Seckington

The motte of Seckington Castle

A mention of Secandune in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

In 757 King Æthelbald of Mercia was assassinated at Secandune[4] (Seckington).[5] Continuations of the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum say he "was treacherously and miserably murdered, in the night, by his own guards".[6] The Domesday Book of 1086 records Secintone as a vill with a manor of five hides.[4]

Seckington Castle is a motte-and-bailey castle believed to have been built in the late 11th century for either Roger de Beaumont, Earl of Meulan or his son Robert de Beaumont.[7] In the late 17th century the antiquary Sir William Dugdale (1605–86) described, measured and recorded the castle in detail.[7] Since 1923 the castle has been protected as a scheduled monument.[7] The motte is now about 30 feet (9 m) high and its diameter is about 150 feet (46 m) at the base.[8] The bailey is south and east of the motte.[8] The castle is surrounded on three sides by traces of ridge and furrow cultivation.[7]

The Church of England parish church of All Saints is probably mid- to late-13th century in origin,[4][8] but was significantly altered in a late 19th-century Victorian restoration.[4] The west tower and spire were rebuilt in 1883, re-using much of the original material.[4] The bell-openings are Early English, the ogeed west window is Decorated Gothic and the parapet and spire are Perpendicular Gothic.[8] The spire has two sets of lucarnes.[8] The nave and chancel are Decorated Gothic[8] with 14th-century windows.[4] The chancel east window has five lights[4] and intersecting tracery, and is said to have been widened in the restoration.[4]

There is extensive use of ogees. As well as in the west window of the nave, ogees feature in two south windows of the nave,[4] one south and two north doorways[8] and a double piscina in the chancel.[8] All Saints had a rood screen and rood loft, traces of which are visible in the east wall of the nave on both sides of the chancel arch.[4] Outside, on the south wall of the nave east of the porch is a scratched mass dial.[4] All Saints' church monuments include a defaced recumbent effigy of a lady in early 14th-century dress, and a Jacobean wall-mounted monument to Robert Burdett, who died in 1603.[4][8] He is an ancestor of the Burdett baronets. His monument is of veined marble, with Corinthian columns flanking kneeling figures of his family.[4]

The west tower has a ring of four bells.[9] Robert Mellours of Nottingham cast the treble bell in about 1520;[9] it is inscribed with the name IESUS.[4] Hugh II Watts of Leicester cast the tenor bell in about 1640.[9] John Taylor & Co of Loughborough cast or re-cast the second and third bells in 1886[9] for the rebuilt tower. The ring is unusual in that the third bell, not the tenor, has the largest diameter.[9] All Saints has been a Grade II* listed building since 1953.[10] All Saints is now part of the Benefice of All Souls, which also includes the former parishes of St Nicholas, Austrey; St Mary the Virgin, Newton Regis; St Matthew, Shuttington and Holy Trinity, Warton.[11]

Seckington has four Grade II listed buildings. Rock Farmhouse is partly 17th century, with late 18th century additions.[12] Old Hall Farmhouse is late 17th or early 18th century, with late 18th and early 19th century additions.[13] The Old Rectory was 18th century but was largely rebuilt in about 1870.[14] Church Farmhouse is late 18th or early 19th century.[15]