Gaddesby
Encyclopedia
Gaddesby is a village in Leicestershire
, England
, south of Melton Mowbray
and north east of Leicester
. In 1936 the civil parish
of Ashby Folville
was merged with Gaddesby.
Present day Gaddesby has 170 households and a population of almost 450. Recent housing development has made the village a popular, rural dormitory for Leicester.
of 1086 as Gadesbi, a mainly pastoral village with a mill.
St. Luke's church was originally built as a Norman chapel - a single space without a tower. It was part of the soke
of Rothley from the tenth century. The two aisles, North and South, the tower and the Chancel
were added in the thirteenth century and elaborated in the next two hundred years. The church is reputed to have some of the finest examples of fourteenth century stonework in the country which adorn the South West corner on the outside of the Knights Templar's chapel. The oak pews in the nave are probably fifteenth century and the limestone font dates from 1320. There is a peal of eight bells the earliest dated 1562.
The size of the Church attests to the importance of the village during the period of its development. Gaddesby had grown as a result of the importance of the wool industry in East Leicestershire. Indeed it had a weekly market and an annual fair from the fourteenth century. As the wool industry declined and the Western half of the county rose in prominence during the Industrial Revolution
so Gaddesby settled back into being a rural backwater.
was built on the site of an earlier house called Paske Hall which was surrounded by a moat and dated back to 1390. This old Hall was pulled down in 1744 and the present Hall erected. The houses in the village formed part of the estate of Gaddesby Hall. Over the years the Hall had several owners including the Nedham, Ayre and Cheney families - all of whom are commemorated in the Church. The estate was put up for sale in 1917 at which time the celebrated statue of Colonel Cheney was moved into St. Luke's. After suffering neglect and from its use by the American Armed Forces during the Second World War the Hall was reduced in size and renovated during the 1950s.
is reputed to have preached. The Methodist chapel was demolished in 1966.
Many listed and older properties, including former hunting lodges, still exist. An old windmill remains just outside Gaddesby.
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, south of Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
and north east of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
. In 1936 the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Ashby Folville
Ashby Folville
Ashby Folville is a village in the Melton district of Leicestershire, south west of Melton Mowbray. The civil parish of Ashby Folville was abolished in 1936 and its were merged with Gaddesby.The village was recorded in the Domesday Book....
was merged with Gaddesby.
Present day Gaddesby has 170 households and a population of almost 450. Recent housing development has made the village a popular, rural dormitory for Leicester.
History
We can see from the -by ending that Gaddesby was a settlement during the Danish Occupation in the ninth and tenth centuries. It is mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Gadesbi, a mainly pastoral village with a mill.
St Lukes Church
Soke (legal)
The term soke ), at the time of the Norman Conquest of England generally denoted "jurisdiction", but due to vague usage probably lacks a single precise definition....
of Rothley from the tenth century. The two aisles, North and South, the tower and the Chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
were added in the thirteenth century and elaborated in the next two hundred years. The church is reputed to have some of the finest examples of fourteenth century stonework in the country which adorn the South West corner on the outside of the Knights Templar's chapel. The oak pews in the nave are probably fifteenth century and the limestone font dates from 1320. There is a peal of eight bells the earliest dated 1562.
The size of the Church attests to the importance of the village during the period of its development. Gaddesby had grown as a result of the importance of the wool industry in East Leicestershire. Indeed it had a weekly market and an annual fair from the fourteenth century. As the wool industry declined and the Western half of the county rose in prominence during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
so Gaddesby settled back into being a rural backwater.
Gaddesby Hall
Gaddesby HallGaddesby Hall
Gaddesby Hall is a 18th century brick-built house in the village of Gaddesby, Leicestershire. It was built in the late 1740s as a three storey house. In 1950 the wings and top storey were demolished.-Sources:...
was built on the site of an earlier house called Paske Hall which was surrounded by a moat and dated back to 1390. This old Hall was pulled down in 1744 and the present Hall erected. The houses in the village formed part of the estate of Gaddesby Hall. Over the years the Hall had several owners including the Nedham, Ayre and Cheney families - all of whom are commemorated in the Church. The estate was put up for sale in 1917 at which time the celebrated statue of Colonel Cheney was moved into St. Luke's. After suffering neglect and from its use by the American Armed Forces during the Second World War the Hall was reduced in size and renovated during the 1950s.
Notable features
The village had many springs, and there are still two water pumps in Chapel Lane. On the corner of Chapel Lane and Cross Street a large boulder called "the blue stone" marks a spot from which John WesleyJohn Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
is reputed to have preached. The Methodist chapel was demolished in 1966.
Many listed and older properties, including former hunting lodges, still exist. An old windmill remains just outside Gaddesby.