St Mary the Virgin's Church, Bottesford

St Mary the Virgin’s Church stands in the village of Bottesford in Leicestershire’s gentle Vale of Belvoir. A large Anglican parish church, it holds Grade I listed status on the National Heritage list. The oldest parts date from the 12th century, with later additions in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tall spire rises 212 feet, the second highest in the county. Two stone gargoyles guard the south transept, while the rebuilt 17th-century chancel holds the Manners family monuments. The churchyard contains war graves for fifteen Commonwealth airmen from both world wars. The church is famous for its 17th-century Rutland tombs carved by Caius Gabriel Cibber and Gerard Johnson the elder. One tomb bears an inscription blaming two family deaths on witchcraft by the Witches of Belvoir. The 19th-century restoration repaired the nave, aisles and transepts and cost £2,235, partly funded by the Duke of Rutland. The Forster and Andrews organ, opened in 1859, was later enlarged by Wadsworth and in 1995 replaced with a Lewis instrument. Blind organists James Moore and Professor Samuel Corbett once played here. Inside, the spacious nave and aisles show the 1847–48 work of Sharpe and Paley. The chancel’s monuments fill every wall, while the tower screen and new pinnacles mark the Victorian restoration. The churchyard holds Grade II listed headstones and table tombs, and the north gate piers with their iron gates. The pipe organ stands on two manuals with fifteen speaking stops. Visitors find a quiet country church where centuries of history stand side by side.