England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Dunton Bassett All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Dunton Bassett lies in southern Leicestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Warwickshire. Dunton Bassett is located about 4 miles north of the market town of Lutterworth and sits just west of the A426 road which connects Lutterworth with Leicester. Dunton Bassett is a small and compact village largely built to the south of the B581 which runs west from the A426 road. Modern communications run through the parish as the modern M1 motorway runs a half mile or so to the east of the village. Whilst the area was dominated by mixed agriculture there was also a thriving industry in stocking manufacture which employed probably the majority of the males in the village. Dunton Bassett is drained northwestwards by a small tributary of the River Soar which is joined near Croft, the latter then heads north to eventually join the Trent and reach the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Dunton Bassett is sited at around 120 metres and is something of a local high spot in gently rolling countryside. Dunton Bassett parish was fairly typically sized for its area, it covered around 1,300 acres and would have supported a population of just over 500 parishioners. In Domesday times Dunton Bassett was held by one Robert of Bucy and was a relatively small place offering 6 ploughs and a small meadow.

The Church

All Saints' church lies to the southeast of the village and is approached by an attractive walkway through trees from the junction of Church Lane & Church Close (a modern development). The church has its origins in the 14th century with the western tower as well as windows in both nave and chancel showing the Decorated style. Elsewhere is Perpendicular and represents a major enhancement during the 15th century. A buttress within the nave carries an engraved date of 1652 showing work ongoing throughout the Reformation period. A major restoration took place in Victorian times, in this case 1882, which masks much but not all of the dating details. From the junction the metalled walkway heads through the trees for 100 or so metres to reach the churchyard, a very attractive approach. The churchyard is relatively compact making for a tricky piece to photograph due to the many surrounding trees.