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When a boundary is between two sees One of the curious things that not many folks are aware of is that when you drive (or cycle or walk – maybe even parachute back to Langar airfield) from Nottinghamshire into Leicestershire you are moving between two sees. The same is true between Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. That's 'see' in the sense of an archbishopric or archiepiscopacy. In case you're curious the term 'see' derives from the Latin word sedes, meaning 'seat' or 'chair', in other words the archbishop's throne (Latin cathedra) in his cathedral. Nottinghamshire is in the see of York and Leicestershire is in the see of Canterbury. And while it's no big deal these days, in the middle of the eleventh century there was much 'contention' about the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, Stigand. Before AD 950 Nottinghamshire was in the see of Canterbury. But, at the instigation of Wulfstan I – who was Archbishop of York from 931 until his death in 956 – Nottinghamshire was moved into the see of York. Part of the reason was that the Archbishop of York owned several estates in the county, including the then very important town of Southwell. In 1086 Southwell was significantly bigger than Nottingham. By 950 Southwell would already have been the biggest town in the county. And the reason has to be because of an early Archbishop's Palace adjoining the Minster. But in 950 those buildings would have looked a lot different as the palace and minster church were rebuilt by the Normans. The change in boundary of the sees explains why there is a panhandle of Leicestershire extending just to the north of Bottesford. Why isn't the county boundary closer to the Belvoir ridge? Well it's because of Belvoir Castle. Or at least its precursor, the bottl ('palatial building') at Bottesford. In the mid-tenth century we can assume that family who lived in the bottl owned land in parishes to the west, the ones that are in Leicestershire, such as Redmile and Harby. They continued to be in the possession of the Roos and Manners family that evolved into the Dukes of Rutland. Ian Wilkinson suggested that well before the Norman Conquest Woolsthorpe had been part of Framland. Given the close connections between Woolsthorpe and Belvoir Castle this seems quite plausible. I suspect the shift to Lincolnshire cam about in AD 950 but I have no evidence. Source: Ian P. Wilkinson 'Geological controls governing Anglo-Saxon settlement in Framland Wapentake, north-eastern Leicestershire' in Jill Bourne (ed) Anglo-Saxon Landscapes in the East Midlands (Leicestershire Museums Arts and Records Service 1996). Until the early eighteenth century the Manners family were buried inside St Mary's church in Bottesford. Yet Woolsthorpe is nearer. But in Lincolnshire, so in the see of York. And, in all probability, before the Norman castle was built the elite family living in the bottl at Bottesford had been buried in Bottesford church for several generations. The sepulchral effigies to members of the Manners family in the chancel at Bottesford forms one of the best collections of such monuments in the country. There's also excellent examples at Exton in Rutland which commemorate the Noel family. More about the Bottesford effigies in this Chronicle entry. Rushcliffe Borough Council was not founded in 950. But almost… The pragmatic changes in 950 seem to be the reason why most of the Vale of Belvoir became part of Rushcliffe Hundred. In 1889 Rushcliffe Hundred was split into Bingham Rural District, West Bridgford Urban District and part of Basford Rural District when the Local Government Act 1888 came into effect. Local government reorganisation in 1974 brought these three Districts back together as Rushcliffe Borough Council. Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/chronicle

Chronicle entries home page what's new? the geology of the Vale the boundaries and rivers of the Vale long, long ago prehistory in the Vale prehistoric boundaries in the Vale north-south prehistoric routeways Romans roads in the Vale Roman settlements in and near the Vale long ago introduction to Anglo-Saxons place-names of the Vale waterborne transport around the sixth century Orston's early church Anglo-Saxon sculpture in the Vale why Orston lost out to Bingham and Bottesford what the Normans did for the Vale Granby's importance in 1086 Granby's lost castle the Vale's watermills in 1086 Romanesque sculpture in the Vale St Remigius why Bottesford is in Leicestershire the Vale in medieval times medieval gargoyles of the Vale Eastwell's chancel screen St Ethelburga's church other early saints Elston's old chapel Muston and Long Clawson saltways of the Vale the Vale's medieval tile collection the Vale in Tudor times Dissolution in the Vale not that long ago the Vale in the C17th the 'great and the good' of the Vale Bottesford's effigies 'wicked practice and sorcerye' the whales on the Whalley memorial Car Colston's bigoted GP cum JP the Vale's very own regicide Wiverton Hall five rare C17th fonts in the Vale pinfolds and pounds in the Vale dovecotes in the Vale the Vale in the C18th turnpiking the Vale gravestones and C18th trade routes goodbye 'Belvoir Angels' C18th gravestone carvers in the Vale Daffy's Elixir the Marquess of Granby Stilton from the Vale springs and spas of the Vale outstanding organs in the Vale Grantham canal changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 Eastwell's recusant priest house and chapel Colston Bassett's ruined church seems like yesterday windmills in the Vale stained glass in the Vale village life in the southern Vale 1850 to 1880 folklore of the Vale Flintham museum lacemaking in the Vale gypsum pits in the Vale brick and tile works in the Vale ironstone quarrying in the Vale ironstone railways ironstone quarries of Leicestershire (YouTube video) The Vale's railway stations Orston's famous architect Mothers Union banners of the Vale redundant telephone exchanges in the Vale WWII airfields and pillboxes in the Vale the Vale in 1944 location shooting at Belvoir Castle Screveton's giants researching and writing local history the Vale as a verb getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around the Vale Aslockton (Cranmer LHG) Bingham Heritage Trails Association Bottesford Eastwell Harby Harlaxton Hickling Redmile archive Belvoir Villages History and Memories Group Belvoir Angel Society Grantham Canal Society you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Barrowby Until Now website Rutland Village by Village website Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland