Wibtoft Assumption of our Lady
Now this entry could be controversial, only because the majority of the village and the chapel of St Mary are actually in Warwickshire and not in Leicestershire. I have decided to add the chapel as some of the village is in Leicestershire where it is bisected by the busy A5. With a population of 50 this small hamlet nestles in a small hollow south-west of the city of Leicester and is 5 miles north-west of Lutterworth. In 1004 Wulfric Spott bequethed land at Wibtoft to Athelric for life, and then to his newly formed abbey of Burton in...
read moreWigston Magna All Saints
Wigston lies a few miles south of Leicester and the town is now a suburb of Leicester. It has a large population (approx 33,000) and has thriving retail and industrial areas. The church sits in the old part of the village on the high ground, there is some evidence that Wigston was populated back in the 6th century and it is highly probable other structures were built before the present church on the same site. By the 11th century Wigston was already a large village, in fact the largest village in Leicestershire. Wichingestone as recorded in...
read moreWigston Magna St Wistans
Wigston Magna has two spires over the town, the larger All Saints on Moat Street and this the smaller church next to the dual carriagway on Bull Head Street. This is the second church dedicated to the Saint Wigstan (Wistan) in Leicestershire, the other being Wistow where a Prince of Miercia (Wigstan) was murdered and human hair was then found growing in the grass near or on where the church was built. Because of this act he became a martyr and his body was transported to Repton in Derbyshire to be placed in the monastery’s crypt. On the...
read moreCoalville Church Christ Church
Coalville is in North West Leicestershire some 12 miles from Leicester, it is major town in the region with over 30,000 people residing there. Coal was mined in medieval times especially around the open seam at nearby Swannington, but it was not until the 19th century when shafts were sunk at Snibston (now in Coalville) that the town began to grow. With the coming of the railways the mining as well as other industry rapidly expanded the town, Ashby Road still has some of the original miners cottages near to the police station. With a...
read moreClaybrooke Church St Peters
Claybrooke Parva and Magna are in the south of Leicestershire near to the A5 and the county boundary with Warwickshire. The parish church of St Peter not only looks after the parishioners of Claybrooke Magna and Parva but of also nearby Ullesthorpe and Wibtoft. Although Wibtoft has a small chapel, Ullesthorpe has none although in medieval times there may also have been a chapel there. This lovely church is sited near a bend of the road and is positioned back with a pretty drive in front and surrounded by trees and open ground. This church has...
read moreChurch Langton St Peter
The village of Church Langton is 4 miles north of Market Harborough and is surrounded by the small satellite villages of East & West Langton, Thorpe Langton and Tur Langton. The ancient parish of Church Langton was the ‘mother’ church for the other villages and the church stands over 400ft on the crest of a ridge and can be seen for miles around. The area is known as ‘the Langtons’ and is popular with walkers, cyclists and those looking for a quieter part of Leicestershire rather than the busy city and suburbs....
read moreCastle 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 Formula One and Grand Prix vehicles. The village was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as belonging to a Earl...
read moreCarlton 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 families until in 1597 a Thomas Palmer of East Carlton Northants bought one manor, and in 1654 Sir Geoffrey Palmer...
read moreBurton 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 church from the entrance. The two large east windows both of a similar design are separated by a large gargoyle...
read moreBottesford 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 truth be known I think I ought to concentrate on the church itself, it should be quite apparent by the end of his...
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