Blackfordby

There has been a “settlement by the black ford” since the 9th Century when the Danes sailed up the River Trent and occupied much of this area. It was mentioned in the Leicestershire survey of 1125 and there has almost certainly been a church  in Blackfordby since the 11th Century. In about 1145 Phillip de Belmeis, the Lord of the Manor gave the church to the Canons Reguler of St Augustine.

St Margaret’s Church Built on the site of an eleventh century chapel, the church is the most prominent landmark in Blackfordby. The original chapel was built from local sandstone and was small enough to have fitted inside the current church. Unfortunately, by the mid-nineteenth century it had fallen into a state of disrepair and was consequently rebuilt in its present form in 1857-58. Recycling was underway even then - the bell is inscribed “Blackfordby church bells from 1663 and 1724 helped in making this bell 1888”

Blackfordby Today Although many of the oldest and most impressive buildings have been lost, including the seventeenth century Blackfordby Hall, demolished in 1966, and the medieval chapel, Blackfordby retains much of its original charm. There are still two thatched cottages dating from the sixteenth century, on Main Street the other off Well Lane. Many of the social activities of the village revolve around the Village Hall and the two local public houses the Blue Bell and the Black Lion.


Blackfordby Memorial Clock The three faces of the clock were installed in the steeple of St Margaret’s Church in the 1920s. They stand as a memorial to those from Blackfordby killed in World War 1. The clock is maintained with money raised by the villagers and must be hand-wound once a week.

The Village Spring The spring was the only source of clean water in Blackfordby until the advent of the mains water supply in the 1930s. Although now only a trickle, the Main Street Site has been refurbished by enthusiastic villagers to make a feature of the spring.

Attractions nearby :

                                 Hicks Lodge: The National Forest Cycle Centre at Moira. Multi user trails around the lake and in the woods are great for

                                                             walkers, horses and dogs, plus wheelchairs, buggies and bikes.

                      BlueBell Arboretum and Nursery at Smisby: An award winning family run mail order and retail nursery, specialising in

                                                                trees, shrubs,climbers and woody herbaceous plants, including a large selection of rare and unusual varieties.