England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Cold Weston St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Cold Weston lies in southern Shropshire roughly 6 miles northeast of the market town of Ludlow. Cold Weston sits within an area almost devoid of major roads on the western slopes of the range of hills that, at its northeastern terminus, forms Brown Clee Hill, the nearest such road is the B4364 linking Ludlow with Bridgnorth which lies almost 4 miles to the south. There is very little to Cold Weston, it classifies as a deserted medieval village, just a few farms and cottages lying either side of the narrow lane linking Ludlow with Clee St Margaret. The former village apparently received its name because it sits high on a hill above Corve Dale, a broad valley enclosed between the Brown Clee Hill ridge and Wenlock Edge but despite this height some arable crops were still grown, others of the small congregation were employed extracting the stone mainly for local use. Cold Weston sits within a valley of a small tributary, the Strand Brook, which drains northwards into the said River Corve, in turn the Corve turns south to Ludlow where it meets the Teme, the Teme heads east to the Severn and finally to the sea through the Bristol Channel. Cold Weston is sited on a sloping site at heights between 220 & 290 metres above the sea, the slopes continue rising to the Brown Clee Hill ridge where local high spots top out at 321 metres on Weston Hill. Cold Weston parish was one of the smallest in its county, covering only 430 acres and supporting less than 50 parishioners. Cold Weston is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church has been deconsecrated and recently converted into a private home, it stands within the site of the former medieval village and away from all public highways, the site only being approachable by public footpaths. Like many small isolated churches it has ancient origins, Pevsner points to the northern doorway and a southern window as being styled in the 12th century Norman Romanesque, whilst much of the main body dated from the slightly later 13th century Early English Gothic era. Being isolated and insignificant saved the church from major changes, a window was replaced in the 14th century, the gable replaced in the chancel in the early 18th and in Victorian times a small restoration was performed and finally in 1894 the western bellcote was added. Given the tiny congregation it is not surprising that the church has ceased to perform its designed function. Since the church is now in private hands it should only be viewed from the public footpath which crosses between the Clee St Margaret lane, it leaves by a style set to the left of a farm gate, and Skirmidge Lane, the former church is embedded within trees and difficult to view as a consequence without impinging on the residents privacy.