England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Alvechurch St Laurence

The Parish

The parish of Alvechurch lies in northeastern Worcestershire roughly 5 miles east of the town of Bromsgrove and close to the county's border with neighbouring Warwickshire. Alvechurch sits about a half mile west of the A441 road which links Birmingham with Redditch. Alvechurch is a rather diminished place, in the 12th century it was home to the palace of the Bishops of Worcester, it was granted a market in 1196 and an annual fair from 1239. Sadly for Alvechurch competition from Bromsgrove and Redditch undermined the profitability of the market and by the 16th century it had lapsed. The community was supported by the manufacture of needles for finishing at Redditch and the wider parish was strongly farmed with a mixture of both pastoral and arable methods. Modern developments spurred some regrowth to the incipient town, the Worcester Canal being the first to arrive in the early 19th century closely followed by the railway line linking Birmingham & Redditch, today the modern M42, part of Birmingham's motorway ring, skirts the northern edges of Alvechurch. Despite the growth caused by the arrival of the railway station and the recent arrival of the motorway Alvechurch remains merely a large village albeit one with most facilities remaining. Alvechurch is drained southwards by the River Arrow which passes through Redditch and Alcester before meeting the Avon at Evesham, the Avon turns water westwards only to meet the Severn and resume the southerly course to reach the Bristol Channel. Alvechurch is sited on the western slopes of the Arrow's course rising from 110 to 140 metres from east to west, to the northwest rises the thin ridge of the Lickey Hills reaching 258 metres and dominating the local skyline. Parishes in this area of the county are sparse and extensive, Alvechurch certainly fits that bill covering almost 6,600 acres in a broad swathe of northeast Worcestershire, that substantial acreage would have supported a population of close to 1,650 parishioners. Domesday Alvechurch, already held by the Bishops of Worcester, was a much smaller place although its assets of 16 ploughs, substantial woodland and 8 salthouses belie its tiny count of 6 households, a more wealthy holding than initially apparent.

The Church

St Laurence's church sits towards the southern edge of Alvechurch tucked away behind acres of thick woodland with most approaches requiring a short walk. Whilst there has been a church here since early times little trace remains within the church of those periods as the church was almost entirely rebuilt between 1860 & 1861. A reused southern doorway is 12th century and Norman Romanesque but not in situ whilst the western tower is late Perpendicular from the 15th century, its upper portion was, however, remodelled in 1676 and restored during the major rebuild. Also from medieval times one finds the northern aisle & chapel showing a mixture of Decorated and Perpendicular styles in their remaining windows. The remainder of the exterior is built in the mixed style of the Early English Gothic and Decorated styles and entirely on the footprint of the previous entirely medieval church. It is perhaps the interior, also from that rebuild, which makes St Laurence worth a visit as Pevsner found it to be "stunning" with patterns of white diaper in juxtaposition to the traditional red stone of the area. Mention of St Laurence would be incomplete without mentioning the truly amazing church-hall, The Ark, which is attached to the church via a glazed link, built in 2004 with a prow-like northwestern end entirely glazed, a stark contrast between modernistic and traditional church architecture. There are 3 distinct approaches to the church, on foot from the northeast along shady Church Walk from the main part of the town, by a flight of steps and a short path from Bear Hill or, and best for those arriving by car, from the southwest along School Lane to the church's car park. Whilst it is difficult to get sufficient distance away to entirely encompass the scene most aspects are available for the photographer.