Gumley: Historic and a little mysterious

Gumley lies eleven miles south-east of Leicester at the eastern end of a ridge of hills which runs from Husbands Bosworth through Mowsley and Laughton, north of the Welland valley.

So says the Victoria County History of Leicestershire.

That hill is impressive in itself, but there is all sorts of history up there too.

There are the remains of a motte castle (though its precise age and purpose are debated), somewhere here too a synod took place in 749, called by King Aethelbald of Mercia.

And round about 1800 the village was reshaped to please the owners of the now-demolished Gumley Hall. The main street once ran to the doors of St Helen's church and, says the Victoria County History, there were houses on the land beside it now occupied by woods.

Somewhere to explore more closely - if they don't scrap the 44 bus to Foxton.