England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Winterbourne Dauntsey St Edward

The Parish

The parish of Winterbourne Dauntsey lies in southeastern Wiltshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Hampshire. Winterbourne Dauntsey, one of a series of 3 Winterbournes lying along the course of the River Bourne, is located roughly 4 miles northeast of the county city of Salisbury and sits on and mostly northwest of the A338 road which links Salisbury all the way across the Downs to Marlborough. Winterbourne Dauntsey is a small and compact settlement, part of an almost completely built series of such small villages running for at least 3 miles from Hurdcott to Idmiston. Much of the village lines the A338 but a greater portion lies between road and river. Winterbourne Dauntsey parish is stretched out on a northwest/southeast axis yet thin on the opposing angle, a process designed to grant the parish a share of all of the available land-types from riverside pastures, through drier arable lowlands up onto the sheep walks of the chalk downs to the southeast. Modern developments have come to the parish, the railway line from Andover to Salisbury following the Bourne's valley through the parish without granting Winterbourne Dauntsey a station. The River Bourn drains the parish southwestwards until meeting the Avon at Salisbury and turning south to reach the English Channel arriving through Christchurch Harbour. Winterbourne Dauntsey is sited at around 60 metres above the sea but land rises steadily southeastwards culminating in Thorny Down at 162 metres 2 miles southeast. At just over 1,500 acres Winterbourne Dauntsey parish was a typical southern arable parish within which it would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. Winterbourne Dauntsey is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

Sadly the church of St Edward was demolished in 1867 despite it being the better repaired church than that of Winterbourne Earls with which it was combined, work in 1858 was thus left meaningless. The church sat on the eastern side of Gater's Lane where its churchyard remains with memorials intact. My thanks go out one again to Chris Beal for locating the artwork depicting the now demolished St Edward, it remains rights reserved with Wiltshire Museum, Devizes with thanks for allowing its inclusion.