England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Ascott under Wychwood Holy Trinity

The Parish

The parish of Ascott under Wychwood lies in western Oxfordshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Gloucestershire. Ascott under Wychwood is located about 6 miles northwest of the market town of Witney in the valley of the River Evenlode. Ascott under Wychwood is sited just east of the A361 road which connects Chipping Norton with Burford in lanes alongside the river. The village, whilst reasonably compact, is spread into 3 separate settlements along the valley with Ascott Earl and Ascott D'Oyley as satellites to the main settlement. Indeed at one time Ascott D'Oyley was the principal settlement. This area was very much a sleepy rural backwater until the Oxford to Worcester railway was cut along the Evenlode valley and gave access to Oxford for produce and employment - these days there are only morning and evening trains along the line to meet that demand. The landscape is a mixture of farm uses with pastures in the valley bottom and large arable fields growing cereals on the hills. Ascott under Wychwood is sited at about 100 metres above sea level but land in the parish rises to the south up to almost twice that height. Wychwood Forest which gives the parish its name lies just a couple of miles to the southeast. The parish is almost surrounded by the larger parish of Shipton under Wychwood which is divided into several chapelries some of which touch the borders of Ascott. The parish was of average size for the area and supported around 450 parishioners. In Domesday Times the settlement is listed under Ascott D'Oyley where the land was held by one Robert D'Oilly, it supported 6 ploughs and boasted a mill, pastures and meadows.

The Church

Holy Trinity church sits at the heart of Ascott under Wychwood surrounded by a square of lanes and in a large island site amongst the main area of settlement. The church is an older building than many with features that date from the 12th century in tower, nave and chancel. Much of the buildings windows were refreshed during the classic church building eras in Decorated and Perpendicular styles but the basis of the building at its core is Norman. The church was also restored during the Victorian era but thankfully this was sensitively done and the origins are not masked. The church sits behind local stone walls and access is through multiple wooden gateways. The graveyard has many mature trees but being large there is ample choice in photography locations.