Some Churches in Leicestershire & Rutland

Yet another church which can only be done scant justice by these pages. The village of Exton is very pretty and worth a look round, but the church stands nearby in the park of Exton Hall and you have to go up a drive to get to it, almost as if the whole things stands in someone's front garden.

Restored by the Victorians after a lightning strike, the church still looks good, but rather like Bottesford it is the monuments within which are the main attraction. Three are shown below but there are other good ones in the church.

This is an alabaster monument to Robert Kelway who died in 1580. His son-in-law, daughter, and their child kneel at the front, and although you can't see it well in this photo, there is strapwork (decoration resembling interlaced bands of leather) between the columns.

A black and white marble monument to Lady Bruce of Kinlosse, died 1627. Pevsner calls this 'a work of great importance and exceptional beauty'.

A spectacular monument to the third Viscount Campden (d.1683), by Grinling Gibbons. This cost £1,000 and is so big (the main two figures are lifesize) it seems out of proportion to the church around it.

So there you are. A church with a fine set of monuments, in an attractive village with a good pub, in a beautiful county.