Barkestone-le-Vale

Village in Leicestershire, England
Human settlement in England
  • Redmile
District
  • Melton
Shire county
  • Leicestershire
Region
  • East Midlands
CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townNOTTINGHAMPostcode districtNG13Dialling code01949PoliceLeicestershireFireLeicestershireAmbulanceEast Midlands UK Parliament
  • Rutland and Melton
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire
52°53′N 0°50′W / 52.89°N 00.84°W / 52.89; -00.84

Barkestone-le-Vale is a village and (as just "Barkestone") a former civil parish, now in the parish of Redmile, in the Melton district, in the north east of Leicestershire, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 238.[1]

History

The name Barkestone means "farm/settlement of Bark".[2]

The village originated as a settlement in the 7th century. It features as a parish in the 1086 Domesday Book.[3] On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished and merged with Redmile.[4]

Heritage

There are 120 dwellings in Barkestone-le-Vale. The village had a primary school, which was closed in the late 1980s, by which time it had only 11 pupils. The school building was converted for residential use,[5] as was the former mill house and a large derelict farmhouse.[citation needed]

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Barkestone-le-Vale

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a listed building Grade II* dating mainly from the 14th century with 15th-century additions. Most of the windows are in the Perpendicular style of Gothic. Parts of the church were rebuilt in 1840 and the whole was restored in 1857.[6] The congregation belongs to the Vale of Belvoir group.[7]

A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1825, but not mentioned in gazetteers later in the century.[8] It closed for lack of support in 1927.[9]

Countryside

There are several footpaths serving the village, one of them linking it with Belvoir Castle. The rural countryside makes it suitable for bird-watching. Among the species seen round the village are the buzzard, the quail, and the reed and sedge warblers.[10][11]

The Grantham Canal, which opened in 1797, is no longer in commercial use. It passes to the north and west of the village, parallel with the disused railway.[12]

Public transport

The nearest railway station is Bottesford (5½ miles, 8.9 km) on the Nottingham to Grantham/Skegness line. Redmile railway station (1½ miles, 2.4 km), with trains between Melton Mowbray and Grantham or Newark-on-Trent, closed to passengers in 1951.

Barkestone is served by daytime buses between Bottesford and Melton Mowbray six times a day on Monday to Saturday.[13]

Amenities

There is a primary school in Redmile (1.6 miles, 2.6 km).[14] The nearest shops and a secondary school[15] are in Bottesford (4.8 miles, 7.7 km). The village pub, The Chequers, has become a bar and grill, open most evenings. Plungar (1 mile, 1.6 km) has the nearest traditional pub, The Anchor.[16] The local post office opens for only two hours a week.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Population statistics Barkestone AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. ^ http://www.barkestonelevale.com/main.htm Archived 6 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 4 November 2007.
  4. ^ "Relationships and changes Barkestone AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  5. ^ "The Old School - Home". Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  6. ^ British listed buildings Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 11 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ A Church Near You Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 17 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Leicestershire History Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 9 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "Barkestone Wood. Retrieved 22 November 2018". Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Canal bird life. Retrieved 22 November 2018". 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  12. ^ Canal & River Trust Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 11 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Bus timetable Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  14. ^ School site Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 27 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Belvoir High School Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 4 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ What Pub Retrieved 25 June 2017. Archived 11 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Post Office in Barkestone, Nottingham". Localmint. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
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