England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kimcote and Walton All Saints

The Parish

The joint parish covering the two villages of Kimcote and Walton lies in southern Leicestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Northamptonshire. Both Kimcote and Walton are small and compact villages, Walton being roughly a mile to the northeast of Kimcote and the latter being 4 miles northeast of the market town of Lutterworth. Both villages sit in a largely agricultural area devoid of main roads, the nearest being the A4304, which runs from Lutterworth to Market Harborough, which lies about 2 miles to the south. However, the modern MI motorway also lies roughly 3 miles to the west. At the time of this transcript the twin villages would also certainly have earned their living from farming with pastoral grazing dominating in a mixed farming economy. The parish is drained by the headwaters of the River Swift which heads southwestwards to reach the Avon at Rugby before continuing onwards to the Severn and the Irish Sea through the Bristol Channel. Both villages are sited at around 130 metres above the sea in rolling countryside, local heights rise to 170 metres to the southeast. The joint parish was a fairly typical size for the area, covering just under 1,200 acres it would have supported a population of roughly 550 parishioners. In Domesday times Kimcote was held by the Bishop of Lincoln whilst Walton was held by Earl Aubrey of Coucy, jointly the parish could offer just 7 ploughs together with a small meadow in each.

The Church

All Saints' church in Kimcote is the joint parish church and it sits on the northern side of the main lane through Kimcote (Walton Road). The church has its origins in the 13th century, Pevsner dates the chancel to that period based on design features, the remainder of the church can be dated to either the Perpendicular era or to the rather radical restoration of 1869. The church follows the standard design of chancel, nave & western tower all seen to good effect from Walton Road. The church sits in an elevated position above the lane grassy banks rising to a wrought iron fence. A sloping pathway rises from the west into the churchyard from the village street, the churchyard sits tight to properties at the western end but is extensive and enlarged to the north.