About us

The South Leightonstone Group is a benefice of seven parishes in the far west of the diocese of Ely, near to Grafham Water and Huntingdon: Barham, Covington, Easton, Kimbolton, Spaldwick, Stow Longa and Tilbrook.

We are part of the Deanery of Huntingdon, in the Diocese of Ely, in the Church of England.

This attractive rural benefice is nestled in the far west of Cambridgeshire, where the flat East Anglian Fen landscape starts to undulate towards the rolling hills of the East Midlands.

The largest village in the Group is Kimbolton, which is situated about 7 miles west of St Neots, and twelve miles from Huntingdon. That makes it about 24 miles from Cambridge and 70 miles (113Km) from London. Kimbolton has the largest population, about 1400. The Church of St Andrew PE28 0HA dominates one end of the historic High Street, with Kimbolton Castle at the other. The castle is well-known as the place where Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King  Henry VIII lived out her last days. The building is now an independent school, Kimbolton School.

Up the hill north from Kimbolton is the little village of Stow Longa, population c.160. The church of St Botolph stands at the end of a lane and is a haven of peace and tranquillity.

Beyond Stow Longa is the larger village of Spaldwick, with its imposing spire of the church of St James. Along the A14 towards Huntingdon the next village is Easton, where St Peters can be found. If you cross the A14 from Spaldwick and travel over the hill you arrive at the hamlet of Barham and its gem of a little church of St Giles. Barham and its neighbour Woolley are combined as a parish, although nothing remains of Woolley church but the ruins and its churchyard.

Heading west along the Kym valley from Kimbolton on the main B545 toward Rushden the first village is Tilbrook, population c.200, and then Covington, population c.75. Both these villages have churches dedicated to All Saints, although Covington had for a time a supplementary dedication to St Margaret.

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