Well done plasmawave on your ftf
Three miles to the west of Melton Mowbray is the large village of Asfordby of around 3,000 people. It is thirteen miles from Leicester and sited in the Wreak valley by the Eye river. The village was known for its large scale coal mining operation which started in 1984 but closed in 1997 due to the low price of coal and geological difficulties.
The village has been known as Osseberie, Osferdebie and Offerdebie, it is recorded in the Domesday Book and was given by Robert Earl of Mellent & Leicester to St Mary de Castro in Leicester and then onto St Mary de Pratis. Sir FRancis Gregory of Asfordby was steward to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester in 1240. By 1547 the Bishop of Lincoln passed the manor to Edward VI, and by 1761 during the Enclosures most of the land was held by Thomas Smith Esq.
The church consists of a west tower, north & south aisle, nave, south porch and south trancept and a chancel. The ironstone west tower has battlements, pinnacles, great gargoyles and a fine recessed spire and dates to the Perpendicular period (1380-1520). The clerestory windows also date to this period as well as the roof which has supporting wooden angels on corbels along the nave. From the south we have very weather worn sandstone exterior fabric with a south porch which leans against the trancept and its west aisle.
The north arcade has octagonal piers with the south having circular ones with a seat around one of the bases. The chancel was restored by G. G. Scott in 1866-67 and further work was undertaken in 1868-69 in the church. There are Saxon sculpture in the south aisle which may have belonged to a cross. There is a crude figure with a round head holding a cross and giving a blessing surrounded by scrollwork.
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