England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Alton Barnes St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Alton Barnes lies in central Wiltshire about 4 miles northwest of the small market town of Pewsey. Alton Barnes sits in an extensive expanse of countryside devoid of significant numbered roads, the closest major roads are those accessing Pewsey itself. Modern developments have, however, penetrated this area as the Kennet & Avon Canal passes close by and the London to Taunton rail line also passes a couple of miles to the south. Alton Barnes is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet which sits in a valley followed by the canal through the chalk downland of the Wiltshire Downs, The area has a long history as Neolithic monuments and the more modern day White Horse surmount the local hilltops. Alton Barnes would have largely earned its income from sheep and their wool production, the chalk downland providing too thin a soil for arable farming. Whilst chalk country has little surface drainage small streams wend their way southwards to form the headwaters of the Hampshire Avon which makes its way south to the English Channel through Salisbury & Ringwood to Christchurch Harbour. Alton Barnes is sited at around 130 metres above the sea but land rises to the north to reach almost 300 metres on nearby Milk Hill. Alton Barnes parish was one of the smallest in extent in the county covering barely 1,000 acres it would have supported around 150 parishioners. In Domesday times Alton Barnes was equally small, held by one Edward of Salisbury it could offer just 3 plough, a small meadow but did possess a mill.

The Church

St Mary's church sits just east of the main north to south running lane which passes through Alton Barnes, a mark of the small nature of the parish is the sight of Alton Priors church less than 1/4 mile away. St Mary is an ancient church, certainly pre-Conquest in most of its fabric. The tall and narrow proportions of the nave, together with the enormous long-and-short quoin stones of the western end point to the Anglo-Saxon period and probably of the early 11th century. The efforts of the Victorians and others in their restorations serve to mask the dating evidence for much else; the chancel was rebuilt in brick in 1748 whilst the usual 19th century changes are also evident. Church Farm Lane is signed to St Mary Saxon Church and it leads to a vehicular dead-end by a large farm. The churchyard, unfortunately has many trees which make photographing this early church a difficult prospect.