Bitteswell Church St Mary
Bitteswell is a small village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire and is situated just to the north of Lutterworth, and in the 2001 census had a population of 454. It was also the site of RAF Bitteswell, an airfield used in the Second World War. Hawker Siddeley Aviation had a factory close by, where Vulcan bombers were built and maintained. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Betmeswelle and there was a mention of a priest at that time although he probably would have administered to his ‘flock’ from a...
read moreWardley Church St Botolph
This is s real gem of a church in my humble opinion, it does not have any grand monuments or significant features of architectural interest – but what it does have is plenty of character. If you are a ‘church-crawler’ you will know what I mean. All churches are special places, but some have that ‘something’ extra that you realize quite soon into your visit or when you think back to the church in question – Wardley for me fits this category. Please note however that this church is now closed and may not be...
read moreSlawston Church All Saints
Slawston lies eighteen miles south-east of Leicester, on the southern edge of the hills overlooking the valley of the Welland and adjoining the county boundary with Northamptonshire. The parish includes the deserted hamlet of Othorpe, formerly a chapelry of Slawston and has a total area of 1,501 acres. The parish occupies a promontory of higher ground jutting south-eastwards towards the Welland and bounded on the north-east and south-west by two small tributaries. The village lies at over 300 feet and Slawston Hill (sometimes known as Mill,...
read moreEgleton Church St Edmund
Just over a mile south-east from Oakham is the pretty little village of Egleton which had a population of only 79 in the 2001 census. The village is very near to Rutland Water and the Anglian Water Bird Watching Centre is accessed via the village. During the Domesday Survey the village is not mentioned but was one of the five ‘berewicks’ of the King’s manor of Oakham. These were outlying settlements attached to Oakham. The lords of Oakham Castle held the ‘hamlet’ but it is doubtful it had a ‘manor’ of...
read moreGarthorpe Church St Mary’s
You can see the tower of St Mary’s from the B676 road travelling from Melton as you approach the small hamlet of Garthorpe. It is a few miles to the east of Melton Mowbray and sits on rising ground overlooking a shallow valley in a rural landscape. The churchyard is edged by trees and the former rectory sits to the side. The grey limestone tower was added after the nave and chancel The plan is a west tower, nave, chancel and two aisles north and south. The church fabric dates from the 13th and 15th centuries, there was some restoration...
read moreSharnford Church St Helen
The village of Sharnford is on the B4114 four miles east of Hinckley and approx 11 miles south-east of Leicester not far from the county border with Warwickshire. The population is around 1,000 people today. Before the Normans the hamlet of ‘Scerneford’ belonged to a Wulfric Spot, Earl of Mercia during the Danelaw in the 10th century. The village was probably occupied by the Danish from the 9th century. The River Soar was crossed in Sharnford hence the name, and ‘scearn’ probably means muddy ford. Originally the...
read moreHuncote Church St James
Huncote lies 7 miles south west of Leicester, north of the village of Croft of which Croft Hill lies in between. It used to be in the same Parish as its bigger neighbour Narborough, and for many years it had no church of it’s own but relied on Narborough as it’s parish centre. There is evidence of a Chapel dedicated to St James that used to serve the populace until it fell into disuse by 1622 when it was reported to be in ruins. There is a very good report here on the excavation of the ruins. The Chapel was probably attached to a...
read moreMorcott Church St Mary the Virgin
Just off the busy A47 main road to Peterborough is the village of Morcott which is seven miles south-east of Oakham. Most of you will probably have noticed the fine windmill to the east of the village which I have passed on so many journeys travelling along the A47. With a recorded population of 329 in the 2001 census it is not a large village by any means but it is attractive and the church is especially fine, but more on that later. At the time of the Domesday Survey the village formed part of the manor of Barrowden. In 1283 William...
read moreBisbrooke Church St John the Baptist
Bisbrooke is a pretty little village that is just a couple of miles east of Uppingham close to the A47. In the 2001 census it had a small population of 219. Most of the writeup for this text is taken from the excellent Bisbrooke History at the Rutnet site. The church was totally rebuilt in 1871 in the style of a 13th century by a Mr Langley an Uppingham architect. The church of St John the Baptist was built for £1200. The previous church which was built in the 13th century had become neglected by the mid 19th century and so was rebuilt. The...
read moreLoddington Church St Michael & All Saints
Some 14 miles east of Leicester near to Launde Abbey and the county border with Rutland lies the quiet village of Loddington. There are a few houses, a late 17th century Hall (private) and the church of St Michael which sits some way from the village. I expect there were dwellings originally around the church but the village migrated north east. This is not uncommon and has happened at other churches such as Bruntingthorpe or Kilby, and there are various reasons why this may have occurred. The church can be found on the road to East Norton...
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