England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Collingbourne Kingston St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Collingbourne Kingston lies in eastern Wiltshire no too far from its border with neighbouring Hampshire. Collingbourne Kingston is located roughly 10 miles northwest of the Hampshire town of Andover and sits on the A338 road which connects Marlborough through to Salisbury. Collingbourne Kingston parish has three distinct villages, Collingbourne Kingston itself, Brunton to the northeast and nearby Aughton, a quarter mile to the north; both Collingbourne Kingston & Aughton villages sit within the valley of the River Bourne which is followed by the the A338, Brunton sits on a narrow lane heading northeast onto the downs. All three are small villages in themselves but collectively they give a substantial population to the parish. Sitting within the chalk downlands the parish would have been dominated by farming, pastoral farming in the main with sheep on the Downs and cattle in the valley. Modern developments came and went from Collingbourne Kingston, a branch railway line connecting Andover through the Bourne valley to the Great Western line at Crofton has ling since disappeared. The Bourne drains the parish southwards meeting the Avon at Salisbury, the latter continues south to the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour. Collingbourne Kingston & Aughton are sited at around 140 metres above the sea with Brunton some 10 metres higher, land rises on either side of the Bourne valley reaching local heights of over 220 metres on nearby Grafton Down. Collingbourne Kingston parish was one of the largest in extent of its county, covering almost 7,300 acres its size was more typical of an upland northern parish, within that acreage a population of just over 900 parishioners could be supported. In Domesday times Collingbourne Kingston was a substantial holding of Winchester Abbey its assets of 19 ploughs plus extensive meadows, pastures and woodland made it a profitable holding.

The Church

St Mary's church stands alongside the A338 at the junction of the narrow lane leading to Brunton. The church has its origins as far back as the 12th century with arcades given a date of c1200 by Pevsner. He speculates that the church had at least one transept at this time which has since been removed when the southern arcade was added. Mahor work followed in the 13th century with the chancel completed at that time. Further work followed during the great church-building era of the Perpendicular from whence the western tower and clerestory dates. The changing motifs of the clerestory windows are a notable feature. As is usual the Victorians made their usual changes, in this case the restoration was of the 1860s and the chancel received much attention during that such that Pevsner names it "heavily restored". The A338 is a busy road so it is thankful that a small pull-in exists by the roundabout at the northern end of the site. From here a sunken pathway leads to the church, the wider churchyard is open & uncluttered and with no obstacles for the photographer.