England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Grove St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Grove lies in the extreme east of Buckinghamshire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Bedfordshire. Grove is located roughly 2 1/2 miles south of the market town of Leighton Buzzard and sits a quarter of a mile east of the B488 which links Leighton Buzzard with Ivinghoe. Grove is a tiny settlement and has always been so, a mere hamlet sat on the banks of the Grand Union canal consisting of the former parish church and some adjacent cottages. Like most parishes which sits in river flood plains, Grove sits on that of the River Ouzel, pastoral farming dominated on the lush pastures. Despite Grove being tiny there are modern developments, the firs to arrive being the Grand Union Canal linking London & Birmingham which arrived c 1800, to the west runs the railway line from Leighton Buzzard to Hemel Hempstead & the capital. Grove is drained northwards by the Ouzel which passes through Leighton Buzzard  & Milton Keynes before joining the Great Ouse for its lengthy journey to the North Sea arriving through The Wash. Grove is sited at around 90 metres above the sea, land rises steadily southwards reaching 127 metres at nearby Mentmore. Covering just 210 acres Grove was not just the smallest rural parish in its county but possibly one of the smallest in England, that acreage would only have supported fewer than 50 parishioners. Grove in Domesday times was equally small of just 2 households, held by Jocelyn the Breton it mustered a pair of ploughs as its only assets.

The Church

St Michael's church is no longer used for worship and has been sold and converted to become a private house, it sits juxtaposed to the Grand Union Canal. The church has its origins in the 14th century and despite many restorations it retains some Decorated style windows from that century. A 16th century northern doorway and a single window on the south side are remnants of the later medieval period. An extensive restoration of 1883 made many changes, adding the bell turret & the northern porch. The homeowners have made further changes in the later 20th century. Given the status it is advisable that any images should only be taken from public highways the and the privacy of the residents respected.