Bottesford, Leicestershire : Part One - Walk around the Village

Last Saturday D and I decided on a trip to Bottesford to visit the church and village and then on to Easton Walled Gardens to see the Snowdrops.

After two hours we finally reached Bottesford - it was not the best of journeys early on I somehow missed the M69 turn which cuts across country to the M1 North and I then ended up on the M1 South going towards London as from the M6 exit you can't go north! I eventually at the next exit came off the motorway and rejoined this time going in the right direction towards Leicester. The satnav which has been playing up for ages finally gave up the ghost and the back-up printed directions from Google Maps weren't brilliant and after leaving the M1 we got lost again. Luckily I had a back-up atlas in the car and managed to work out the route to Bottesford! Let us just say it seemed a long journey!

Bottesford is a lovely little village in the Vale of Belvoir - there is a heritage trail you can follow but, as I knew there would be a lot to see in the church, we only did part of it.

Bottesford originated as an Anglo-Saxon settlement close to the ford on the River Devon. It is a Domesday village closely associated with the Counts, Earls and Dukes of Rutland. From 870 - 930AD it was within the area ruled by the Danish Army - the Danelas. Later it became part of the new kingdom of Mercia ruled by King Athelstan. The village was a centre of pastoral farming - pig and cattle breeding, cheese making and market gardening. Industries have included brick and tile manufacturers for example, the "Bottesford Blue" pantile tiles.



The Red Lion (which appeared closed for business at the moment)

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14th century remains of the Medieval cross together with stocks and whipping post.

Dr Fleming's Hospital almshouse which, although much altered, does contain some of the original brickwork.

The church of St Mary the Virgin (I will return to the church in the next post. It has some rather superb grotesques and gargoyles on the exterior, some wonderful stone carvings inside and the stunning monuments to the Earls of Rutland including the "Witchcraft Tomb".)

The Old Rectory which has a

memorial plaque to Rector Abel Ligonier who was a Huguenot and uncle of Field Marshall Ligonier who led the British Army in the Seven Year War. The rector in his will of 1710 left £100 for the establishment of a school built in 1730. Sadly, all that remains now is this plaque.

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The River Devon with snowdrops in flower on the banks.

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Providence Cottage is a timber-framed brick cottage which has the date 1723 picked out in its brickwork.

The Duke of Rutland Almshouses founded by Elizabeth, 4th Countess of Rutland, as a home for elderly village men. The residents called bedes men had to follow strict rules on conduct and had to wear a uniform and attend church services regularly. The almshouses have now been converted to retirement apartments.

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18th century footbridge

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A view of the church in the distance. The 64 metre tall church tower and spire is the highest in Leicestershire. During the Second World War it had a red warning light for the Lancaster bombers taking off from nearby RAF Bottesford. Bottesford was the last place to be bombed in the war on 20th March 1945. Fortunately there were no casualties.

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The Bull In - probably the oldest building in the village. It was once run by Olga Healey sister of Stan Laurel and there are mementos of the visit of Laurel and Hardy in 1955. We did pop in the pub after visiting the church in the hope of having lunch there but sadly they weren't serving food that lunchtime.

*D = Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50 bridge camera.

Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.


Reference - Information Board by the Church and Bottesford Local History Trail leaflet