Edmondthorpe
Encyclopedia
Edmondthorpe is a small village in Leicestershire
, close to the border with Rutland
. It has Danish
origins.
The name Edmondthorpe is derived from a corrupted form of the Old English
personal name
'Eadmer', in old records spelled variously, Edmersthorp (Domesday Book
); Thorp Edmer; Thorp Emeri; Thorp Edmeer; Edmerthorp; or Thorp. The most likely origination of the name could be from the Saxon: ED = East; MUND = mound or barrier; THORPE = a street or village.
The Church of St Michael and All Angels
, maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust
, is situated in the centre of the surrounding farms and cottages, close to the ruins of Edmondthorpe Hall. Although in former times a number of households from the neighbouring village of Wymondham
"parished" to Edmondthorpe, St Michael and All Angels' Church now holds services on special occasions, only. The church holds the tomb of Sir Roger Smith, which includes decorative alabaster figures. A fault in the alabaster of the Smith monument helped give rise to the Edmondthorpe Witch Legend.
During the Second World War the Hall (built by Sir Roger Smith in 1621) was used as a prisoner of war camp for Italian personnel, but was destroyed by fire in 1943. Buildings from the 19th century stable block, which was designed by R. W. Johnson in 1869, remain. An avenue of mature trees leads from South Lodge (formerly West Lodge) to the Hall through the park on the southern edge of the village.
From the road near South Lodge a set of bee bole
s, used for keeping bees before the advent of modern hives, may be seen in the wall to the left of the church.
An embanked section of the disused Melton to Oakham Canal
lies to the west of the village and loops under the road between Edmondthorpe and Teigh
.
There are several families that have lived in Edmondthorpe over many centuries. These include the Veaseys and Extons, which are detailed in the Census transcripts for the village.
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...
, close to the border with Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
. It has Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
origins.
The name Edmondthorpe is derived from a corrupted form of the Old English
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...
personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
'Eadmer', in old records spelled variously, Edmersthorp (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...
); Thorp Edmer; Thorp Emeri; Thorp Edmeer; Edmerthorp; or Thorp. The most likely origination of the name could be from the Saxon: ED = East; MUND = mound or barrier; THORPE = a street or village.
The Church of St Michael and All Angels
St Michael and All Angels Church, Edmondthorpe
St Michael and All Angels Church, Edmondthorpe, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Edmondthorpe, Leicestershire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.-History:The tower dates...
, maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
, is situated in the centre of the surrounding farms and cottages, close to the ruins of Edmondthorpe Hall. Although in former times a number of households from the neighbouring village of Wymondham
Wymondham, Leicestershire
thumb|left|Church Lane, WymondhamWymondham is a village in the district of Melton in Leicestershire, England. It is part of a civil parish which also covers the nearby hamlet of Edmondthorpe. The parish has a population of about 600. It is close to the county borders with Lincolnshire and Rutland,...
"parished" to Edmondthorpe, St Michael and All Angels' Church now holds services on special occasions, only. The church holds the tomb of Sir Roger Smith, which includes decorative alabaster figures. A fault in the alabaster of the Smith monument helped give rise to the Edmondthorpe Witch Legend.
During the Second World War the Hall (built by Sir Roger Smith in 1621) was used as a prisoner of war camp for Italian personnel, but was destroyed by fire in 1943. Buildings from the 19th century stable block, which was designed by R. W. Johnson in 1869, remain. An avenue of mature trees leads from South Lodge (formerly West Lodge) to the Hall through the park on the southern edge of the village.
From the road near South Lodge a set of bee bole
Bee bole
A bee bole is a cavity or alcove in a wall or a separate free-standing structure set against a wall . A skep is placed inside the bee bole...
s, used for keeping bees before the advent of modern hives, may be seen in the wall to the left of the church.
An embanked section of the disused Melton to Oakham Canal
Oakham Canal
The Oakham Canal ran from Oakham, Rutland to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It opened in 1802, but it was never a financial success, and it suffered from the lack of an adequate water supply. It closed after 45 years, when it was bought by the Midland Railway to...
lies to the west of the village and loops under the road between Edmondthorpe and Teigh
Teigh
Teigh is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is notable for its parish church, almost unaltered since a 1782 rebuild, that features pews that face one another rather than the altar....
.
There are several families that have lived in Edmondthorpe over many centuries. These include the Veaseys and Extons, which are detailed in the Census transcripts for the village.