Bottesford - Church of St Mary the Virgin

Charmingly set on the banks of the River Devon, St Mary the Virgins Church is approached from Church Street over a sixteenth century Pack Horse bridge.

Often described as the Lady of the Vale, the Church has the tallest medieval spire in Leicestershire and one of the finest ranges of monuments in Britain.

The tower with its crocketed spire soars to 210 feet and the monuments almost fill the chancel. The earlier series date from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. The rest are largely to the Earls of Rutland and date from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, being the work of celebrated carvers including Grinling Gibbons.

The witchcraft tomb, resting place of the 6th Earl of Rutland, is of some note. In 1617 three "witche" mother and daughters who had been in service at Belvoir Castle, were accused of murdering two of the Earl's sons. The mother died whilst on trial, and both daughters were hanged in Lincoln Gaol in 1618.