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

The Parish

The parish of Pickworth lies in northeastern Rutland forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Lincolnshire. Pickworth is located about 5 miles north of the Lincolnshire market town of Stamford and sits just over 2 miles northeast of the A1 (Great North Road) linking Stamford with Grantham. Pickworth is a tiny place, a short run of properties of just under 1/4 of a mile along an east to west running lane. Like most parishes in this area arable farming would have dominated the local economy, to the north of the small village, however, lies Pickworth Great Wood, one of the largest remaining blocks of deciduous woodland in the region and an SSSI, that would have been coppiced and exploited for typical woodland products such as hurdles and poles. Pickworth is drained eastwards by a small brook which soon meets the West Glen River after joining the East Glen the pair merge into the Welland, pass across Fenland and reach the North Sea through The Wash. Pickworth is sited at around 70 metres above the sea, westwards land rises gently reaching a few spots on the A1 where the 100 metre contour is just breached. Covering just under 1,500 acres Pickworth parish was typically sized for its area, that acreage would have only supported around 150 parishioners. It should be noted that for long periods of this transcript Pickworth had no working church with any marriages taking place at Great Casterton. Pickworth is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

All Saints' church sits roughly midway along the lane that forms the spine to the small village. As can readily be seen the church we see today is a relatively modern version, the ancient medieval church had fallen into ruin by 1730 and parishioners used nearby Great Casterton. The only remains of the original church is the outer entrance arch to the southern porch and dateable to c14th century. Today's church was completed in 1824 and is a simple box in a rather austere style. Norman Romanesque styling is used sparingly with round-arched windows. The lane has broad grassy verges suitable for off-road parking but little traffic passes. The church stands on a hill to the north and is reached by climbing a steep grassy bank, there are a few trees but confined to the less-favoured northern aspects.