England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Long Newnton Holy Trinity

The Parish

The parish of Long Newnton sits in the extreme northwest of Wiltshire forming a stretch of the border with neighbouring Gloucestershire. Indeed such is its location that it was ceded to Gloucestershire in 1930. Geographically it sits west of the Roman Fosse Way and thus, perhaps, is a better fit within the latter county. Long Newnton is located about 2 miles southeast of the small Gloucestershire market town of Tetbury and sits on the B4014 road which links Tetbury with Malmesbury. Long Newnton is a curiously dispersed settlement, there being no defined village centre rather the properties are scattered either along the B4014 or on lanes to its north. The ruler straight Roman Road of the Fosse ay forms the eastern border of the parish and is nowadays the county boundary too. Long Newnton's economy, like most rural southern parishes, was based upon farming, here a mixed regime would have been in place on rather thin limestone rich soils. Long Newnton is drained southeastwards by a small tributary of the River Avon, the latter, met at Malmesbury, continues south and then west to reach the Bristol Channel through Bristol and its gorge. Long Newnton sits on a sloping site, the properties on the B4014 being at 100 metres whilst north of the church land reaches 130 metres, there is little higher land for some considerable distance. Long Newnton parish was fairly typically sized for its area, covering just under 2,300 acres it would have supported a population of close to 300 parishioners. In Domesday times Long Newnton was a rather wealthy holding of nearby Malmesbury Abbey boasting an impressive 19 ploughs, pastures and woodland and also 2 mills.

The Church

Holy Trinity church sits on the eastern side of the narrow lane leading north from the B4014. Whilst the church has medieval origins little remains of that period following extensive rebuilding in Victorian times. The western tower, in the late Perpendicular style of the 15th century is all that remains from early times. The remainder of the church dates from the 19th century and was completed in two phases in a faux Early English Gothic style. Work in the 1840s saw a new nave, complete with southern aisle, and a short chancel whilst in 1870 the chancel was lengthened, a new northern aisle added and the whole re-roofed. As a consequence of this late work most of the folk married in this transcript would not recognise the venue of today. The rounded entry-way for a footpath provides scope for parking opposite the churchyard which is walled in thin limestone "bricks" characteristic of this area. A wooden gate grants entry to a rather narrow churchyard with limited room to the south, the favoured angles, and restricting the better angles from the photographer's arsenal.