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Tur Langton St Andrew

Posted by on 8:16 pm in Directory | 2 comments

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 like Thorpe Langton the chapel was served by the mother church at Church Langton. During the 16th & 17th...

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Newton Harcourt St Lukes

Posted by on 8:05 pm in Directory | 1 comment

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 Union Canal; the other part of the village is on the North side the canal, to which there is a communication by...

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Nailstone Church All Saints

Posted by on 7:51 pm in Directory | 4 comments

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. Broughton Astley and Thurlaston (both on this website) also have this feature. It has a large 14th C tower and a...

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Rothley Church St Mary and St John

Posted by on 7:37 pm in Directory | 5 comments

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 some more interesting features. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Rodolei’ and...

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Foxton Church St Andrews

Posted by on 7:53 pm in Directory | 1 comment

Foxton Church St Andrews

To the north-west of Market Harborough is the village of Foxton some 13 miles south-east of Leicester. The village is perhaps overshadowed by the nearby Foxton Locks, a set of ten locks set on the Grand Union canal which is a major attraction in the area . As a child it used to be an exciting trip out to see the boats passing through the locks, it still is and I often stop and take walk down if I am passing. Foxton the village itself is perhaps overlooked, but it also has the canal passing through the village from the locks and the church of...

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Heather Church St John the Baptist

Posted by on 7:32 pm in Directory | 2 comments

Heather Church St John the Baptist

Some 13 miles north-west of Leicester lies the small village of Heather (pronounced ‘Heether’). Its nearest larger neighbour Ibstock is a couple of miles to the south-east. In the Domesday book of 1086 the village is called Hadre meaning the heathlands. It has seen coal mining and brick works in its past and is situated next to the Sence Valley Country Park which was home to a large open cast coal mine which removed 8 million tonnes of coal. It has now been landscaped with a lake, trees and open land with plenty of walks. The...

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Smeeton Westerby Christ Church

Posted by on 7:22 pm in Directory | 0 comments

Smeeton Westerby Christ Church

Smeeton Westerby sits in rural Leicestershire countryside between Kibworth Beauchamp and Saddington. It is 10 miles south east of Leicester and about six miles from the nearest market town at Market Harborough. Originally Smeeton and Westerby were seperate hamlets but they merged some time ago to form the parish. I can find very little information on the early history of the village which is unusual. I can not find any information on an earlier church at Smeeton Westerby but if anyone has any historical information on the village and church I...

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Staunton Harold Holy Trinity

Posted by on 12:26 pm in Directory | 0 comments

Staunton Harold Holy Trinity

Perhaps one of England’s best situated churches this is a rare treat and one that should be visited. Built for Sir Robert Shirley between 1662-65 in Gothic style this was the private chapel of the Shirley’s who lived in the nearby Hall for generations. Set in a beautiful landscaped area with the lake and rolling wooded hills of Leicestershire as a backdrop it really is a special place and one of the few churches built during the Commonwealth period.The church of Holy Trinity consists of a west tower, nave, north and south aisles...

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Illston on the Hill St Michael & All Angels

Posted by on 12:04 pm in Directory | 0 comments

Illston on the Hill St Michael & All Angels

Eight miles south-east of Leicester is the small village of Illston on the Hill. It was originally called Neverston or Ilveston and in 1086 the population was recorded as 22 today the population is a few hundred. The village stands on the spur of a hill over 550ft high and its nearest neighbours are Kings Norton and Gaulby. The village was formerly a chapelry divided between Carlton Curlieu and Noseley but by the end of the 18th century was an independent parish. In 1231 part of the estate at Illston passed to the priory (later abbey) of...

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Market Harborough St Mary in Arden (Ruin)

Posted by on 11:49 am in Directory | 8 comments

Market Harborough St Mary in Arden (Ruin)

The ruined church of St Mary in Arden is towards the east of the town centre just a couple of minutes drive away. There is not much to see now but this church was in fact the main church of the town but formerly was in the parish of Great Bowden. The church was first mentioned in 1220 when it had a resident chaplain which the chapel in Market Harborough (St Dionysius) was also dependent on. During the later Middle Ages there is no mention of clergy at St. Mary’s, which may have been served from Great Bowden or Harborough. After the...

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