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

The Parish

The chapelry of Keyham, its mother parish is Rothley from which it is detached by over 8 miles to the southeast, lies eastern central Leicestershire about 6 miles northeast of the city of Leicester. Keyham sits on a low ridge between two tributaries of the Soar and north of the A47 road (Leicester to Peterborough) by around 2 miles. A major lane runs along the ridge-top with a few properties lining its southern side whilst a side lane heads down to the southernmost tributary turning southeast alongside it with most of the village properties on that "L" shaped lane. Keyham sits in classic East Midlands "hunting countryside", as evidenced by the presence of Fox Holes Spinney to its east, the rolling countryside of hedged small pastures and cereals created a mixed farming regime. Modern developments came to the chapelry, a southern rail route, one of two linking Leicester with Melton Mowbray, has closed and most of the infrastructure dismantled. Keyham's pair of tributaries drain the chapelry northwestwards to meet the Soar north of Leicester, the Soar heads up north to meet the Trent at Long Eaton wherein the water takes the long journey to the North Sea and the Humber Estuary. Keyham sits on rising ground from 100 to 120 metres above the sea, the rolling hills around stray up to 173 metres at the A47 and Houghton on the Hill. Just under 1,000 acres was assigned to the chapelry which would have supported a population of close to 200 parishioners. Whilst Keyham has an entry in Domesday Book it refers to a region rather then the manor.

The Church

All Saints' church sits on the northern side of Main Street roughly halfway down the hill to the stream. The church is almost entirely in the Perpendicular style but with Pevsner and Historic England disagreeing on the date thereof. Pevsner indicates the nave and chancel fabric to be probably 13th or 14th century whilst Historic England place it 2 centuries late, both cannot be correct. The church is built in the local ironstone with its characteristic colouration. Both authorities are agreed that the style is Perpendicular so probably the Historic England account is the more realistic. A typical Victorian restoration came relatively late in 1894 and added the southern porch and renewed most of the windows. Outside the churchyard the verge is gravelled to allow a couple of vehicles to get off-road. The entrance to the churchyard rises up a slope with large mature trees all around, that theme continues into the main churchyard where All Saints ranks amongst the most tricky photographic assignments in its county, only from the northeast is there any distant view.