England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Brooksby St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Brooksby lis in northeastern central Leicestershire roughly 5 miles southwest of the market town of Melton Mowbray. Brooksby sits a few hundred yards north of the A607 road which links Melton Mowbray through to Leicester. Brooksby is a deserted medieval village that at one time consisted solely of a single farm, its population fewer than 50 parishioners. Today the church sits amongst the campus of the Loughborough College Group which offers courses in agriculture, animal care, equine, and sport. There are still few other properties within the parish. The land was farmed with pastoral methods dominant. Modern developments have come to the parish, the railway line between Melton Mowbray and Leicester passes through the parish and at one time granted a station to this small community, now closed. Brooksby sits on the southern banks of the River Wreake which drains the parish southwestwards to meet the Soar in Leicester, the latter heads north and northwest to the Trent and joins that mighty river for its long journey to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Brooksby is sited at around 70 metres above the sea in its valley setting, land rises away from the Wreake reaching 131 metres to the north of nearby Gaddesby in rolling countryside. Brooksby parish was a very small parish of just 830 acres and supported fewer than 50 parishioners. Whilst Brooksby does carry a reference in Domesday Book it is a regional entry and not specific to this manor.

The Church

St Michael's church sits within the campus adjacent to Brooksby Hall, the campus permits access to the church. This is primarily a church of the 14th century with the usual modifications enacted by the Victorian restorers. The western tower straddles both styles of the 14th century, beginning with Decorated styling and completed in the subsequent Perpendicular. The main body of the church is also Perpendicular and probably from the later end of that style's time period as Tudor style windows are also found. Three phases of change are noted by Pevsner, the general restoration came in 1879 and was quickly followed by work on the tower to add the battlements and the recessed crocketed spire. The final change came in 1911 when the southwest window of the nave was replaced. Campus gatekeepers should be consulted as to where is best to park, the church sits to the southwest of the main car park in a compact churchyard which is surrounded closely by trees which restrict the distance available to get far enough away to encompass the whole building leaving only unsatisfactory views from most angles.