England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
King's Langley All Saints

The Parish

The parish of King's Langley lies in southwestern Hertfordshire quite close to its border with neighbouring Buckinghamshire and on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. King's Langley is located midway between the towns of Watford and Hemel Hempstead and about 3 miles south of the latter. King's Langley was formerly a large village on the western banks of the River Gade, the arrival of both Grand Union Canal and later the London to Birmingham railway line saw the village grow and evolve into a commuter village. This status has recently been advanced by the course of the nearby M25 (London Orbital Motorway) which passes through the south of the parish. King's Langley sits astride the former course of the A41 (which now bypasses to the west), the main route from London to Aylesbury now downgraded as the A4251. The village would have been a farming settlement before the transformation in access, although a small paper manufactory gave employment to a few. The River Gade which drains the parish flows southwards to join the Coln and then the Thames at Staines before turning east to reach the North Sea. King's Langley is sited at around 90 metres above the sea and land rises to the west into the low hills of the Chilterns, a modern trail (The Hertfordshire Way) heads that way on its circuit of the county. King's Langley parish was of a typical size for the Chiltern area, it covered around 3,500 acres and supported a population of just over 1,600 parishioners. In Domesday times King's Langley was a much smaller place, it was held by one Count Robert of Mortain but could only boast 4 ploughs although the Gade supported two mills.

The Church

All Saints' church stands on the southern side of Church Lane, this runs eastwards from the A4251. All Saints' is a classic example of a 15th century Perpendicular church from the great church building era. There is much use of local flint throughout. The church has the standard profile of nave, chancel and western tower but is extended with arcades to both north and south to accommodate the population. A piscina of the 13th century and two Decorated style windows in the northern arcade do suggest an earlier building than that present today but much is of a single building program of the 15th century. The church sits in a slightly elevated site, the edge border by a wall to the churchyard level giving a very open appearance. A short flight of 4 paving slabs grants access from the western end and there are few obstructions to photography on site.