England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Donington St Cuthbert

The Parish

The parish of Donington lies in the extreme east of Shropshire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Staffordshire. Donington is located roughly 8 miles northwest of Staffordshire's industrial town of Wolverhampton and sits just south of the A41 road which links Wolverhampton with Newport. Donington is a curious place, little more than a northern extension of its larger southern neighbour Albrighton, a small brook and lake separate the two. The wider parish is dominated by the large air base of RAF Cosford and its associated accommodation blocks as well as small hamlets such as Shackerley. Despite the western location Donington would have primarily been an arable farming parish, cereals as well as root crops such as turnips and also beans are mentioned in early gazetteers as specialities. Modern developments have come to the parish in abundance, the railway line from Wolverhampton to Telford passing through, and granting neighbouring Albrighton a station, as well as the modern M54 motorway linking North Wales through to the M6 passes just north of Shackerley. Donington's small brook straggles eastwards to eventually reach the River Penk which, in turn, meets the Sow and then the Trent before embarking on the latter's long journey to the east coast and the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Donington is sited at around 90 metres above the sea at its church, land hereabouts is rather gentle with local high spots of 127 metres to the east being the highest ground for some distance. Western parishes are normally slightly larger than their eastern counterparts and Donington was no exception, covering just under 2,700 acres it would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. In Domesday times Donington was a holding of Earl Roger of Shrewsbury, whilst its traditional assets of 7 ploughs and a tract of woodland were nothing exceptional, the manor did possess a mill and also 5 salt-houses as more profitable assets.

The Church

St Cuthbert's church stands on the eastern side of the narrow lane, Rectory Road, which runs southwards from the A41, the church sits adjacent to a large care home for the elderly. Whilst the church has its origins in the 14th century, like so many churches, it has been the subject of much alteration over the intervening centuries since then. The earliest remaining fabric dates from the first half of the 14th century, the chancel, and it shows the Decorated style of that early period with intersecting tracery in the windows and convex triangles in their heads. It is likely that the whole church was created in that early period but by the early 17th century, an unusual date for major church works, the nave was completely rebuilt to completion in 1635. A typical Victorian restoration was enhanced by adding to the church too, a northern aisle and southern porch being additions from the restoration of 1879, the following year saw the complete rebuilding of the western tower so this too is a modern feature. Rectory Road is rather narrow so parking is best sought in the access road to the care home, a neat wooden lychgate grants entry through a shady access to the churchyard which is unimpeded from most of the traditionally favoured aspects making for a welcome shoot for the photographer.