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

The Parish

The parish of Wormsley lies in the northwestern portion of central Herefordshire roughly 8 miles northwest of the caounty town of Hereford. Wormsley sits about 2 miles north of the A480 road which links Hereford with Kington. Wormsley is a tiny place, a mere hamlet with a small cluster of farms gathered around its church, the main feature of the parish being the Herefordshire Golf Club which occupies much of the parish land, today. The parish would primarily have earned its income from pastoral farming as it largely does today. Wormsley stands upon a hilltop with the Wellington Brook below to the north taking water eastwards to join, in turn, the River Lugg and finally the Wye before following that river's long journey to the outer Bristol Channel arriving through Chepstow. Wormsley is sited at around 210 metres above the sea with land close by reaching 239 metres on the edges of nearby Bache Wood, the ridge terminates in Burton Hill topping out at 294 metres. Wormsley parish was relatively small in extent covering just under 1,200 acres and supporting merely around 100 parishioners. Domesday Wormsley was equally small yet shared between 2 landholders its assets of merely 4 ploughs.

The Church

St Mary's church sits amongst farms at the western end of a short dead-end lane which exits the main lane opposite the golf course clubhouse. The church is no longer used for worship and since 1974 has been managed by the Churches Conservation Trust. Like many small and isolated churches it retains its ancient fabric being of 12th century Norman Romanesque in its foundation. Due to restoration only the nave and southern doorway remain from the 12th century. Even so some of the original windows were replaced as early as the 13th century in the nave evidenced by the lancet windows which remain. The western double-bellcote is also of the 13th century Early English Gothic period. The chancel, too, was originally 12th century with 13th century inserted windows but was largely rebuilt during the Victorian restoration of 1867, the 19th and 20th century also saw the addition of the southern porch. The main access lane runs northwest from Tillington Common with the short lane headed westwards to terminate amongst active farm buildings where careful parking, so as not to distrupt farming operations, is possible amongst them. The churchyard sits beyond to the west and is open and unobstructed for the photographer.