England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Stanford on Soar St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Stanford on Soar lies in the extreme southwest of Nottinghamshire forming an extensive part of the border with neighbouring Leicestershire. As its name suggests the parish sits on the eastern banks of the River Soar which, here, forms the border between the two counties. Stanford on Soar is located about 2 miles north of the large Leicestershire town of Loughborough and sits, in lanes, about 1 mile west of the A60 road which connects Loughborough with Nottinghamshire. Stanford on Soar is a rather small place, not large enough to merit more than hamlet status which sits mere yards from the border, a farming community with pastoral farming forming the mainstay of the local economy. Modern developments have, however, intruded, the Loughborough to Nottingham rail line passing through the parish. The Soar drains the parish northwards to join the Trent and thence to the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Stanford on Soar is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in gently rolling countryside that rises to 80 metres on nearby Stanford Hills. Parishes in this area of the county are all rather small and Stanford on Soar was no exception, it covered just about 1,500 acres and would have supported a population of just under 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Stanford on Soar was shared between William's son Robert and Roger de Bully, a mid-sized place of 11 ploughs, small meadows and a half share in a mill.

The Church

St John the Baptist's church sits on the western side of the main lane running through the hamlet (Main Street). Whilst the church has its origins in the 13th century it has been extensively restored over the centuries and only fragmentary details remain to prove that fact. The southern arcade is the principal evidence whilst a few minor fragments were reused in the vestry. The opposite northern arcade is 14th century so the original church would have been a mixture of Early English Gothic and its successor style Decorated. The major restoration, a typical Victorian intervention, came in the 1890 and was extensive to result in today's church. The church is rather screened by trees but immediately north of the site is a substantial pull-off with room for several cars, a pretty lychgate grants access to the churchyard, a lengthy pathway leads to the church which has a number of trees around making for a challenge to adequately photograph.