England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Areley Kings St Bartholomew

The Parish

The parish of Areley Kings. also known as Lower Areley, lies in northwestern Worcestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Shropshire. Areley Kings is located roughly 5 miles south of the industrial town of Kidderminster and sits on the western banks of the River Severn opposite the modern town of Stourport on Severn. Areley Kings sits on the A451 road which links Stourport with Abberley. Areley Kings is a village which has grown substantially in modern times, early maps show a small concentration of properties adjacent to the A451, whilst others are gathered around the church, modern developments have turned this formerly small village into an urban area almost a mile square with properties as far south as Astley Cross. At the time of this transcript Areley Kings would have been primarily a farming parish, early gazetteers place it as weighted 2/3 arable to 1/3 pastoral, its presence on the banks of the Severn would have also involved a few in river-based transportation of goods. Today Areley Kings is largely suburban with commuters to both Stourport & Kidderminster. An interesting feature of the parish is the number of caves, cut into the soft red sandstone cliffs of the Severn's course, said to be as capacious as "could lodge 500 men". Areley Kings is, of course, drained by the River Severn on its long journey from mid-Welsh hills to the Bristol Channel. Areley Kings is sited on the western sloping ground of the valley, those properties by the Severn being at 20 metres above the sea whilst some of the newer properties are at 50 metres, land rises westwards to a typical height of around 130 metres but the isolated outcrop of the nearby Abberley Hills reach 283 metres and dominate the local scene. By Worcestershire standards Areley Kings was one of the smaller parishes, covering a little over 1,400 acres it would have supported a population of around 400 parishioners. Areley Kings is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Bartholomew's church sits on the western edges of the settlement on the western side of Rectory Lane, its grounds loom some 20 metres above the nearby river. This is a church of three distinct eras with the chancel being the oldest piece, the rather short chancel has been dated to the 12th century Norman Romanesque period with late 18th century modifications which partially rebuilt its eastern wall. The tower, curiously placed to the south of the church rather than in the traditional western position, is the only other piece which is medieval. The basal section of the tower dates from the early 14th century, Decorated in style, whilst its uppermost stages are a 15th century, Perpendicular, addition; the stages can be seen readily as grey sandstone was used in the 14th whilst red sandstone shows the 15th century portions. The main body of the church, nave with accompanying aisle and arcade were all made during the major Victorian restoration of 1886 using a style of the Decorated period that Pevsner described as "brittle and geometric". At the main entrance on Rectory Lane a broad parking area sits outside the churchyard, the site sits behind the black-and-white stylish Church House. The churchyard is capacious and with few obstacles to worry the photographer other than some trees close to the tower-less western end.