Ravenstone, Leicestershire
Encyclopedia
Ravenstone is a small rural cluster village with a population of 2149, situated just off the A511 road
between Coalville
and Ashby-de-la-Zouch
, in North West Leicestershire
, and within the National Forest, England
.
Archeological excavations carried out in 1981 to the South of the present village revealed the site of a Romano-British settlement. Evidence was found that iron had been smelted, along with kilns and coins dating from the late 3rd century. There was also evidence of a Roman road crossing the southern part of the parish and through the settlement. Unfortunately, the site was destroyed when around eight million tonnes of coal were extracted by opencast mining between 1982 and 1996. The area has since been returned to open fields and is now known as the Sence Valley Forest Park
.
The first documentary evidence of the existence of the village is in the Domesday Book
when Donisthorpe, a manor in Derbyshire
, was owned by Nigel of Stafford and it was valued at twelve pence. Its name, which is derived from the Old Norse Hrœfnes, the name of a Saxon invader, and the suffix tūn, meaning "Hrafn's farm or village", suggests that the settlement was probably initiated by the Anglo Saxons.
A castle, most probably consisting of an earth mound and ditch surrounded by a wooden palisade, is documented in a treaty concluded between 1147 and 1153 by the Earls of Chester and Leicester, in which it was agreed for it to be destroyed since it threatened their respective estates. The exact site of the castle has so far never been established, but it may have stood on the North side of the village on or near the site of Ravenstone Hall.
The parish church of St Michael and All Angels is situated on the northern fringe of the village dates from 1323. The church is of sandstone believed to have been
quarried at nearby Alton
, one of the two abandoned villages in the parish. Alton, interestingly, means "old farm", suggesting that it had been established before Ravenstone.
The centre of the village was designated a Conservation Area
in 1973.
The neighbouring parish of Snibston
is home to St. Mary's church, one of the smallest churches in Britain, which holds only about 30 people.
A511 road
The A511 road is a stretch of mainly single-carriageway road which runs northwest from junction 22 of the M1 motorway in Leicestershire, England to join the A50 between Uttoxeter and Derby....
between Coalville
Coalville
Coalville is a town in North West Leicestershire, England, with a population estimated in 2003 to be almost 33,000. It is situated on the A511 trunk road between Leicester and Burton upon Trent, close to junction 22 of the M1 motorway where the A511 meets the A50 between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and...
and Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
, in North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. Its main towns are Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Coalville.The district contains East Midlands Airport, which operates flights to the rest of Britain and to various places in Europe...
, and within the National Forest, England
National Forest, England
The National Forest is one of England’s most ambitious environmental projects. Across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, are being transformed, blending ancient woodland with new planting to create a new national forest...
.
Archeological excavations carried out in 1981 to the South of the present village revealed the site of a Romano-British settlement. Evidence was found that iron had been smelted, along with kilns and coins dating from the late 3rd century. There was also evidence of a Roman road crossing the southern part of the parish and through the settlement. Unfortunately, the site was destroyed when around eight million tonnes of coal were extracted by opencast mining between 1982 and 1996. The area has since been returned to open fields and is now known as the Sence Valley Forest Park
Sence Valley Forest Park
Sence Valley Forest Park is located to the north of Ibstock in North West Leicestershire, and within the National Forest, England.It is situated on the site of a former Open cast mine where, between 1982 and 1996, eight million tonnes of coal were extracted by opencast mining...
.
The first documentary evidence of the existence of the village is in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
when Donisthorpe, a manor in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, was owned by Nigel of Stafford and it was valued at twelve pence. Its name, which is derived from the Old Norse Hrœfnes, the name of a Saxon invader, and the suffix tūn, meaning "Hrafn's farm or village", suggests that the settlement was probably initiated by the Anglo Saxons.
A castle, most probably consisting of an earth mound and ditch surrounded by a wooden palisade, is documented in a treaty concluded between 1147 and 1153 by the Earls of Chester and Leicester, in which it was agreed for it to be destroyed since it threatened their respective estates. The exact site of the castle has so far never been established, but it may have stood on the North side of the village on or near the site of Ravenstone Hall.
The parish church of St Michael and All Angels is situated on the northern fringe of the village dates from 1323. The church is of sandstone believed to have been
quarried at nearby Alton
Alton, Leicestershire
Alton is a deserted medieval village between Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in North West Leicestershire, England.The earliest documentation of the village is found in the Domesday Book where it appears as Heletone. The land was rented out to someone by Hugh de Grandmesnil, and had a total value...
, one of the two abandoned villages in the parish. Alton, interestingly, means "old farm", suggesting that it had been established before Ravenstone.
The centre of the village was designated a Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
in 1973.
The neighbouring parish of Snibston
Snibston
Snibston is a former coal mining village in Coalville, north west Leicestershire, in the English Midlands, now part of the civil parish of Ravenstone with Snibston. Its 13th century church of St Mary is the smallest church still in use for regular worship in England...
is home to St. Mary's church, one of the smallest churches in Britain, which holds only about 30 people.
See also
- River Sence, a tributary of which arises in Ravenstone.