England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Shirburn All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Shirburn lies in southeastern Oxfordshire forming a short stretch of the border with neighbouring Buckinghamshire. Shirburn sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills some 10 miles northeast of the Thames-side town of Wallingford. Shirburn sits on the B4009 road which runs from close to Wallingford along the base of the Chilterns through almost to the Bedfordshire town of Dunstable. Shirburn is a rather small village with most properties either on the B4009 or the twin short side roads that lead away. Shirburn is an estate village with the land held by the owner's of Shirburn Castle which sits in grounds to the northwest of the B4009. This major country seat was given permission to castellate by King Edward III. The castle, built in the symmetrical quadrangular style of similar French chateau of the 13th century, sits in formal gardens laid out in the early 18th century. Shirburn parish is elongated on a northwest to southeastern axis, the purpose is to encompass a range of land-use types from the thick clays of the Oxford basin through to the high chalk tops of the Chiltern range giving a varied farming regime across these areas. Modern developments have come and departed from Shirburn, a branch railway line, also skirting the base of the Chilterns, has since closed and been largely dismantled, the modern M40 motorway, however, emerges from the Chilterns some 2 miles northeast of Shirburn. Shirburn is drained northwestwards by a small tributary of the River Thame which is met at Stadhampton, the Thames, in turn, meets the Thames and turns back eastwards to pass through the capital to the North Sea. Shirburn is sited at around 110 metres above the sea, a general height for the Oxford Vale, land, however, rises in the chalk escarpment of the Chilterns to the southeast topping out at 255 metres on nearby Shirburn Hill. Covering close to 2,300 acres Shirburn parish was a little larger than most rural southern parishes, within that acreage would have been supported around 350 parishioners. In Domesday times Shirburn was shared between two prominent Normans, Robert d'Oilly & Roger d/Ivry whose assets totalled 13 ploughs as well as extensive meadows, pastures & woodland, their collective population being sufficient to place quiet rural Shirburn amongst the largest 20% of settlements recorded in that book, quite a change from today.

The Church

All Saints' church sits amongst the estate complex of Shirburn Castle approached along Castle Road from the B4009. Whilst the church certainly pre-dates the castle with parts being attributed to the Norman Romanesque of the 12th century dating evidence is obscured by the stuccoed covering of the exterior. Pevsner's forensic examination seeks out the 12th century tympanum complete with roll hood and a roll-headed lancet bell-opening on the western tower as examples of these early times. The main fabric of the tower, indeed of the main body too, is the 13th and early 14th centuries. The three bay nave arcades are the best example of the 13th century Early English Gothic work whilst the chancel southern wall shows windows of the Decorated style from the early 14th century. In 1732 the church became the mausoleum for the castle owners, the Macclesfield family, prompting work to enhance the church including a new top to the tower and replacement coved ceilings internally. In 1876 came the typical Victorian restoration when significant change included replacing the chancel arch, not the earliest part of the church in this case, as well replacing many windows albeit keeping consistency of styling with their originals. Caslt Road has street parking but outside the churchyard there is a small parking area, the churchyard, itself has uninterrupted views from the favoured southern aspects but close set trees to the church's west limit the views of that multi-age western tower.