Castle Donington St Edward King and Martyr
Feb14

Castle Donington St Edward King and Martyr

The large village of Castle Donington is 18 miles north-west of Leicester and is sited near to the county borders of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire. In fact the village is nearer to Derby and Nottingham than Leicester. The population today is around 7000 and the village has the busy airport nearby and Castle Donington racetrack. The circuit also hosts the Donington Grand Prix Collection, the world’s largest collection of...

Read More
Carlton Curlieu St Mary the Virgin
Feb14

Carlton Curlieu St Mary the Virgin

This small village of nearly 30 people is some 11 miles south-east of Leicester and a couple of miles north of Kibworth. In the Domesday Book it is recorded that the manor belonged to (yes we have met him many times!) a Hugh de Grentemesnil who was given many manors and land throughout Leicestershire and further a field for his support during the Norman Conquest. There were two manors within Carlton they both passed through many...

Read More
Burton Overy St Andrew
Feb14

Burton Overy St Andrew

This is another pretty village that lies some 8 miles south-east of Leicester. It is recorded in the Domesday book as Burtone, it was later known as Burton Novrey, before eventually ending up as Burton Overy. The population today is around 300. After the Norman Conquest it was acquired by my old friend (I must see his name in most parish histories) Hugh de Grentemesnil. This is an impressive church from the outset when viewing the...

Read More
Bottesford Church St Mary the Virgin
Feb13

Bottesford Church St Mary the Virgin

This extraordinary church is probably nearer to Nottingham than Leicester and is 16 miles north of Melton Mowbray at the most northern limits of the county of Leicestershire. The distance should not stop you at all from visiting this fine church but more on the reasons soon. This large village has a population of over 3,000 and is named after the ‘ford’ over the river Devon. I could write more on the village but if the...

Read More
Tur Langton St Andrew
Feb13

Tur Langton St Andrew

Ten miles southeast of Leicester is the small pretty village of Tur Langton. The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for an enclosure, meaning ‘long town’. For a long time it was part of the parish of nearby Church Langton and the ‘mother church’ there. However Tur Langton had a chapel which is first mentioned before 1162 and was built by the Maunsell family who were lords of the manor. From 1220 onwards...

Read More
Newton Harcourt St Lukes
Feb13

Newton Harcourt St Lukes

Newton Harcourt is nearly 7 miles south-east of Leicester and its nearest neighbours are the villages of Great Glen and Wistow. Originally in the parish of Wistow, Newton Harcourt is named after Sir Richard de Harcourt who acquired the manor after marrying Arabell the daughter of Saher de Quincy, Earl of Winchester in 1240. ‘The chapel and one large old house stand very near, and on the south side of the Navigation, called The...

Read More
Nailstone Church All Saints
Feb13

Nailstone Church All Saints

The village lies to the west of Leicester which is some 11 miles away. Its nearest neighbours are Barlestone to the south and Ibstock to the north, the population was around 520 people in the 2001 census. All Saints church at Nailstone dates from the 13th & 14th centuries. This large light spacious church has the same characteristics of other Leicestershire churches in having a north aisle which is nearly as large as the nave....

Read More
Rothley Church St Mary and St John
Feb13

Rothley Church St Mary and St John

Rothley is 5 miles north of Leicester and has a population of 3,612 according to the last census in 2001. We know that the area has been inhabited since Saxon times due to the Saxon shaft. This is a twelve feet high millstone grit cross carved with typical Saxon strapwork that is situated south of the chancel in the churchyard and dates from the 9th century. This object is worth a trip to the church for itself but the church also has...

Read More