St Mary the Virgin's Church is in the village of Bottesford, Leicestershire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Framland, the archdeaconry of Leicester and the diocese of Leicester. Its benefice is united with those of eight local parishes. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

History Sometimes known as the "Lady of the Vale", it is a large church which has the 2nd highest spire in Leicestershire (at 212 feet). The oldest part of the church dates from the 12th century, with additions and alterations made during the following three centuries, including the nave and spire in the 15th century. There are two gargoyles on the south transept. The chancel was rebuilt in the 17th century to accommodate the monuments of the Manners family, earls (later dukes) of Rutland, which completely fill it.Betjeman, John, ed. (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches; the North. London: Collins; p. 166 The monuments include work by Caius Gabriel Cibber and Gerard Johnson the elder. One of the Rutland tombs is famous for its inscription, which attributes two family deaths to witchcraft by the Witches of Belvoir.

A number of restorations were carried out during the 19th century. The restoration in 1847–48 was carried out by the Lancaster partnership of Sharpe and Paley. This involved restoring the nave, aisles, and transepts, replacing the seating and the roofs of the aisles, removing the gallery, inserting the tower screen, adding new pinnacles, reflooring the church and replacing windows. This cost £2,235 (equivalent to £ in ), towards which the Duke of Rutland gave £600, the Revd F. J. Norman gave £550, and a grant of £110 was received from the Incorporated Church Building Society.

A headstone to Thomas Parker and a table tomb in the churchyard are both Grade II listed, as are the gate piers and gates to the churchyard to the north. The churchyard contains war graves of fifteen Commonwealth service (mainly Royal Air Force) personnel, five from the First World War and ten from the Second World War.

Rectors of Bottesford

Raph de Albiniaco 1223 Nicholas de Belvoir 1234 - 1273 Peter de Ros 1273 - 1289 William de Filungele 1289 - 1325 Gilbert de Wyggeton until 1332 Sir Adam de Staynegrave from 1332 Henry de Codyngton 1374 - 1404 John Freeman 1420 Robert Jackson William Constable John Whittinge 1558 Robert Cressey 1560 Samuel Fleming 1581 - 1620 Francis Allen 1621 Richus Langham 1624 Anthony Marshall 1662 - 1679 Thomas White 1679 - 1685 Caradocus Creed 1685 Abel Ligonier 1698 - 1710 Lewis Griffin 1711 - 1735 Bernard Wilson 1735 (presented but never took possession) John Ewer 1735 - 1753 Richard Stevens 1753 - 1771 George Turner 1771 - 1782 Sir John Thoroton 1782 - 1820 Charles Roos Thornton 1821 - 1846 Canon Frederick John Norman 1846 – 1889 Canon Robert Manners Norman 1889 – 1895 William Vincent-Jackson 1895 - 1917 Frank Walford 1918 – 1943 Canon Alfred Thomas Gardner Blackmore 1943 – 1958 Canon William Nelson Metcalfe 1959 – 1982 Kenneth Aubrey Dyke 1982 – 1992 Geoffrey Spencer 1993 – 1998 Charles Bradshaw 1999 – 2004 Stuart J. Foster 2005 – 2009

Organ

A pipe organ was built by Forster and Andrews and opened on 11 October 1859 by Henry Farmer. It was modified by Wadsworth in 1892. In 1995 Norman Hall and Sons installed a second-hand organ by T.C. Lewis from St Hugh’s Church, Southwark. It comprises 2 manuals and pedals and has 15 speaking stops.

Organists James Moore 1859 - 1908 (blind) Miss. C.H. Read 1908 - 1910 (formerly assistant organist at St Wulfram's Church, Grantham) Professor Samuel Corbett 1910 - 1912 (blind) H. Keeton Hardwick 1912 - 1914 (formerly organist of St John’s Church, Spittlegate, Grantham, afterwards organist at Warwick, Queensland) Miss Beatrice James 1914 - 1926 Fred W. Carter 1926 - 1971 Paul Willcock Chris Coe

Burials

Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland Eleanor Paston, Countess of Rutland Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland and his wife Margaret Neville (d. 13 October 1559) Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland and his wife Isabel Holcroft John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland and his wife Elizabeth Charlton, daughter of Francis Charlton of Apley Castle Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland and his wife Elizabeth Sidney, daughter of Sir Philip 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 in the family vault

See also List of works by Sharpe and Paley Treasure Houses of Britain – 1985 TV documentary that opens at the church

References

Further reading