England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Croome D'Abitot St Mary Magdalene

The Parish

The parish of Croome D'Abitot lies in southern Worcestershire roughly 4 miles miles of the market town of Pershore. Croome D'Abitot sits about 2 miles north of the A4104 road which links Pershore with Upton upon Severn. The suffix D'Abitot is that of the Normandy family that owned the manor from the 12th century until 1592. There is no village whatsoever of Croome D'Abitot the majority of the parish being covered with the estate, Croome Park, of the Earl of Coventry's family to whom the manor was sold. Within the estate sits Croome Court the 17th century mansion of the Earls of Coventry set within the acres of landscaped parkland, Capability Brown being just one of the designers thereof. The parkland of Croome Park forms a broad triangular area roughly a mile in extent on each axis and stretching eastwards from the intrusive modern M5 motorway. The estate is today managed by the National Trust and is a major visitor attraction for the area. The economy of the parish was dominated by the estate with pastoral farming the major economic force. As already mentioned modern developments have impinged with the M5 motorway separating part of the estate on its course from Birmingham to Bristol. The former stream which drained the parish was remodelled into a picturesque serpentine lake of almost a mile, outside the park it flows the short distance to the River Avon which sits a little over 3 miles away, the Avon eventually meets the Severn and the latter the sea through the Bristol Channel. Croome D'Abitot is sited at around 30 metres above the sea in gentle terrain which rises to just over 50 metres in a few spots. Croome D'Abitot parish was towards the smaller end of the scale for its county covering a little over 1,100 acres and supporting a population of around 100 parishioners. In Domesday times Croome D'Abitot was returned together with Earls Croome, two entries were made, both held by the Bishop of Worcester, it is tempting to think each relates to one of the two parishes, collectively they held 11 ploughs backed by typical meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Mary's church stands within Croome Park and is usually approached from the car park at the entrance facing the lane running inwards from Pershore. The church has been deconsecrated and has been managed by the Churches Conservation Trust since 1975. St Mary was rebuilt between 1759 & 1763 as part of the creation of the parkland of Croome Park and stands on a prominent brow overlooking extensive views across the serpentine lake and surrounding landscaped parkland. Despite its late build it is as Pevsner terms it "medievalised" as an example of the Gothic Revival fashion. The stand-out feature is the western tower which is in full view from the house of Croome Court, a typical Gothic Revival piece showing a fashion that was to reach its peak at the end of the Georgian age. Internally the church is a prime example of Georgian Gothic but also crammed with monuments to the Earls of Coventry and their families. It is a pleasant short walk from the main car park to the church of just a few hundred metres, the church stands tucked into a belt of woodland restricting the southern and northern aspects but allowing full admiration for the splendid western tower.