England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Everleigh St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Everleigh (sometimes spelt Everley) lies in eastern Wiltshire not too far from the border with neighbouring Hampshire. Everleigh is located about 4 miles southeast of the small market town of Pewsey. Everleigh sits on the A342 which connects the Hampshire town of Andover through to Devizes. The present village is as a result of estate planning in the early 19th century, the whole village being re-sited for the improvement of the view. Everleigh sits on the chalk downs, the majority of the economy being dependent upon the sheep which formerly grazed the extensive grasslands of this area, today much has been transformed into arable land through the use of heavy machinery and high inputs. The chalk being porous there is no surface drainage but a series of dry valleys until one reaches the River Bourne to the east about 3 miles, the Bourne drains southwards to reach the Wiltshire Avon at Salisbury and thence to the English Channel through Christchurch Harbour. Everleigh is sited at around 160 metres above the sea on big rolling chalk-hill countryside with local heights reaching to 215 metres to the northwest at Pewsey Hill. Chalk country parishes are often quite extensive and Everleigh parish was one of these, at around 4,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. Everleigh is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

When the village was re-sited the church was also completely rebuilt on a new site, but curiously it was adjacent to the A342 and a half mile west of the main village crossroads. The church is thus a relatively modern building and typical of its era it is faux-Gothic and extensively florid with pinnacles and decorative detail. The use of ashlar to face the building gives it a dignity but also a stark and harsh view in strong sunlight. The church sits on the southern side of the A342 in a thick area of woodland, the road is busy and straight but there is a wide signboard to indicate the building which is totally screened from the road, parking should be done with care. Once through the dense trees the churchyard is relatively open and free from photographic obstacles.