England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Figheldean St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Figheldean lies in eastern Wiltshire forming a tiny stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Hampshire. Figheldean is located about 4 miles north of the market town of Amesbury, within the valley of Wiltshire's Avon, and sits on the river's eastern banks opposite the course of the A345 road which links Amesbury with Pewsey and on to Marlborough. Figheldean is a linear settlement lining the course of the river for over a half mile, the wider parish rises in a thin strip eastwards to the county border as chalk downland. That chalk downland is an ancient landscape dotted with barrows and tumuli and with the county border marked by the ancient fortification of Devil's Ditch. Today, however, much of the area's mapping is covered by red warnings indicating it the property of the Armed Forces who use much of Salisbury Plain for military training. Chalk gives a thin and poor soil marred by flints so farming was, at the time of this transcript, largely grazing by sheep, today it is much more arable. Besides farming the chalk was quarried extensively both for building stone and also for burning to create lime to improve soils. Figheldean is drained southwards by the Avon which passes through Amesbury & Salisbury en route to the English Channel arriving through Christchurch Harbour. Figheldean is sited at around 90 metres above the sea in its valley setting, land rises in rolling hills away from the Avon reaching 161 metres at Dunch Hill on the Devil's Ditch. Figheldean parish was thin from north to south yet extensive east to west covering in all about 5,600 acres, that acreage would have supported a population of around 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Figheldean was a smaller place held by one Harding, its assets of 5 ploughs, meadows and pastures supplemented by a mill on the Avon were typical of a small rural holding at that time.

The Church

St Michael's church sits north of the village on the western side of Church Lane which parallels the river, the church sits between lane and river protected from the latter by a 10 metre wooded drop. Whilst St Michael has ancient fabric much was replaced by Victorian work, despite these depredations the basal stages of the western tower and its arch are 12th century Norman Romanesque, the local greensand, which underlies the chalk being used in the decoration. Slightly later and Early English Gothic in style the double-chamfered arcades survive from the 13th century as does the 14th century aisles in the later Perpendicular style. The church also retains its 14th century Perpendicular clerestory, a typical feature added in that period to improve internal lighting. Much of the remaining fabric comes from twin restorations in the mid-19th century, the 13th century aisles being rebuilt at that time, the chancel heavily altered in renewal and the bell stage added to the western tower, a feature Pevsner describes unflatteringly as "unlovely". Church Lane passing the church is narrow so it is better to seek parking in the main village and stroll to the church. The church is almost completely concealed from the road, a gravel sloping path rising to the hidden entrance. Whilst the churchyard is compact and tightly embraced by trees there is just sufficient space around the church for the photographer not to be unduly troubled.