England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Offenham St Mary & St Milburgh

The Parish

The parish of Offenham lies in southeastern Worcestershire not too far from both border with neighbouring Gloucestershire & Warwickshire. Offenham is located a little over 2 miles northeast of the town of Evesham and sits a half mile east of the new route of the A46 road, forming Evesham's eastern bypass, which connects Tewkesbury with Stratford upon Avon. Offenham sits on the eastern banks of the River Avon and its course has shaped the layout of the village which is elongated to both north and south whilst having Main Street as its main axis. At the time of this transcript Offenham would have been a farming community, a mixed regime exploiting the rich pastures of the Avon's flood plain with arable on drier ground, today the village is a market gardening centre dominated by acres of glass houses growing table vegetables and fruit in the main. Offenham was for a long time a holding of Evesham Abbey and archaeological excavations have identified numerous structures attributed to it being a monkish retreat from the nearby Abbey. Modern developments have come and gone from Offenham, a branch railway line once connected Eevesham with Alcester, now followed largely by the A46, but became redundant in more recent times and closed. The River Avon drains the parish south and west to meet the Severn at Tewkesbury, thence to the Bristol Channel through the latter's estuary. Offenham is sited at around 30 metres above the sea in gentle terrain formed by the river's valley, there is little higher ground for some distance. Offenham parish was on the small side for its county, covering just under 1,200 acres it would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. Domesday Book confirms it as a holding of Evesham Abbey and a prosperous one at that time offering 18 ploughs, a small meadow and had 2 mills.

The Church

St Mary & St Milburgh's church lies towards the northern end of the village on the western side of Main Street opposite the British Legion properties. Early gazetteers give the dedication simply to St Milburgh but we follow Pevsner and in giving this fuller version. Sadly little remains of the medieval church, indeed much of the church would be unrecognisable to the participants in this transcript as the main body, with the exception of the western tower, was completely rebuilt in the early 1860s. The western tower is the only original piece and dates from the late-Perpendicular period of the 15th century. The nave, chancel, northern aisle and southern porch all date from an elaborate rebuild which saw the medieval swept away. Main Street is broad enough to allow parking outside the churchyard which is surrounded by a low wall of local stone topped by iron spiked rails, metal gates grant entry through a shady path to the church, the churchyard is relatively free of significant obstacles for the photographer.