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

The Parish

The parish of Swillington lies in south central Yorkshire within the West Riding. Swillington is located about 7 miles east of the large industrial town of Leeds and sits on the A642 which connects Wakefield through to Garforth. Swillington is just north of that road's crossing of the the River Aire, it lies a half mile or so north of the latter's course at the edge of the floodplain. Swillington is a large village much enlarged during Victorian times thanks to the coal that was extensively mined and formed the principal economic motif for the area. Before the mines came this would have been a simple pastoral farming community exploiting the rich pastures along the Aire, the rural economy bolstered by the twin Halls at Swillington and Leventhorpe. Modern development in the area has seen the construction of the M1 motorway through the western part of the parish en-route to join the A1 to the northeast of Garforth. Today's Swillington covers almost a mile from north to south with substantial developments to both east and west of the A642 which forms the backbone of the village. The Aire drains the parish eastwards, running across the Yorkshire plains to reach the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Swillington is sited at around 60 metres above the sea, the southern parts being some 10 metres lower, land continues to rise gently northwards to reach almost 90 metres around the substantial brick-works. Swillington parish was fairly typical sized for lowland Yorkshire, covering close to 2,500 acres it would have supported a population of a little over 550 parishioners. In Domesday times swillington was something of a rural backwater, held by one Ilbert de Lacy it could offer just 5 ploughs and the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

All Saints' church sits towards the northern edge of the village at the junction of the A642 with Church Lane. What strikes one immediately is the contrasting colours of the stonework between the tower and the remainder of the building. This contrast arose when the tower was refaced in a gritstone ashlar in 1884, the gritstone has blackened whilst the Magnesian limestone of the main body has not. The church, however, has ancient origins, the retained nave walls are Norman and 12th century in origin. A period of change took place in the 13th and 14th centuries when aisles, arcades and chancel were reconstructed in the Decorated style of the early 14th century and work continued in the later Perpendicular style when the southern porch was added. Following the Tudor Reformation further work continued adding the clerestory. Several restorations have also occurred in Victorian and later times, much work in 1860 was followed by that refacing in 1884, and in the 20th century the roofing of both chancel and nave has been replaced. Both the A642 and Church Lane are prohibited from parking but a small area outside the local shops in Church Lane will permit a short visit, otherwise side streets should be sought for an extended look. The site is surrounded by a low local stone wall with the main gated entrance from Church Lane, a few trees within the churchyard do somewhat limit the angles available to photography.