England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
St Grada & The Holy Cross

The Parish

The parish of Grade is one of the most southerly in both Cornwall and in England sitting on the southern coast of the Lizard Peninsula and forming a stretch of the county's coastline with the English Channel. Grade is located roughly 10 miles south of the town of Helston and sits just under a mile east of the A3083 road which links Helston with Lizard Point. There is little to Grade, itself, just the church and a farm, the main settlement is coastal Cadgwith Bay just over a half mile east. Cadgwith is a small harbour and its associated properties deep within a steeply sided valley. For most of existence Grade has eked out a subsistence living on the poor soils of the Lizard Peninsula sitting on some of the most ancient rock strata in England, the soils would have mainly been suitable for pasture with only the hardiest cereals supplementing that income. Cadgwith, however, was a notable small fishing harbour which tacked the local pilchard shoals of the English Channel. A new industry was born in Victorian times supplying the local serpentine rocks highly polished as fashionable jewellery. Today it is tourism that dominates the local economy, day trippers drawn to explore the Lizard and its spectacular coastal scenery and hardy hikers tackling some of the more arduous stretches of the South West Way National Trail with Cadgwith offering a traditional Cornish stop-over. A fast flowing stream takes water into Cadgwith harbour draining the parish. Grade parish covers heights from sea level to 80 metres above, the general height of the plateau that is interior Lizard. Grade parish covered a little over 1,900 acres and would have supported a population of close to 350 parishioners. Grade is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Grada & the Holy Cross church sits on the plateau that forms the centre of the Lizard peninsula and is visible for many miles as a consequence. The church stands in fields just off the main lane running from the A3083 into Cadgwith and is accessed by a short track. The church is a mixture of medieval tower and rebuilt main body, the western tower, that landmark and navigation aide for sailors, is either late 14th or early 15th century and built in the Perpendicular style. The local blocks of serpentine are used in its construction which rises for two stages. The remainder of the church was rebuilt between 1861 & 1863 so would not be recognisable to the participants in these marriages. The nave and chancel are unusual in having only rather low walls but sits beneath a steeply pitched roof which overhangs creating a profile dominated by that roof. A few pieces of the 14th century original have been re-set into the rebuild such as a blocked northern doorway and an image niche in the southern porch. Visitors should park at the entrance to the track leading to the church which is marked by a prominent blue signboard. It is but a short walk to the churchyard which has no obstacles whatsoever for the photographer.