Marden is a small village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
southeast of
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
in the county of
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, south west England. The parish is in the
Vale of Pewsey
The Vale of Pewsey or Pewsey Vale is an area of Wiltshire, England to the east of Devizes and south of Marlborough, centred on the village of Pewsey.
Geography
The vale is an extent of lower lying ground separating the chalk downs of Salisbury ...
which carries the upper section of the
Salisbury Avon; to the south the parish extends into
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
.
History
A settlement of 29 households and one mill was recorded at ''Meresdene'' in Domesday Book of 1086. The
Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of En ...
traces ownership of the mill – on the Avon in the north of the parish – from the 15th century until 1970, when it was still grinding corn, albeit by electrical power;
the property was sold for residential use in 1975. The three-storey mill of 1842 and adjoining two-storey house, both in red brick, were recorded as Grade II listed in 1988.
Holders of Marden manor included
Gilbert Basset
Gilbert Basset (died 1241) was an English baronial leader during the reign of King Henry III.
Early life
Basset was the eldest son of Alan Basset, baron of Wycombe. About 1231 he appears to have negotiated a truce with Llewellyn of Wales on be ...
and his brothers
Fulk (
bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
) and
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
, all in the 13th century; and
Hugh le Despenser the elder from 1298 to 1326. After Despenser's execution, the manor was granted to
Queen Isabella and then
Queen Philippa
Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346,Strickla ...
. Later holders included the
earls of Abingdon
Earl of Abingdon is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 30 November 1682 for James Bertie, 5th Baron Norreys of Rycote. He was the eldest son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey by his second marriage to Bridget, 4th Barones ...
in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The present manor house, in Flemish brickwork, is from the early 19th century.
John Marius Wilson's ''
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
The ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' is a substantial topographical dictionary first published between 1870 and 1872, edited by the Reverend John Marius Wilson. It contains a detailed description of England and Wales. Its six volumes h ...
'' (1870–1872) described Marden as follows:
MARDEN, or MERTON, a village and a parish in Devizes district, Wilts. The village stands on the river Avon, 2 miles SW of Woodborough r. station, and 6 ESE of Devizes; and has a post office, of the name of Marden, under Devizes. The parish comprises 1,278 acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
s. Real property, £2,291. Pop., 235. Houses, 49. The manor belongs to S. R. Neate, Esq. Two remarkable tumuli formerly were in the neighbourhood, 240 feet in circuit, and 40 feet high; and are supposed, by some writers, to mark the scene of Ethelred's defeat by the Danes in 871; but whether they were sepulchral barrows or the earthwork of an ancient British temple, is an open question. The living
Living or The Living may refer to:
Common meanings
*Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms
** Living species, one that is not extinct
*Personal life, the course of an individual human's life
* Hu ...
is a vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
age in the diocese of Salisbury
The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England, within the ecclesiastical Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of Dorset (excepting the deaneries of Bournemouth and Christchurch, which fall within t ...
. Value, £170. Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Bristol. The church is ancient; has two Norman arches and an embattled tower; and is finely ornate, both without and within. There is a national School.
The population of the parish peaked in the second half of the 19th century, with 247 recorded at the 1871 census, then fell to 152 by 1901.
A small
National School was built c. 1844; the school was closed in 1925 and its premises were converted for residential use.
Marden has been suggested as a possible location for the
Battle of Marton
The Battle of Meretun (or Merton) between a West Saxon army led by King Æthelred and his brother, the future King Alfred the Great, and a Danish army took place on 22 March 871 at an unknown location in Wessex, probably in one of the modern co ...
(871).
Parish church
![Marden, Wilts, All Saints Church - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Marden%2C_Wilts%2C_All_Saints_Church_-_geograph.org.uk_-_134441.jpg)
The
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of All Saints stands on a small rise in the northwest of the village. The body of the church dates from the 12th century, and the south doorway and chancel arch survive from that period.
In the 15th century the nave was largely rebuilt, and the chancel and tower added.
Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
in 1885 by
C.E. Ponting saw the rebuilding of the chancel. Pevsner states "Nave and chancel externally all Ponting's". Other work in the 19th century included the replacement of the south porch, re-roofing of the chancel, and rebuilding of the top section of the tower. Today the tower is in limestone ashlar, with a stair-tower to the southeast; the nave is
sarsen
Sarsen stones are silicified sandstone blocks found in quantity in Southern England on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire; in Kent; and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset, and Hampshire.
Geology ...
and greensand rubble with limestone quoins and dressings, on sarsen foundations; and the chancel is flint with limestone banding.
The plain octagonal font is from the 13th or 14th century, and the pulpit, also octagonal, is from the 17th.
In the tower are six bells: one dated 1627 and three from the 18th century. The church was recorded as
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
in 1962.
The first written mention of the church is in 1205. Later in that century the church belonged to
Bradenstoke Priory
Bradenstoke Priory was a medieval priory of Augustinian canons regular in the village of Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, England. Its site, in the north of the county about west of Lyneham, is on a ridge above the south side of Dauntsey Vale. In the ...
.
The benefice was united with
Chirton
Chirton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, on the southern edge of the Vale of Pewsey about south-east of Devizes. The parish includes the hamlet of Conock, about half a mile west of Chirton village.
Both settlements are jus ...
in 1923, and the vicar was to reside at the parsonage house in Chirton. From 1951, the vicar also held the benefice of
Patney
__NOTOC__
Patney is a small village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, in the Vale of Pewsey about south-east of Devizes.
The infant Salisbury Avon forms part of the southern boundary of the parish.
Religious sites
The nearest Anglican c ...
, which was added to the united benefice in 1963. The three benefices were separated in 1976.
Today the church is served by the Cannings and Redhorn Team Ministry, which covers a group of eight churches in the Vale of Pewsey.
Parish register
A parish register in an ecclesiastical parish is a handwritten volume, normally kept in the parish church in which certain details of religious ceremonies marking major events such as baptisms (together with the dates and names of the parents), ma ...
s survive from 1684 and are kept in the
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre
The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, serves as a focal point for heritage services relating to Wiltshire and Swindon. The centre opened in 2007 and is funded by Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Counci ...
.
Local government
The civil parish elects a
parish council. Local government services are provided by
Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is a council for the unitary authority of Wiltshire (excluding the separate unitary authority of Swindon) in South West England, created in 2009. It is the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council (1889–2009) and the ...
, with its headquarters in
Trowbridge
Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England, on the River Biss in the west of the county. It is near the border with Somerset and lies southeast of Bath, 31 miles (49 km) southwest of Swindon and 20 miles (32 km) southe ...
, and the parish is represented there by Paul Oatway, who succeeded
Brigadier Robert Hall as councillor for Pewsey Vale West in 2013.
Archaeological site
Marden Henge, close to the village on the other bank of the Avon, is a large
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
site.
References
External links
Marden Village websiteImages of Marden Millat millsarchive.org
{{authority control
Villages in Wiltshire
Civil parishes in Wiltshire