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

The Parish

The parish of Beaudesert lies in western Warwickshire about town miles west of the county town of Warwick. Beaudesert sits immediately north of the A4189 road which connects Warwick with Redditch. Beaudesert is part of a twin settlement with neighbouring Henley in Arden, which sits across the intervening River Alne which separates the two. Whilst Beaudesert has a presence on the A4189 most properties lie to its north either paralleling the Alne or in a series of lanes to its east. Whilst Beaudesert is the smaller of the two settlements today it predates its larger neighbour having been founded in Norman times as a motte and bailey site erected by the powerful de Montfort family. The castle fell into ruins as part of the War of the Roses campaigns not by seige but deliberately to prevent usage by the other side. Lying in the valley of the Alne Beaudesert would have had a mixed farming regime, pastures alingside the river and arable farms on higher and drier land. Modern developments have come to the area, the Stratford upon Avon Canal trends to the east of the village whilst a railway line from Birmingham to Stratford upon Avon passes through and gives Henley in Arden a station. The River Alne drains the parish southwestwards, joining, in turn, the Arrow at Alcester and then shortly after the Avon, eventually the Severn is reached and by it the sea through the Bristol Channel. Beaudesert is sited at around 70 metres above the sea, whilst its castle site reaches almost 100 metres, that site forms the southwestern terminus of a ridge of land which on heading further northeast tops out at 135 metres. By its county standards Beaudesert was a relatively small parish, covering just over 1,200 acres it would have supported a population of close to 200 parishioners. Beaudesert is not mentioned in Domesday Book having been created soon after.

The Church

St Nicholas' church is situated in the north of Beaudesert at the second river crossing separating it from Henley in Arden. The church's origins are contemporary with those of the motte and bailey which overlooks it. Originally a large Norman Romanesque church it has condensed in size over the centuries partly due to problems with the ground on its northern side. At some time the northern wall of the nave has been rebuilt inside the original building line making the nave narrower than the chancel. The southern wall of the nave and the chancel are the major pieces remaining from the Norman period, 12th century, the plain  doorway, whilst is also from the same date has been reset during later restorations. In the 15th century a perpendicular western tower was constructed, whether an earlier version existed is not known. Work has continued through 16th & 17th centuries, roofing and windows replaced as appropriate, whilst in 1864 the church saw a major restoration. The church is approached from Beaudesert Lane where street parking may be found. A lychgate stands as an entrance but made somewhat redundant by a broad driveway alongside, a diagonal path leads across the churchyard to the church. The churchyard is open and uncluttered with no significant obstacles for the photographer.