Template:Wp-Bottesford, Leicestershire-History

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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 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.