England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Tadmarton St Nicholas

The Parish

The parish of Tadmarton lies in northern Oxfordshire close to both of the borders with neighbouring Warwickshire and also Northamptonshire. Tadmarton is located about 5 miles west of the large market town of Banbury and sits on the winding B4035 road which connects Banbury through to the Worcestershire town of Shipston on Stour, this being a region where many counties meet. Tadmarton is a rather linear village stretching for almost a half mile along the B4035 with its notional "centre" at the western end of that stretch. A typical farming community in ironstone country, predominantly arable but with a degree of pastoral farming in-mixed Tadmarton is drained eastwards by the Sor Brook which joins the River Cherwell to the east of Adderbury, turning south the Cherwell joins the Thames within Oxford and thence to the North Sea through the capital. Tadmarton is sited at between 120 & 150 metres above the site, its site rising with the road westwards, the rolling countryside rises to around 200 metres within a mile or so. Tadmarton parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering almost exactly 2,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Tadmarton was a holding of Abingdon Abbey, a prosperous place offering 12 ploughs, the usual meadows and pastures and also had 2 mills.

The Church

St Nicholas' church sits on the southern side of the B4035 close to the western end of the village. Pevsner describes the church accurately as a Norman church that was extensively remodeled in the 14th century. Whilst external details of the 12th century church have been replaced, internally there is evidence of prior construction cut into by the later rebuilding. Norman Romanesque style arches have been replaced with Early English Gothic, Transitional, Decorated and, in turn, Perpendicular features. The western tower illustrates this perfectly with two Decorated stages topped by a later Perpendicular bell stage. Similar within the chancel a lancet (Early English Gothic) window sits within a Romanesque surrounding. Consequently these details reveal a continuous metamorphosis from 12th through to late 14th century which then becomes refreshed in Victorian times by the usual restoration, the porch being added at that time. The B4035 is quite narrow but there is parking available to the east of the site outside the village school. The church sits in an elevated position relative to road-height, banked by a Cotswold stone wall with a sloping pathway leading up to the church from the western end, the churchyard is open and uncluttered having no particular obstacles for photography.