[Transcription © SA Whittle-Bruce 2004]

Alwalton, Hunts

Cassey's 1862 Directory of Beds.and Hunts.

ALWALTON, or ALLERTON, is a parish and small villageprettily situated on the Great North road, 4 1/2 miles north-north-west of Stilton, 17 miles north-west of Huntingdon, 4 1/2 south - west of Peterborough, 3 miles from the Wansford station, on the Peterborough and Northampton railway, and 79 miles north from London. It is in the Hundred of Norman Cross, and union of Peterborough, and by the census of 1851, contained 332 inhabitants. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a beautiful structure, and has, says Rickman, "one of the most singular combinations of Norman and early English to be met with. The piers are round; the bases and capitals, with mouldings, considerably advanced in the early English style, while the arch is semicircular, and the architrave, Norman; the dripstone is also a real Norman moulding, while the supporters are flowers of good early English character. The chancel of this church is mostly of decorated character, and has, on the north and south sides, the curious long window, reaching lower down than the others. close to the east wall of the church, which is very frequent in the Midland Counties; it seems to have had some purpose in giving light behind the screen, dividing the nave and chancel." This contains a piscina and sedilla. The church has lately been restored at considerable expense; a new parsonage has also been built. The living is a rectory, in the deanery of Yaxley, held by Rev. Edward Grey, M.A., and in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough. The tithes were commuted in 1805, for about 176 acres of land. There is a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel here, also a British School chiefly supported by the Earl Fitzwilliam. The sum of £4 10s. annually is distributed amongst the poor, arising from various donations, amounting altogether to £90. Alwalton, is supposed by Stukeley to be a corruption from Ald-werk-ton, and by Dr. Nene, who was rector of this parish and Archdeacon of Huntingdon, to be derived from the Roman Ad Vallum. Alwalton, or Adelwoldtune, from Adewold, Bishop of Winchester. The parish comprises 904 acres. The Dean and Chapter of Peterborough hold the manorial rights. On the banks of the Nene are found great blocks of fossil stones susceptible of a very high polish.