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

The Parish

The parish of Eckington lies in the extreme south of Worcestershire forming a short stretch of the rather convoluted border with Gloucestershire. Eckington is located roughly 7 miles northeast of the Gloucestershire town of Tewkesbury and 4 miles south of Pershore. Eckington is a large village sitting on the B4080 road which connects Pershore, through Bredon to Tewkesbury. Eckington sits within a meander of the Warwickshire Avon being bordered on three sides by the river and with the B4080 providing one of its most significant crossings at Eckington Bridge. Within its meander Eckington village sits some 10 metres above the floodplain but its economy would have been dominated by the lush grazing provided by the river's seasonal flooding, on higher and drier ground cereals would have been grown as well as numerous orchards skirting the eastern edge of the village. Eckington has expanded eastwards in modern times, those orchards having become modern developments. A rash of modern infrastructure influenced the parish, first came the Cheltenham to Worcester railway line which once gave Eckington a station, since closed, to the west of the Avon skirts the modern M5 motorway complete with its complex junction with the M50. Eckington is drained, of course, by the Avon which heads the short distance to Tewkesbury before joining the Severn on its long journey to the Bristol Channel. Eckington is sited at around 20 metres above the sea but it is dominated to the southeast by the isolated knoll of Bredon Hill which rises to a height of 294 metres dominating this area of the countryside. Eckington parish was one of a number of slightly larger parishes in this area, covering just short of 2,100 acres it would have supported a population of around 800 parishioners. In Domesday times Eckington was already an important settlement, held by Westminster Abbey its assets totalled 12 ploughs, the usual meadows & woodland and there was a mill.

The Church

Holy Trinity church sits at the heart of the village midway along the route of the B4080 as it passes through the built area. Three main periods dominate the history of this church, the first from 12th & 13th centuries and showing both Norman Romanesque and Early English Gothic styles has largely been overwritten by the later two periods but remains can be found albeit often re-sited by later work. The western doorway, once on the northern wall of the nave, and the three-bay southern arcade show the earlier 12th century style whilst remaining lancet style windows and the much altered eastern window of the southern aisle remain as traces of the 13th century style. The 14th century saw a major rebuild of the church beginning with the chancel which is early 14th century and Decorated in style, this was followed by significant change in the latter half of the same century which saw the southwesterly placed tower built in the Perpendicular style. This later style and period can also be found in the western window and the nave roofing as well in re-sited earlier work throughout. The subsequent period of change began in the Georgian period with the addition of the brick northern aisle in 1831, five years later its western end was re purposed into a vestry. Minor window changes were made in 1869 but the major restoration of the mid 1860s saw much change with a Neo-Norman northern arcade added, replacement of the chancel arcade more window changes. Finally the southern aisle roof was replaced in 1928 to complete today's church. The church sits on a narrow stretch of the B4080 with no parking immediately close by, a short walk is needed from side-street parking. The chuch sits in a heavily constrained site with properties hugging the narrow churchyard to both north & south and totally removing the favoured aspects for a landscape view, in addition the western end is flush to the street with views only adequate from opposite on the road, a major headache for the photographer.