Rutland village by village: Essendine

Essendene means 'Essa's dene ('valley')'. It was in East Hundred (formerly Witchley Hundred).

Aerial photography has revealed evidence for numerous ploughed-out prehistoric burial mounds to the north, east and south-east of the present village.

The eastern parish boundary, also the county boundary, follows the line of a Bronze Age triple-ditch earthwork associated with a burial mound and three ring ditches (which probably once had burials at their centre too). This suggests that this part of the boundary of Rutland dates back over three thousand years.

The main London to Edinburgh railway line runs through Essendine, although the station closed in 1966. Just to the north, over the border in Lincolnshire, the LNER Class A4 locomotive 'Mallard' set the stream locomotive record of 126 m.p.h. on 3 July 1938.

These days East Coast Main Line trains regularly reach speeds of up to 125 m.p.h. and the line is being modified to allow scheduled running at up to 140 m.p.h..

What the Normans did for Essendine

The medieval earthworks at Essendine 'embrace' the parish church, shown here in red. The main defensive structures and accomodation would have been in the area shaded brown. The main moat has been shaded light blue with the West Glen River, which feeds the moat, shown in darker blue.

The castle was extensively 'remodelled', probably in the late thirteenth century. The moat survives to the north-east of the church; an Elizabethan house is known to have stood within the moat.

The present church lies with a still-visible rectangular earthwork that links to the former castle site.

Soon after the Conquest the Normans built an excellent chapel, now the parish church, at Essendine. The chancel arch and south doorway are probably mid-twelfth century. Above this is a tympanum depicting Christ in majesty with two angels, in a style that is more typical of France than England. The door jambs are also carved with such motifs as two men with crooks, a stag under a tree, and what may be intended to be Adam and Eve under a tree. These are very unusual in England but are akin to carvings at Stoke Dry.

The nave of Essendine church is eleventh century, with later windows. But the south doorway is original. The chancel, on the right, was added in the nineteenth century. Photographs taken in 2009.

The doorway has columns similar in size to those supporting the chancel arch at Stoke Dry but decorated only with a geometrical design, now rather weathered. Photograph taken in 2010.

The tympnanum above the doorway depicts Christ in Majesty with two angels. Christ's 'halo' ('mandalora') is almond-shaped. This design of Christ in Majesty is most commonly encountered in northern France, suggesting the mason was brought over from Normandy.

This is an accomplished piece of sculpture, carved from the best limestone available, presumably the quarries at Ketton. It would have been painted and perhaps partially gilded when new.

At some time the thirteenth century parish church, which stood at the other end of the village, fell into disuse and the Norman chapel became the parish church.

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Essendine

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