Bottesford is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Belvoir and forms part of the Borough of Melton, as its largest village, on the borders of Leicestershire with Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Location Bottesford is about east of Nottingham and north of Melton Mowbray. The village is the largest in the Vale of Belvoir and near to Belvoir Castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. It had a population of 3,587 at the 2011 census, estimated in 2018 at 3,382. It borders smaller parishes in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, such as Redmile, Sedgebrook, Orston and Elton on the Hill. The local amenities include a post office, a railway station, a library, a church, a convenience store, three restaurants and three pubs: The Bull Inn, The Rutland Arms, and The Thatch. Name Bottesford derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon "Ford belonging to the botl" (house). The ford was over the River Devon. Bottesford is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as "Botesford", in the hundred of Framland. Historically, Bottesford was closely associated with the Earls and Dukes of Rutland. History The village was built along the River Devon (pronounced Dee-von) and named after the ford at the centre of the village. St Mary the Virgin's Church, sometimes known as the "Lady of the Vale", is a large medieval church at the centre of the village. Like many churches, this was built over centuries in mixed architectural styles. The lower part of the chancel dates from the 12th century with the remainder added over the next 300 years. The nave roof was finally completed in 1740. The octagonal crocketed spire is thought to be the tallest in the county at 210 feet (64 metres). There are two gargoyles on the south transept. A headstone to Thomas Parker and a table tomb in the churchyard are both Grade II listed, as are the gate piers and gates to the churchyard to the north. The church is the burial place of several earls of Rutland. One Rutland tomb is famous for an inscription that attributes a death to witchcraft by the Witches of Belvoir. Most of the church dates from the 15th century, but the chancel was rebuilt in the 17th century to accommodate the Rutland monuments. These fill the chancel and give a view of changing aristocratic taste in the 16th and 17th centuries. After