St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford |
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St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford,
from the southeast |
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| OS grid reference | SK 807 391 |
| Location | Bottesford, Leicestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Bottesford |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1 January 1968 |
| Architect(s) | Sharpe and Paley (1847–48 restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bottesford |
| Deanery | Framland |
| Archdeaconry | Leicester |
| Diocese | Leicester |
St Mary the Virgin's Church is a beautiful old church in the village of Bottesford, England. It is an active church for the Anglican faith. This church also serves as a main church for Bottesford and eight other nearby villages. It's a very important historical building, listed as Grade I. This means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
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History of St Mary's Church
This church is sometimes called the "Lady of the Vale". It's a large church with the second tallest spire in Leicestershire, reaching 212 feet high!
The oldest parts of the church were built in the 1100s. More sections were added and changed over the next 300 years. For example, the main part of the church (the nave) and the tall spire were built in the 1400s. You can see two interesting gargoyles on the south side of the church.
The front part of the church, called the chancel, was rebuilt in the 1600s. This was done to make space for many large monuments. These monuments belong to the Manners family, who were important earls and later dukes. Their monuments completely fill the chancel. Some of these amazing artworks were created by famous sculptors like Caius Gabriel Cibber and Gerard Johnson the elder.
One of the Rutland family tombs has a very old and famous message carved into it. This message says that two family members died because of witchcraft. It blames a group known as the Witches of Belvoir.
Restoring the Church Building
During the 1800s, the church went through several big repair projects. These are called restorations. A major restoration happened in 1847 and 1848. It was done by a company called Sharpe and Paley from Lancaster.
This work included fixing the nave, the side aisles, and the transepts (the parts that stick out like arms of a cross). They also replaced the seating and the roofs of the aisles. An old gallery was removed, and a new screen was put in the tower. New decorative pinnacles were added, the floor was replaced, and new windows were put in.
All this work cost a lot of money, about £2,235 at the time. The Duke of Rutland gave £600, and another person, Revd F. J. Norman, gave £550. The church also received a grant of £110 from a building society.
Churchyard Monuments and Graves
Outside the church, there are other important historical items. A headstone for Thomas Parker and a special table tomb in the churchyard are also listed as Grade II historical buildings. The decorative gate posts and gates at the north entrance to the churchyard are also listed.
The churchyard is also home to war graves. There are graves for fifteen soldiers from the Commonwealth. Most of them were from the Royal Air Force. Five of these soldiers died in the First World War, and ten died in the Second World War.
Church Organ and Music
History of the Organ
The church has a pipe organ that was built by Forster and Andrews. It was first played on October 11, 1859, by Henry Farmer. Later, in 1892, it was changed by a company called Wadsworth.
In 1995, a different organ was installed by Norman Hall and Sons. This organ was second-hand and came from St Hugh’s Church in Southwark. It has two keyboards (manuals) and pedals, and it can make 15 different sounds.
Organists of St Mary's
Many talented people have played the organ at St Mary's Church over the years. Some of the notable organists include:
- James Moore (1859 - 1908), who was blind
- Professor Samuel Corbett (1910 - 1912), who was also blind
- Fred W. Carter (1926 - 1971)
- Paul Willcock
- Chris Coe
Burials at St Mary's Church
Many important people from the Manners family, who were Earls and Dukes of Rutland, are buried at St Mary's Church. Their tombs are a big part of the church's history. Some of the notable burials include:
- Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland
- Eleanor Paston, Countess of Rutland
- Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland and his wife Margaret Neville
- Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland and his wife Isabel Holcroft
- John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland and his wife Elizabeth Charlton
- Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland and his wife Elizabeth Sidney
- Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland
- George Manners, 7th Earl of Rutland
- John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland and his wife Lady Frances Montagu Manners
- Elizabeth Manners, Duchess of Rutland
See also
- List of works by Sharpe and Paley
- Treasure Houses of Britain – a 1985 TV show that starts with scenes from this church
