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

The Parish

The parish of Langley Burrell lies in western Wiltshire the village being about 2 miles north of the market town of Chippenham. The parish sits on the B4069 road which links Chippenham to Lyneham. Most of the village is set to the east of this road along a lane heading eastwards, marked on Ordnance Survey maps as Maud Heath's Causeway. This causeway crosses the flood plain of the River Avon on 64 brick arches a gift apparently of the eponymous Maud. Langley Burrell itself sits above this flood plain at around 65 metres above sea level, a choice also made by the railway line between London and Bath which crosses the parish. The area is largely arable with some pasture land lower down in the Avon plains. The parish was small in extent and rather irregular with detached portions dotted around. The parish supported around 600 parishioners. Langley Burrell has been around for a long time, it merits a short reference in Domesday Book where it supported 6 ploughs.

The Church

St Peter's church lies away from the population of the village, it is adjacent to the B4069 to the north of the main centre and close by the hall. The church shows building work from many periods beginning with the north arcade which dates from around 1200. Nave, aisle and tower are from about a century later, followed by the chancel with its predominantly Perpendicular work. Pevsner praises the restrained restoration which made good the church in Victorian times but without masking the original features. The church has its own signed, if short, lane from the B4069 where parking is available. The church is screened from the road by mature trees and without these signs it would be easy to pass by, you would then miss a delightful little church.