England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kirkby Underwood St Mary & All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Kirkby Underwood lies in southwestern Lincolnshire about 5 miles north of the market town of Bourne. Kirkby Underwood is a small crossroads settlement which sits a mile west of the A15 road which connects Bourne with Sleaford. Kirkby Underwood is one of a number of settlements that line the start of rising ground where Lincolnshire's Fenland ends each sitting just onto the underlying lime and ironstones. With the broad open flat lands to the east the gently undulating landscape dotted with copses and hedges marks a notable contrast. As for most Lincolnshire parishes Kirkby Underwood's economy would have been dominated by arable farming with cereal production to the fore. Kirkby Underwood is drained eastwards by the Old Beck whose course is soon interrupted once the Fens are reached by man-made intervention, the South Forty Foot Drain channels water away from the former route to the River Glen taking it to the port of Boston and thence to the North Sea.Kirkby Underwood is sited at around 40 metres above the sea with land rising to just over 70 metres to its west within a mile or so. In a county of small parishes Kirkby Underwood was no exception, covering just under 1,100 acres it would have supported a population of close to 200 parishioners. Despite being an equally small rural settlement in Domesday times, Kirkby Underwood was shared by no fewer than 3 landholders even if, collectively, their holdings could muster just 3 ploughs and the usual meadows & woodland.

The Church

St Mary & All Saints' church sits out of the village and almost a half mile to its west accessed along a public footpath following a driveway. The church has its origins in the early 13th century having been initially built in the Early English Gothic style. Like many churches changes wrought, notably in the Victorian period, have materially modified the building over the centuries. Remaining almost untouched from the 13th century are the western tower and the northern arcade, albeit the latter is now blocked. The southern arcade is basically the same style modified in the following century and showing Perpendicular styling of that century. That Perpendicular period also saw a clerestory added to improve internal lighting and the bell-openings of the tower were also replaced. The major restoration of the 1890s saw the completion of work to arrive at today's church. There are two routes of access to the church, along the driveway which parallels Callan's Lane or alternatively a small parking area by a style in Callan's Lane leads to a short footpath to the church. The churchyard is tight and compact around the church and trees rob the favoured southeastern aspect making for a challenge to adequately capture the church on a sunny day.