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

The Parish

The parish of Studham lies in the extreme south of Bedfordshire, indeed it not only forms part of the border with neighbouring Hertfordshire but also with that of Buckinghamshire. Studham is located about 6 miles northwest of the Hertfordshire market town of Hemel Hempstead. The village is a compact one built around a junction of lanes about a mile east of the A4146 road which links Hemel Hempstead to Leighton Buzzard. Studham is built on a chalk ridge, part of the Chilterns range and stands at about 170 metres above sea level. The area would have been dominated by sheep grazing at the time of this transcript, the short turf of the Chilterns being especially suited to their needs. Nowadays a more arable regime dominates. There is little surface drainage as the chalk is porous but water eventually makes its way southwards to the River Cade a tributary of the Thames. Studham parish is a relatively small one for the Chilterns, at just over 1,400 acres, and it supported just over 800 parishioners. In Domesday times the land was held by one Baldric and supported 6 ploughs as well as woodland holding over 100 pigs.

The Church

St Mary's church sits in the northwestern portion of Studham accessed, appropriately enough, by Church Road. The harsh cemented exterior is a little shocking at first and it conceals a building largely from the early 13th century, records document its consecration in 1220. Despite this date many of the windows are from the later Perpendicular period indicating at least a refreshment at that date. The church follows the standard nave, chancel and western tower layout with additional aisles to the nave. St Mary's can be found at the end of Church Road where a substantial parking area can be found. The building is presented nicely by a low clipped hedge and access is by a pair of wooden gates. The graveyard is quite open allowing for good photographic opportunities.