England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Belton St Peter

The Parish

The parish of Belton, today it is usually Belton in Rutland to distinguish it from other villages of the same name, lies in the extreme southwest of the small county of Rutland forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Leicestershire. Belton is located roughly 4 miles west of the market town of Uppingham and stands a quarter of a mile north of the A47 road which links Peterborough with Leicester. Belton is a compact & rather picturesque village sitting on a hilltop, most early properties are constructed from the attractive local ironstone, a complex set of lanes intertwines to form the core of the village. Belton is and was a farming village with a mixed farming economy, early gazetteers estimate roughly equal proportions in the past, perhaps leaning more towards arable in today's farming climate. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, a branch railway line from Uppingham to Melton Mowbray once skirting the parish has closed leaving just bridges & cuttings to mark its former passage. Belton is drained southeastwards by the Eye Brook, which forms the county's border, the Eye Brook is temporarily held up by the large Eyebrook Reservoir, on exiting that stretch of water it soon meets the Welland which tunrs water northeastwards, crosses Fenland and reaches the North Sea through The Wash. Belton is built upon the slopes and top of its little hill with properties between 100 & 130 metres above the sea, the church stands on the highest ground, in undulating countryside a spot height of 192 metres marks the highest local ground. Belton parish was a small parish of just 970 acres which would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. Belton is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Peter's church on the top of the village's hill on the northern side of Church Street, it too features much local ironstone in its construction. Whilst most of the fabric dates from the later medieval periods Pevsner identifies the southern arcade as constructed around c1200, it shows very low round-arches consistent with a Transitional style between Norman Romanesque and Early English Gothic, it is therefore likely the nave also has that early date albeit much changed in later eras. Many windows in a Decorated style grace both nave and chancel, perhaps early replacements rather than an early 14th century enlargement. The western tower, contrastingly in limestone ashlar blocks, also began life in the 14th century but had a lengthy build being finished in the 15th and thus Perpendicular in style, the southern porch, also in ashlar, is contemporary. The early church had both northern aisle and arcade but at some time they were removed leaving only the scars of their former presence. A typical Victorian restoration of 1898 completes the work but Pevsner lacks details of any significant changes to the layout. Church Street is widened outside the churchyard with a gravel parking area, the churchyard is open and uncluttered with no major obstacles for the photographer.