the Manners family gained the dukedom of Rutland in 1703, it built a mausoleum in the grounds of Belvoir Castle, the family home, where all the dukes have been buried. There is a local website covering many sides of Bottesford's local history, including mounting evidence of occupation in Roman times and earlier. Bottesford was the venue of one of the country's early friendly societies, thought to have been founded in the 1750s. It provided members with sickness and funeral benefits for over 200 years. Eleven contributors from the history group produced in 2009 a book on the local history since 1850. From December 1941, there was a Second World War RAF Bomber Command airfield to the north near Long Bennington, called RAF Bottesford. Initially it hosted No. 3 Group RAF, then after serving USAAF's IX Troop Carrier Command for D-Day, was used by No. 5 Group from late 1944. It is no longer used as an airfield, but the runways can still be seen. Entertainers Laurel and Hardy stayed for Christmas 1952 at the Bull Inn, where the landlady was Stan Laurel's sister Olga. They were appearing at the Empire Theatre in Nottingham at the time. There is a plaque recording this on the building. There were two brickyards at Beckinthorpe in the 19th century, one also producing the unique Bottesford Blue pantiles to be seen on some local buildings. Local employment declined in the 20th century. The four pubs, six restaurants, at least 16 retailers and 20 odd small producers and service providers today are one-person or family concerns. Not so the earlier building firm of William Roberts Ltd. Joseph William Roberts (1917–2009) was born and bred in Sutton-cum-Granby, then schooled in Granby, Nottinghamshire and in Bottesford. He moved to the latter and started his firm in 1937, aged 20. It employed over 500 people at one time and branched out as a funeral undertaker. Character and appearance The village is somewhat unusual in Leicestershire. Its buildings reflect the traditions of neighbouring Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, as well as local influences, as local materials, initially locally quarried ironstone, but latterly local bricks and distinctive roofing tiles. There are several open areas in the village, notably an area to the north-east of the churchyard, the churchyard itself, and an area of trees to the south of Devon Lane. Trees play a major part in the street scene in most of Bottesford.