England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Goadby Marwood St Denys

The Parish

The parish of Goadby Marwood lies in northeastern Leicestershire not too far from both border with Lincolnshire and with Nottinghamshire. Goadby Marwood is located roughly 5 miles north of the market town of Melton Mowbray. Goadby Marwood sits about 2 miles west of the A607 road which connects Melton Mowbray with Grantham. Goadby Marwood stands the end of a dead-end access road with only roughly surfaced tracks continuing beyond, the village is thus shaped like a "T" lying on its side with the head formed by the church and hall. Goadby Marwood stands on iron-rich Triassic desert sandstones which were much quarried for local building stone, it shows very well in the church granting an umber glow in evening sunshine. The parish was economically dominated by farming with a mixture of both arable and pastoral methods in place, the influence of the hall's estate was a major factor. Modern developments have come and gone, a series of freight railway lines accessing quarries meanders over this landscape but all are now dismantled leaving few traces beyond the occasional bridge over nothing. In common with many estates the stream which drains Goadby Marwood southwestwards was dammed to create picturesque parkland, on leaving the estate the stream heads to Melton Mowbray where it meets the River Wreake, the Wreake heads west to the Soar where water turns north to meet the Trent for its long journey to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Goadby Marwood is sited at around 130 metres above the sea, land rises up the geological dip-slope to the top of the escarpment overlooking the Nottinghamshire Vale, before plunging down the escarpment the highest ground at 163 metres is met. Goadby Marwood parish was typically sized for its area, covering just under 1,700 acres it would have supported a population of close to 200 parishioners. There are 2 Domesday entries for Goadby Marwood but we can dismiss the holding of Geoffrey de la Guerche as it's clearly a regional entry; given the size of today's settlement the holding of Robert de Bucy maybe refers to the settlement with just 3 ploughs and a small meadow.

The Church

St Denys' church sits at the western end of the village alongside the access road headed for the 18th century Goadby Marwood Hall and its parkland. The distinctive colour of the Triassic sandstone, rich in iron, gives the church a picturesque hue. The earliest fabric on show is that of the northern aisle where 3 windows, one blocked, in the lancet style confirm its origins as 13th century and Early English Gothic in style. The matching southern aisle together with the arcades appear to have been added in the first decade of the 14th century, Pevsner terms that time as Transitional as it carries motifs from both Early English Gothic and its successor Decorated styles. The Decorated style is seen once again in the western tower where the basal stages are from this era, the build was obviously lengthy as the tops stages show the Perpendicular style of the latter half of the 14th century. At the opposite end of the church the chancel too shows an early 14th century origin and Decorated styling. Perpendicular styling was added to the nave both in its roofing but also in the clerestory added during that period. Whilst Pevsner cites a restoration of 1883 as being "extensive" no details are outlined as to the principal impacts beyond the addition of the vestry and organ chamber. Main Street performs a right-angled bend before the churchyard either direction has space for safe parking as it is not a through route. Whilst the southern aspects are clear there are trees very close to the western end which impact the view of the western tower.