England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Edvin Loach St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Edvin Loach was a curiosity, Worcestershire formerly had a rather fretted outline and Edvin Loach was detached from the main body of the county and embedded within the eastern edge of Herefordshire. Local Government reorganisation in 1974 transferred the parish into Herefordshire (albeit with the combined two counties of Herefordshire & Worcestershire). Edvin Loach is located about 3 miles northeast of the Herefordshire market town of Bromyard. There is not much to Edvin Loach, a scatter of farms and cottages along a north/south running lane about a mile west of the B4203 road which links Bromyard with Stourport on Severn. This is rolling Marches border country with red sandstones underlying pastoral fields and orchards, the area is known for its cider production. Edvin Loach is built on a ridge of high ground to both west and east run tributaries of the River Frome which runs south to join the Lugg and the Wye to the east of Hereford before eventually heading for the Bristol Channel. Edvin Loach is sited at around 180 metres above the sea, the valleys being incised 50 metres either side. Edvin Loach parish was relatively small for this area covering just over 500 acres, it supported a mere 60 parishioners. In Domesday times Edvin Loach was held by one Osbern and merited only 4 ploughs making it small even then.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the crest of Edvin Loach's hill. The present building dates only from 1860 and is styled to mimic the 13th century. Pevsner is impressed by the tower described as "excellent" but does not comment too much on the remainder merely describing the style and detail. The old mediaeval church which this building replaced lies to the east of the present St Mary, it was an ancient edifice with Norman features in both nave and chancel, regrettably the building was allowed to fall into ruin, although nowadays cared for by English Heritage. The churches are accessed along a narrow tarred road, it grows grass down the middle so is little used, the church sits on a bend surrounded by farm buildings. There are few obstructions to photography.