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

The Parish

The parish of Leighton Bromswold lies in western Huntingdonshire quite close to the borders with both neighbouring Bedfordshire and with Northamptonshire. Leighton Bromswold is located roughly 10 miles northwest of the county town of Huntingdon and stands about a mile north of the A14 road which links Huntingdon with Kettering. Leighton Bromswold is a small and compact village sitting around a T-junction of lanes on a ridge-top in undulating countryside. Leighton Bromswold is and was a farming parish with roughly equal part arable and pasture, the balance has moved towards arable in modern times with machinery and fertilisers. Modern developments have come to the parish with the upgrading of the A14 to fast dual-carriageway hurrying much freight from the East coast ports to the main motorway network Two parallel brooks drain the parish, one north of the village the other closely following the A14 to the south, both merge and then meet the Great Ouse in Huntingdon, the latter crosses Fenland to eventually reach the North Sea through the Norfolk port of King's Lynn and The Wash. Leighton Bromswold is sited on its little ridge at 60 metres above the sea, the ridge rises just a further 10 metres to the highest ground to the northwest. Leighton Bromswold parish was one of the larger parishes in its area, covering 3,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 450 parishioners. Domesday Leighton Bromswold just scarped into the top 20% of settlements by population, it has a low bar, however, held by the Bishop of Lincoln it had assets of 19 ploughs, typical meadows & woodland and a mill making for a prosperous rural farming manor.

The Church

St Mary's church stands at the eastern end of the village where Church Lane meets Sheep Street. St Mary is a church which has had a phoenix-like rise from potential demolition. Originally built in the 13th century by 1600 it was ruinous and by 1606 the nave was roofless. Thanks to the patronage of the Lord of the Manor, the Duke of Lennox, the church was saved and is a fine exampple of both its early medieval material and the reconstructed elements of the 17th century. The main body of the church retains much that is of the 13th century Early English Gothic period notable the fine southern doorway and the chancel. Pevsner was particularly impressed by the 13th century double piscinas. By contrast the church's transepts show the early 14th century style of the Decorated period which is attributed to a mid-14th century rebuild. The chief achievement of the 17th century restoration is the plain but attractive western tower which was completed at some time between 1637 & 1641, the date carried by the bells. Also completed in the 17th century was a thorough re-roofing of the main body. 1840 saw the addition of a western gallery but this was removed during a typical Victorian restoration of 1868 - 1870. The lanes leading to the church are relatively traffic-free and have ample verges for safe parking. From the junction of Sheep Street with Church Lane a diagonal path leads to the churchyard's wooden gates, once you have gone through the shady trees around the gates there are no obstacles for the photographer whatsoever.