England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Leckhampstead The Assumption

The Parish

The parish of Leckhampstead lies in northwestern Buckinghamshire forming a lengthy stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Northamptonshire. Leckhampstead is located around 4 miles northeast of the town of Buckingham and stands a little over a mile north of the A422 road which connects Buckingham with Stony Stratford. Leckhampstead is a curiously distributed village set in a spider's web of lane with no real centre to speak of. The village consists of a series of "ends", such as Church End which Pevsner assigns to a settlement created from woodland clearings. Today most of that woodland, which is mentioned in early gazetteers, has been totally cleared with the exception of small copses along the county border. Those same gazetteers estimated that the farming regime was weighted strongly to pastoral methods with over 75% of the acreage at that time as pasture, today much more arable exists. In addition the limestone on which the northern part of the parish sits was quarried for local building stone. Modern developments came and have gone from the parish, a branch canal of the Grand Union once followed the Great Ouse through Leckhampstead parish but is now disused. Leckhampstead sits about 2 miles north of the Great Ouse to which water is drained by a small stream, the Great Ouse takes a lengthy journey towards eastern England and The Fens to arrive at the North Sea through the Norfolk port of King's Lynn and The Wash. Leckhampstead is sited at around 90 metres above the sea in gently rolling countryside, a few spots break the 100 metres contour but the highest ground lies westwards in the estate of Stowe where 130 metres is regularly met. By North Buckinghamshire standards Leckhampstead parish was larger than most covering around 2,500 acres and supported a dispersed population running to around 500 parishioners. In Domesday times the majority of Leckhampstead was a holding of Bishop Odo of Bayeux, its assets of 9 ploughs backed by meadows & woodland were supplemented by a mill in the share held by the junior partner Walter Giffard.

The Church

The church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to give its full title, sits in Church End within the northernmost area of the dispersed village. The church has fabric dating back to the earliest Norman times, Pevsner was particularly struck by the 12th century tympanum which has decoration of two intertwined dragons and what is believed to be a demon, a notable piece. Also 12th century is the two doorways to north & south to which a tentative dating of c1150-1180 has been assigned, the southern is the purer piece as the northern equivalent has been much restored. Possibly before 1200 the early 12th century church was extended by creation of a 4-bay northern aisle. The 13th century and Early English Gothic styling saw work to create the western tower although the pyramidal roof and battlements are 15th century additions; at the eastern end and from the first half of the 14th century sits the chancel, here the styling has changed into the Decorated form. Besides the adornments to the tower the 15th century saw only the addition of the southern porch in Perpendicular style but with a Tudor archway of 1688. A typical Victorian restoration came in 1872 and made good much that was in need but changed little beyond the areas already mentioned. The lane passing the church has broad grassy verges to both sides allowing safe on-road parking, the churchyard, entered through a lychgate has a concentration of trees at the southwest of the church but otherwise has few obstacles for the photographer.