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

The Parish

The parish of Upton lies in the southeastern portion of central Nottinghamshire roughly 2 1/2 miles east of the market town of Southwell. Upton sits on the A612 road, a linking road joining Southwell with the A617 (Mansfield to Newark on Trent) road. Upton is a rather linear village with most properties lying along the A612 or on short side lanes. Upton sits on the western edges of the flood-plain of the River Trent, it is sited just as ground rises onto a low hill, enough to keep the village dry but able to exploit the rich grazing pastures alongside the Trent and its tributaries, drier ground would have been arable with cereals the dominant crop. To the north of the village stands the 19th century Neo-Greek villa of Upton Hall, today it is home to the British Horological Institute which claims it "has been training horologists in clock and watch repair and creation, and supporting the horological industry since 1858". Upton is drained eastwards by the Car Dike, one of many in the network of channels crossing to the Trent, that mighty river turns more northwards after Newark to eventually reach the Humber Estuary and the North Sea. Upton is sited at around 30 metres, on its low rise some 15 metres above the plain, to the north land rises steadily to reach the 70 metre contour in one or two higher spots. For this area of the county Upton parish was toward the smaller end of the scale, covering just under 1,400 acres it would have supported a population of close to 600 parishioners. Upton is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Peter's church sits on the southern edge of the village accessed from the A612 by the dead-end Church Lane. The church has its origins in the 13th century, the Early English Gothic period, but because of later expansion little remains of what would have been a simple aisleless church. Pevsner points out both the northern arcade and the tower arch as good examples remaining from that early church. During the 14th century the nave was widened and a chantry chapel added as a north aisle chapel. The stand-out feature of the church is its western tower in the Perpendicular style which was built in the 15th century, it carries 9 pinnacles, as Pevsner remarks that is one more than most churches in this part of the county, the extra one standing centrally. As a consequence of damage received during the Civil War, the church received a very early restoration in the 17th century, that work was followed by two modest 19th century restorations in 1820 & 1867 before a major restoration of 1893 made for a more thorough job. Church Lane is quite narrow and has little room for turning at its end, it is recommended to seek alternate spots for parking and to approach on foot. Once within the churchyard there is few obstacles for the photographer with all of the favoured southern aspects available.