ST MARY, STAUNTON IN THE VALE
St Mary, Staunton in the Vale is a Grade II* listed building, achieving the status on 16 January 1967.
The Domesday Book records a church and a priest in Staunton, then called ‘Stanton’ but which has afterwards been called Staunton-in-the-Vale, or simply ‘Staunton’.
St Mary's comprises a wide nave with north aisle, a south porch, chancel with north vestry and tower positioned at the north-east angle between nave and chancel. The core of the nave fabric dates from the C12th, attested by the over restored south doorway; there is also a font of C12th date with intersecting arches. The north aisle piers date from the C14th and may possibly have been built after the Will of Sir William Staunton made in 1312 where it stated that 'he gave liberally to … the church and poor in his own town’ The unusually positioned tower appears to be largely C14th work and has a number of puzzling archaeological anomalies. Between nave and chancel is a rood screen dating from 1519, commissioned by the then Rector, Symon Yates.
The church clock is an unusual example of work by Richard Roe, with the case inscribed ‘Rich Roe Fecit in Eperstn 1707’. The clock is covered with pencil graffiti from the C19th and early C20th made by stable boys who came to wind the clock. The 5 bells date from 1604, 1742, 1738, 1827(x2) and are hung in a wooden frame dated 1853.
There was a major restoration in 1853-4 by Edward J. Willson of Lincoln, when the chancel, the nave south and west walls, and the south porch, were rebuilt.
In the south of the churchyard, until 1857, there stood a separate building known as the Staunton Chapel, built in 1346 (attested by the Will of Symon, rector of Staunton, who left £10 towards its construction). This was an extra parochial chapel belonging to the neighbouring parish of Orston in the Bingham Hundred.
Staunton Family
The Staunton family can trace their family back to Bryan de Staunton in 1041 meaning they have lived in the village for nearly 1000 years!
Bryan's grandson, Mauger, was awarded the Manor of Staunton by the Lords of Belvoir as a reward for defending Belvoir Castle against William the Conqueror. A tower at the castle is still named Staunton Tower. When a member of the royal family visits Belvoir, the head of the Staunton family presents them with the gold key to the tower.
The Stauntons fought in the War of the Crusades. Inside St Mary's, you will find a tomb dedicated to Geoffery de Staunton in full Knight dress.
William Staunton sided with the Royalists during the English Civil War and was holed up in Newark during the siege. Staunton Hall was attacked and looted during the same time. The front door still has musket ball holes from that time!
The Staunton Arms (which you will have passed to get to the church) was built over two hundred years ago by the Stauntons for the workers of the estate. It was only sold in 1978 and is now a freehouse.
You will notice walking round the church the shear number of Stauntons buried in the churchyard but also the amount of past Rectors, many of which died elsewhere but were bought back to Staunton to be buried.
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THE CACHE
You are looking for the grave of a carpenter and wheelwright who was also the churchwarden for 33 years.
He died AB November CDEF aged 84 years.
The cache can be found at:
N 52 58.F(F-B)((A/C)+B)
W 000 48.(B/B)(F-(A+C))D
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