Stanford upon Avon St Nicholas
Now before all the comments start I know this church is actually in Northamptonshire. But as it is only 500ft from the Leicestershire border and it is closely tied with Stanford Hall in Leicestershire (near Lutterworth) it seems rather churlish to ignore it. It is also a marvellous church and well worth visiting and it is in Leicester Diocese. In Simon Jenkins “England’s Thousand Best Churches” he mentions the stained glass, the 16th century organ and the fine memorials to the Cave family who owned and built Stanford Hall. It is rather a...
read moreSkeffington St Thomas a Becket
This small village lies just off the A47 and has a population of around 200. It is about ten miles from Leicester, a mile or so west of Tugby and east of Billesdon. The church is situated on a bend on Main street and is sited on the highest part of the village. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book. It is a pretty situated village and the church is no exception despite its Victorian rebuild (1860) but there are still items of interest. The chancel arch dates to the 13th century as well as the pinnacled tower and north Chapel which...
read moreLeicester Cathedral St Martins
Leicester does not have a cathedral to match the splendour of Salisbury, York or Lincoln. In fact St Martin’s is an enlarged parish church that was ‘nominated’ to cathedral status in 1927. There was discussion at the time that the nearby church of St Margaret’s or even the grand church at Melton Mowbray would be better alternatives, but in the end St Martins was chosen over the rivals. Leicester was an important Roman town (Ratae) and perhaps would have had an early Christian church. Whether this was on the site of St Martins is open to...
read moreHambleton St Andrews
Three miles south-west of Oakham is the small village of Brooke which is at the head of the River Gwash. In 2001 the population was recorded as 211. Half a mile north of the village was the priory of St Mary of Brooke which was founded during the reign of King Stephen before 1153. By the 16th century it was mostly ruinous. Today there are some remains of the priory built into a later structure and I hope to add this as a separate entry in the future. Hambleton is a popular choice for people visiting Rutland Water as the village is perched on...
read moreSeaton All Hallows
Seaton is set on the side of a hill overlooking the Welland valley. Nearby is the large Seaton viaduct, on the Oakham to Kettering railway line. It is three quarters of a mile long and took four years to build. It has 82 arches which are up to 72 feet high. The railway is now only used for freight traffic. When Henry Royce (founder of Rolls Royce) was created a baronet, he took Seaton as his territorial designation. His family had worked here as millers. The population in 2001 was approx 180. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book and...
read moreRidlington St Mary and Magdalene
The village of Ridlington has some interesting recorded history. The manor was held in the 10th century by a West Saxon Queen as a ‘dower’, a gift from a husband to his wife as insurance on his death. In 1066 Edward the Confessor’s wife Edith held land here, and in 1086 its is recorded as being held by William I and it consisted of seven ‘berewicks’ or hamlets. These were probably Ayston, Belton-in-Rutland, Leighfield, Preston, Uppingham, Wardley and Wing. William I passed the manor onto Henry de Newburgh, Earl...
read morePilton St Nicholas
This small hamlet in Rutland had a recorded population of 39 in the 2001 census. It is a few miles south of Rutland Water and is sited on high ground rising to 315ft. The village is not mentioned in the Domesday Book but was probably part of Barrowden and held by the Earls of Warwick. A Eustace de Pilton and Hugh de Pilton were witnesses to a charter to Robert Mauduit in the 13th century. Their son Bartholomew de Pilton in 1224 was inferred as the lord of the manor. He presented his brother Walter de Pilton to the church of Pilton in 1223,...
read moreEdith Weston St Mary
With a population of over a 1,000 this Rutland village lies very close to the south side of Rutland Water. It has an unusual name which is derived from Queen Edith who was wife to Edward the Confessor. There is mention of a monastic cell at Edith Weston which may have been sited in the grounds of the Old Hall. The Old Hall was pulled down in 1830 but there is some probability that it stood to the north-west in the park where there are remains of some fishponds. In the Domesday Book the village is not mentioned but it may be one of the...
read moreTickencote St Peter
With a population of around 70 people this small village is a few miles north-west of Stamford next to the busy A1. The name derives from the Saxon Ticcen and Cote, meaning the place where goats and kids were herded when the country around was forest. The village lies on a slope from the Great North Road to the river Gwash below. At the time of the Domesday survey the manor was held by the Countess Judith and it passed eventually to the Wingfield family in 1594. You can read more information on the village history, the lords of the manor and...
read moreBrooke Church St Peter
Three miles south-west of Oakham is the small village of Brooke which is at the head of the River Gwash. In 2001 the population was recorded as 211. Half a mile north of the village was the priory of St Mary of Brooke which was founded during the reign of King Stephen before 1153. By the 16th century it was mostly ruinous. Today there are some remains of the priory built into a later structure and I hope to add this as a separate entry in the future. There is no mention of Brooke in the Domesday Book but it may have been one of the five...
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