cattle, sheep, pigs, cats and dogs were kept on the farm. A separate collection of Roman coins was earlier found in the grounds of Appleby Hall. Appleby is near three known Roman roads: Watling Street, 10 miles south of the village; Bath Lane, 5 miles north of the village; and Salt Street, which forms the parish's south boundary. The name of the neighbouring village of Stretton en le Field suggests that a Roman road ran through the parish, but this has not been confirmed. It has also been suggested that the site of St Michael's and All Angels' church was originally that of a Roman temple. Saxon era The village was in the Saxon kingdom of Mercia, only 8 miles from its capital, Tamworth. During this period, the settlement of Appleby Magna grew around the Meadow Brook, and the first Christian church was built on the site of St. Michael's and All Angels church. It was a wooden chapel, on the site of the present St. Helen's Chapel within the church. The village is centred on the narrowest part of the shallow valley surrounding the Meadow Brook. The manor house (Moat House) and church were built on opposite sides of the brook, and the village grew up around them. After the Norman invasion Appleby appears 3 times in the Domesday Book, with Appleby Magna (listed as Aplebi and Apleby) and Appleby Parva (listed as Apleberie) recorded separately. Appleby Magna is listed as partly in Derbyshire and partly in Leicestershire, where Appleby Parva is listed as being in Leicestershire The whole parish has been part of Leicestershire since 1897. The village belonged to the Abbey of Burton, Henry de Ferrers and Lady Godiva, of Coventry, and was worth 90 shillings (£4.50). There is thought to have been some local ethnic divide, with Appleby Magna inhabited by primarily Anglo-Saxon villagers, and Appleby Parva (which was originally a Danish settlement) inhabited by a small group of Normans. There are records of a rector at Appleby from at least 1207. The site of this early church is on the site of St. Helen's Chapel in the current church. It was a small and simple building capable of holding only two or three dozen worshipers. Late Middle Ages St. Helen's Chapel (also known as the De Appleby Chapel) is the earliest surviving building in the village. It dates from before the early 14th century, but