England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kirby Bellars St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Kirby Bellars lies in northeastern Leicestershire not too far from its border with neighbouring Rutland. Kirby Bellars is located a little over 3 miles west of the market town of Melton Mowbray and sits on and mostly north of the A607 road which links Melton Mowbray with Leicester. Kirby Bellars is a strip of a village running north from a small presence on the A607 towards the River Wreake on the banks of which stands its church. The riverine position gave Kirby Bellars slight variations in its farming regime, whilst the rich pastures of the flood-plain supported cattle once south and across the main road a more mixed farming setup would have happened. Modern developments have come to Kirby Bellars, the railway line from Melton Mowbray to Leicester passing alongside the Wreake and isolating the church from the main part of the village, it doesn't however grant Kirby Bellars a station. The Wreake drains the parish southwestwards before meeting the Soar on the outskirts of Leicester and turning north to meet the Trent on its long journey to the North Sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. Kirby Bellars occupies a rising site from 70 metres above the sea by the church with the A607 being 15 metres higher, the general terrain is gently rolling with local high spots reaching just over 100 metres being common south of the A607. Parishes in eastern Leicestershire tend toward the larger size than is normal for a lowland rural parish, Kirby Bellars covering close to 2,600 being typical; it would have supported a population of close to 250 parishioners. In Domesday times Kirby Bellars was a holding of Geoffrey de la Guerche, its assets, however, are listed at such a high value that it must surely relate to a larger area than simply the small settlement of today, listing 57 ploughs, extensive meadows & woodland and 2 mills seems to be far too high than relating simply to Kirby Bellars.

The Church

As already mentioned St Peter sits at the northernmost tip of Main Street almost on the banks of the Wreake. Quite simply it is a beautiful church in a beautiful setting. Most of the church is styled in the Decorated style of the early 14th century but the build clearly began slightly earlier as the southern arcade is of the earlier 13th century Early English Gothic styling. Its northern counterpart is 14th century as is much else. The impressive western tower, demonstrating the umber colour of the ironstone rather well, is the church's centrepiece, that ironstone tower is topped by a neat ashlar spire. Breaking into the DEcorated styling is a typical late 14th century or early 15th century clerestory above the chancel, a typical Perpendicular feature designed to improve internal lighting and one often added after the initial build has matured. The final early change was the removal of a northern aisle in 1690. For once Pevsner fails to mention a Victorian restoration, if one happened then it was clearly light and sensitive. Main Street is broad enough for careful on-street parking under its shading cover of trees. Metal gates grant entry to a churchyard which is open and uncluttered with few obstacles for the photographer.