England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Carlton Curlieu St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Carlton Curlieu lies in southern Leicestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Northamptonshire. Carlton Curlieu is located roughly 7 miles north of the market town of Market Harborough and sits a little over 2 miles east of the A6 road which connects Market Harborough through to Leicester. There is very little to modern Carlton Curlieu, a small hamlet with a group f farms and cottages gathered around its church. Immediately north of the hamlet runs a significant Rpman Road cutting determinedly southeast from their fort at Leicester towards Ermine Street, several archaeological discoveries have discovered a populated Roman landscape in the vicinity and as will be seen Carlton Curlieu was a much more important place in earlier times. The area is dominated by farming, methods have moved more towards arable in recent times but at the time of this transcript more mixed regimes would have been followed. Carlton Curlieu is drained by small tributaries of the River Welland and this river heads eastwards to reach the North Sea through Stamford and Spalding. Carlton Curlieu is sited at around 140 metres above the sea in undulating countryside land rises northeastwards to Carlton Curlieu's larger neighbour (Ilston on the Hill) where it tops out at 176 metres. Carlton Curlieu parish included the chapelry of Ilston on the Hill together they totaled almost 3,000 acres of which Carlton Curlieu had roughly 1,600, the parish was small in population having close to 50 parishioners. In Domesday times Carlton Curlieu was a much more important place, the larger proportion held by King William with Hugh de Grandmesnil holding a smaller share, collectively there were a most impressive 36 ploughs and substantial meadows making for a much larger place than today's hamlet.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on the southern side of the lane leading towards Burton Overy. The church consists of two distinct ages, the earliest portion is the western tower which is 12th century and Norman Romanesque in style. Big and imposing it stands rather blockily in contrast to the largely brick built remainder. The very top-most stage, however, is either added or rebuilt with a documented date by inscription of 1685. This predates the major change to the church which followed in 1767. Whatever existed prior to this date was demolished to leave the tower whilst the nave and chancel was rebuilt in brick using a Gothic style which may or may not be typical of the pre-existing scheme. Further work followed in the usual Victorian restoration, work here being done in the early 1880s. The church is set back from its lane behind a broad grassy verge with a tarred entranceway permitting careful parking. The churchyard is bordered by substantial trees and sadly for some reason the church is crammed into the southern edge of the churchyard thereby removing the favoured angles for the photographer and making for a challenging subject on a sunny day.