England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kimbolton St James

The Parish

The parish of Kimbolton lies in northeastern Herefordshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Wocrstershire. Kimbolton is located roughly 3 miles northeast of the market town of Leominster and sits on and mostly north of the A4112 road which links Leominster with the Worcestershire spa town of Tenbury Wells. Kimbolton is a rather dispersed community, the parish's largest settlement being rather Stockton which sits on the A4112 where it rises from the flood-plain of the River Lugg. Kimbolton is a mere hamlet northeast of Stockton whilst the rest of the parish consists of scattered farmsteads with small clusters of cottages. The economy is underpinned by pastoral farming with the tradition Herefordshire beef cattle still the dominant form; some arable has arrived in more recent times with the advent of modern machinery & fertilisers whilst a few orchards also dot the landscape. Modern developments have come to the area, the railway line from Shrewsbury to Hereford roughly follows the boundary between Kimbolton and Leominster parishes exploiting the valley of the Lugg. It is the Lugg which drains the parish southwards, initially fed by numerous small tributaries, the Lugg eventually meets the Wye and joins it on its long journey southwards to reach the outer Bristol Channel arriving through Chepstow. Stockton sits at around 100 metres above the sea with Kimbolton church some 20 metres higher, the parish is undulating rather than hilly with the highest ground of 215 metres sitting at nearby Leysters to the northeast. At almost 1,400 acres Kimbolton parish was fairly typically sized for its area, that acreage would have supported a population of just over 700 parishioners. Kimbolton is not mentioned in Domesday Book, Stockton has an entry but it is a regional entry describing the King's assets across a broad area rather than for the specific manor.

The Church

St James' church sits on the southern side of Church Bank, a narrow lane which forks northwards away from the A4112 towards Kimbolton Court Farm. The church is an ancient structure with the majority of its fabric from the earliest times of stone-built churches. The chancel is earliest and 12th century Norman Romanesque in style, a style confirmed by its windows on the eastern and northern faces and by the now-blocked priest's doorway. The remainder of the basic structure is slightly late, 13th century and Early English Gothic in style, the nave shows the characteristic lancet styled window, albeit restored. whilst its southern doorway has equally characteristic toll moulding. Further lancets can be seen in the southern transept. Whilst the core of the western tower is undoubtedly of a similar era it takes its plate-traceried bell-openings from the rather extensive Victorian restoration of 1875 which also added the southern porch to complete the church. Church Bank is widened opposite the churchyard to permit a single car to park safely, entry is through a squeeze of a wooden kissing gate. Rather strangely the church sits flush to the road with its northern face looming over it, once around to the south, however, there are few obstacles for the photographer.