Buckminster and Sewstern are two small villages standing within a single parish in north-east Leicestershire. Both were established before 1066, but developed in different ways, and these contrasts add a further layer of interest to this book.
Buckminster was a purely agricultural village until the 1790s, when Sir William Manners enlarged a small park and built a mansion. He began to create an estate village. Many of the village houses today were built in brick for estate employees.
In contrast, Sewstern’s houses are individual, and many are built in local limestone, with large paddocks to the rear. The village is on the edge of the assumed ancient route of Sewstern Lane, and a range of occupations developed from an early date until the age of the railways, which ended the passing trade.
This book, published in 2017, covers a thousand years of history for both villages. It can be purchased from ourselves, or through our London office.