England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ravensthorpe St Denys

The Parish

The parish of Ravensthorpe lies in the western part of central Northamptonshire roughly 10 miles northwest of the county town of Northampton. Ravensthorpe is located a little over 2 miles east of the A428 road which links Northampton with Rugby in Warwickshire. Ravensthorpe is a substantially large village built upon a triangular site with the narrowest aspect facing west, most properties are built within the fork of two lanes heading to Guilsborough & Spratton respectively. Ravensthorpe, like so many rural communities, was, and largely still is, a farming settlement with early gazetteers placing the acreage roughly equally between arable and pastoral methods. Today much of the eastern part of the parish lies beneath Ravensthorpe Reservoir which holds back a small tributary of the Nene. That tributary drains the parish southeastwards to meet the said Nene at Northampton, a long journey then follows till the North Sea is met through The Wash. Ravensthorpe is sited at around 140 metres above the sea in rolling countryside where local heights rise to almost 200 metres to the west of nearby Guilsborough. Ravensthorpe parish was relatively large for a southern farming parish with an acreage of close to 2,800 acres it was almost half as big again as would be normal, within that extended acreage a population of around 700 parishioners would have been supported. In Domesday times Ravensthorpe was a relatively minor place, shared between 3 landowners its assets only amounted to 4 ploughs and a small meadow,

The Church

St Denys' (also spelt Denis and older sources say Dionysius) church sits at the eastern end of the village on the eastern side of Church Hill, the main cross-lane linking the twin arms of the village's fork. The church has its origins in the 13th century, this being particularly highlighted by the lancet style bell-openings shown to good effect in the western tower. The Early English Gothic style is repeated in the nave too. The later Decorated style of the early 14th century indicates that the southern aisle was either the final piece of a continuous build or a later addition, the style appears in both its doorway and its western window. Restoration work began early for this church with Georgian work of 1810 as that western tower was partially rebuilt at that time. The normal Victorian restoration, besides refreshing the church generally, also saw the chancel completely rebuilt during its extended campaign of the middle 1860s. Church Hill is sufficiently wide enough to permit considerate parking. The churchyard sits elevated well above head-height with a flight of steps rising into it. Sadly some rather close trees occupy the southern aspect removing that from the photographer's portfolio, the church also sits close to and looming above the street at its western ed needing some creativity from the photographer to adequately capture it.