles east of the A508 road which links Northampton through to the Leicestershire market town of Market Harborough. Old is a compact small village with most properties lining the lanes that form a "T" shape, the main northwest to southeast running lane being supplemented with another at right angles. Old sits within rich agricultural land which was suitable for both main themes of farming, arable was perhaps in the main producing high quality grain but there were also rich pastures supporting mainly cattle. Old is drained southwards by a small stream headed for the River Nene, its course is soon interrupted by the expanse of Pitsford Water reservoir, created to supply water to much of the eastern Midlands, once that stream resumes it passes through western Northampton to meet the Nene, turns east and performs a long journey to reach the sea arriving through The Wash. Old is sited at around 120 metres above the sea in rolling rural countryside, land only rises gently northeastwards getting to a local high spot, Old Poor's Gorse, at 143 metres. Old parish was larger than many in its county, covering almost 2,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Old was a quiet rural settlement held by the King, himself, it offered merely 12 ploughs and a small meadow.

The Church

St Andrew's church sits on the southwestern edge of the village accessed from the main lane along a short stub of dead-end lane. As is quite common it is the doorway of the southern aisle which is the oldest part of the church, Pevsner dates both responds, doorway and its windows to the late 13th century, placing the feature into that short period of the Transitional between Early English Gothic & Decorated styles. It is likely, however, that most of the remainder of the church was rebuilt during the late 14th and 15th centuries utilising the Perpendicular style of that period. Representing the 14th century is the chancel, it was, however, almost totally rebuilt in the 19th century. Turning to the western end, the largely ironstone tower is a good example of Perpendicular styling with a neat quatrefoil frieze and battlements. Whilst the southern doorway of the aisle is oldest its opposite number on the northern face is described as very late Perpendicular and almost into the Tudor era in age. The major restoration which rebuilt the chancel as well as a general refresh came typically in Victorian times, in this case in the mid 1870s. The church's site is barely 100 metres from the main streets and has a small gravelled parking area for a few cars outside its gates. From these gates a diagonal gravel path leads to the church which stands within an open & uncluttered churchyard with no notable obstacles for the photographer.