England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Grimston St John

The Parish

The parish of Grimston lies in northeastern Leicestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Nottinghamshire. Grimston is located roughly 5 miles northwest of the market town of Melton Mowbray and sits around a mile northeast of the A6006 road which links Melton Mowbray with the A6 to the north of Loughborough. Grimston is a small and compact village in rolling countryside, a typical landscape favoured by the local hunts, with most properties clustered along its Main Street. The area has a mixed farming tradition with small hedged pasture interspersed with arable fields, early gazetteers estimate as much as 66% of the parish acreage as set to pasture. Modern developments have come to the parish, the branch railway line from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham cutting through to its east, by way of a short tunnel, without granting Grimston a station. Small brooks drain Grimston to the south soon joining the Wreake for a southwestward journey to meet the Soar, here matters turn north headed for the Trent and after the latter's long journey to the sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Grimston is sited at around 140 metres in rolling hills made of the local ironstone, 156 metres is reached just north of the village before plunging off a steep escarpment into the Trent's valley. Grimston parish at just over 1,000 acres was toward the smaller end of the scale for Leicestershire parishes, that acreage would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. Grimston's Domesday entry surely relates to a region rather than the village, 90 ploughs and 6 mills seem totally out of kilter with today's small village, the smaller share held by Robert de Bucy offering just 4 ploughs seems more likely as a representation of the manor at that time.

The Church

St John's church sits at the heart of the village within the curve of Main Street as it passes through. The church is one which has had its layout significantly altered, in 1244 it is recorded to be a Templar church ad had a cruciform layout which was modified into today's more conventional nave, chancel and western tower layout, the southern transept remains but the northern transept has left only its arch remaining as the only indication of that major change. The church is, thus, a church of the 13th century in Early English Gothic style showing lancet styled windows of that era in the chancel and the eastern wall of the southern transept Whilst the basic structure is of the 13th century, the 14th or 15th centuries saw significant change using the Perpendicular style of that period, windows were replaced in parts of the chancel and the clerestory inserted to improve internal lighting. In addition today's Perpendicular western tower was added complete with battlements and pinnacles. As is usual a Victorian restoration took place, here in 1866, which was refreshing but not majorly impacting. Main Street widens to the east of the site where parking can be found, a rising pathway leads west to a wooden gate granting entry, the churchyard, unfortunately, is cramped with little room around the church making for a challenge for the photographer.