Stathern combines architectural and local history with scenic landscapes: St Guthlac’s Church features medieval fabric and houses a small history exhibition; public footpaths cross the meadows at Coombs Meadows, offering views across the Vale of Belvoir and the Trent Valley. The village also has memorial sites and a local food history. These varied highlights give you a starting point for planning your stay.
St Guthlac’s Church and its history
St Guthlac’s Church is a medieval Grade II* listed building. Built from local ironstone, it features fabric dating from the late 13th and 17th centuries. The Church of St Guthlac was restored by R W Johnson in 1867–1868. The poet George Crabbe is also part of the church’s history: he served here as curate from 1785 to 1789.
For private prayer and visitors, the church is usually open daily from 9am to 4pm. Check opening times before you arrive. A small history exhibition with photographs and church artefacts is located at the base of the tower. It gives a visit a focus of its own alongside the building’s architecture.
Architectural details include four late Victorian stained-glass windows in the east end, dating from 1905. St Guthlac’s Church also has five bells in a modern steel frame and a historic organ with a Grade 1 Historic Organ Certificate. The windows, bells and organ offer further specific aspects of the church’s history without requiring an additional activity.
The village’s religious history also reaches far back. The Chantry is believed to have been the first in Leicestershire. Its establishment is dated to 1294, when the first chaplain was appointed. The Gote is a historic watering or drinking place by Stathern church; the site and name have existed since at least Saxon times.
Stathern War Memorial Institute was formally opened by the Duke of Rutland on 20 May 1920. A plaque in the institute lists 114 women and men who served in the First World War. The surviving remains of Stathern’s dovecote are covered and associated with local history.
Other historic buildings add to the picture. The Former Lace Factory is a Grade II listed former lace factory dating from the late 19th century. A rare surviving example of a small village factory, it is associated with the local lace industry, which originated in Nottingham in the late 18th century.
The Old Rectory was a former rectory dating from the mid to late 18th century. The Chantry Priest’s House is listed, has origins in the late 17th century or earlier, and was formerly officially known as the King William Public House.
Walks and countryside
Two public footpaths cross Coombs Meadows; there is another access point from Stathern. The meadows offer views across the Vale of Belvoir and the Trent Valley. Check access before your trip, as access information may change. The paths and views give the landscape a different focus from the village’s historic buildings.
A short stretch of the Nottingham to Grantham Canal runs through the northern part of the parish of Stathern. The stretch from Harby to Redmile is also designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); this includes the section in Stathern.
Another view of the Vale can be seen from the descending approach via Mill Hill from Melton Mowbray. At the foot of the escarpment, views open up across the valley.
Food history and choosing accommodation
Stilton cheese was made in Stathern until the Second World War. For a culinary addition, there is the Riad Supper Club, a pop-up restaurant in Stathern serving Middle Eastern cuisine. It offers supper club events and private dining; confirm availability before travelling.
If you are looking for a hotel in Stathern, your reason for travelling can guide your focus: church history and the exhibition offer culture, Coombs Meadows offers walks and landscape views, while the Stilton tradition and the supper club offer a food theme. You can first decide which of these sides of the village you want to shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Measham, Castle Donington, Buckminster, Rothley, Woodhouse Eaves, Narborough, Market Bosworth, Croxton Kerrial.
For the wider travel overview: Leicestershire.
