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

The Parish

The parish of Gamlingay lies in the extreme southwest of Cambridgeshire forming stretches of the borders with both neighbouring Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire. Gamlingay is located roughly 5 miles northeast of the Bedfordshire market town of Sandy and sits on the B1040 road which connects Biggleswade through to the A428 (Cambridge to Bedford) road. At one time Gamlingay was large enough to merit market town status, itself, but that function drifted away to larger neighbours such as Sandy & Biggleswade. Today and for much of its history Gamlingay has been a large village. Much of the original village sits around the main crossroads but there has been much infilling development to the west in more modern times. Gamlingay sits upon the dip slope of the geological feature known as the Greensand Ridge, this iron-rich sandstone is relatively infertile and Gamlingay Great Heath, to the southwest of the village, is a reminder of that agricultural deficit, an area set to heath used only for light grazing by both sheep and rabbits, the remainder of the acreage would have been largely arable like most of its county. Gamlingay is drained southwestwards by small tributaries of the River Ivel which, when met, turns north again to meet the Great Ouse and eventually the North Sea through The Wash. Gamlingay is sited at around 50 metres above the sea, the Greensand forming a low escarpment immediately to its northwest but land continues to rise gently eastwards reaching close to 80 metres in places. Parishes in southern Cambridgeshire tend to be rather small but Gamlingay parish was the exception, covering almost 4,500 acres it would have supported a population of just over 1,400 parishioners. In Domesday times Gamlingay was largely held by one Eudo the Steward with two others holding tiny portions, collectively the assets totalled an impressive 31 ploughs and some small meadows.

The Church

St Mary's church sits to the east of the B1040 on the junction of Church Street with Church Lane. This is a fine large church as befits a substantial village, indeed Pevsner ventures it as "the most impressive church in this part of the county" and there is no denying that its russet stonework gives it a splendid appearance especially in low evening sunlight. The age of the church is, however, a matter of some dispute between Pevsner and the Royal Commission for Historic Monuments, the latter placing much of the fabric as early as the 13th century whilst Pevsner views it as largely rebuilt in the Perpendicular era overlain on a 13th century core. That there is 13th century styling in the form of Early English Gothic lancet windows is beyond dispute. The church has a complicated layout with the core of nave, chancel and western tower augmented by a large two storeyed porch, a northern transept and a northern sacristy as well as a southern transept, aisle and arcades. It is also evident that there was much rebuilding during the 15th century with much Perpendicular work abounding throughout. Victorian work seems slightly more restrained, a restoration of 1880 rebuilt the porch but left little changed within the main body. The churchyard is walled with the local greensand in blocks, the main entrance of wooden gate being set slightly into Church Lane, there is parking at the southern end of the churchyard. Whilst there are a few trees occupying the southern section of the churchyard these are not too difficult to avoid and if visiting on a cloudy day the view from the north, as recommended by Pevsner, is well worth an attempt.