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Monument Types

• CHURCH (Early Medieval to Modern - 1201 AD to 2050 AD)

Summary

The church has an early C13th tower, C13th chancel and C14th aisles. A watching brief during installation of a new drainage system in 1999 recorded the plinth foundations of a buttress supporting the north wall of the C15th chancel.

Additional Information

Listed building description:
Parish Church. C13 west tower and spire. C15 nave with clerestory and aisles, and chancel, C19 north porch and south vestry, 1935. South transept with vestry by Albert Herbert. C19 and C20 restorations. Of Charnwood granite rubble with ashlar dressings and Swithland slate roofs. Perpendicular tracery to nave and chancel. 3-stage west tower lit by lancets, with angles clasped by buttresses. 2-light bell chamber openings. Broach spire has 2-light lucarnes with Y-tracery. 3 bay nave has cruciform piers on tall bases. Roof dated 1636 and 1652 and renovated 1912. North aisle roof replaced 1952. Pointed chancel arch with 2 continuously chamfered orders. Chancel roof 1880. Medieval benches with heads and poppy heads on the ends. C14 font. Piscina in south aisle. Pulpit by R. Norman Shaw (Andrew Saint, 'Richard Norman Shaw', p298). Chancel has piscina, C18 communion rail and a series of very fine monuments to the Phillips family of Garendon. (N. Pevsner, 'Leicestershire and Rutland' p227; Harold mack, 'Shepshed Parish Church'). Many finely carved Swithland slate headstones in the churchyard.

Project Gargoyle survey work in 2009 recorded a set of medieval (probably C13th) corbels in the nave. Most are caricature portraits. One is a sheep's head - clearly inspired by the place-name - and another is a contortionist with head between knees and 'mooning'. Several other examples of such contortionists in the east midlands (e.g. Tilton, Oakham, Colsterworth) are clearly male; others are ambiguous (e.g. Thorpe Arnold, Stoke Golding) but this one is seemingly a unique example of a female 'exhibitionist' in this pose. However it may be that this was originally male but was 'bowdlerised' in the C19th. There are two wooden figures holding painted shields (and possibly wear chain mail) on plain stone corbels in west end of chancel. Probably C19th.

<1> Pevsner N, 1984, The Buildings of England Leicestershire and Rutland, p375 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4.

"ST BOTOLPH. Early C13 W tower with lancets. The belfry openings are paired lancets under semicircular super-arches (cf. Long Whatton). Broach-spire with two tiers of lucarnes. The C13 tower arch was originally shafted. C13 also the chancel (see a blocked lancet in the S wall, visible from the transept). C14 aisles, the arcades rebuilt Perpendicular. Cruciform piers (cf. Dunton Bassett), with the four arms semi-octagonal. The nave proved too small for this big village in the C19 but lack of money prevented its enlargement. Instead, galleries were erected in 1844: the W part of them survives, though the front was probably modified in 1935-6. High in the S aisle a window to light the gallery. Large S transept and vestry by Albert Herbert, 1935-6. Walls with angular masonry, bare internally, and with plain, rather rustic buttresses outside. Perpendicular windows re-used. - BENCHES. Of c.1500, robust, with poppyheads on the ends. - COMMUNION RAIL. With elegantly turned balusters; C18. - FONT. Plain bowl on a circular base with two rows of cusped niches; C14. - STAINED GLASS. E window by Hardman, 1893. - N Window 1959-60 by Christopher Webb."

<2> 1928, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 15, Vol 15 (1927-8), p289-297 (Journal). SLE5949.

The Church of St Botolph

<3> Wells, J & Warren, S, 1996, The Church of St. Botolph, Shepshed, Leicestershire: An archaeological evaluation (Unpublished document). SLE2632.

An archaeological evaluation undertaken prior to installation of a new drainage scheme at St Botolph's Church, Shepshed, revealed no signficant archaeological deposits. (JM 30/08/96)

<4> Higgins, T, 1999, An archaeological watching brief at The Church of St. Botolph, Shepshed, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE2631.

A watching brief during installation of another new drainage system recorded the plinth foundation of a buttress supporting the north wall of the C15th chancel. (RK 26/05/00)

<5> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Parish Church, 13th century west tower and spire. 15th century nave, with clerestory and aisles, and chancel, 19th century north porch and south vestry, 1935. South transept with vestry by Albert Herbert. 19th and 20th century restorations. Of Charnwood granite rubble with ashlar dressings and Swishland slate roofs."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=920550', accessioned 26/02/2024.

<6> Ordnance Survey 1:2500 (25") historic maps, 1967 (Map). SLE7284.

(SK 48111969) St.Botolph's church (NAT) (CofE)

<7> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE Listed Buildings Borough of Charnwood, Leics, Nov 1984, 36 (Index). SLE7285.

SK 4819 CHURCH SIDE 9/103 (north side)
18.1.50 Church of St Botolph (formerly listed under Queen Street)
I
Parish Church, C13 west tower and spire. C15 nave, with clerestory and aisles, and chancel, C19 north porch and south vestry, 1935. South transept with vestry by Albert Herbert. C19 and C20 restorations. Of Charnwood granite rubble with ashlar dressings and Swishland slate roofs. Perpendicular tracery to nave and chancel. Three stage west tower lit by lancets, with angles clasped by buttresses. Two-light bell chamber openings. Broach spire has 2-light lucernes with Y-tracery. Three-bay nave has cruciform piers on tall bases. Roof dated 1636 and 1652 and renovated 1912. North aisle roof replaced 1952. Pointed chancel arch with 2 continuously chamfered orders. Chancel roof 1880. Medieval benches with heads and poppy heads on the ends. C14 font. Piscina in south aisle. Pulpit by R Norman Shaw (Andrew Saint, Richard Norman Shaw, p 298). Chancel has piscina, C18 communion rail and a series of very fine monuments to the Phillipps family of Garendon. (N Pevsner, Leicestershire & Rutland, p 227; Harold Mack, Shepshed Parish Church). Many finely carved Swishland slate headstones in the churchyard.

Sources

Associated Finds

None recorded

Designations

• Listed Building (I) 1236177: CHURCH OF ST. BOTOLPH
• Conservation Area: Shepshed

Associated Images

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