Braunston-in-Rutland is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the county of

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

in the

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...

of England. The population of the civil parish was 392 at the 2001 census, including Brooke and increasing to 502 at the 2011 census. Leicestershire lies on the parish's western boundary The village's name means 'farm/settlement of Brant'. Alternatively, the personal name could be 'Brandr', a

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n name. Braunston is located roughly three miles (4.8 km) south-west of the county town of

Oakham Oakham is a market town and civil parish in Rutland (of which it is the county town) in the East Midlands of England. The town is located east of Leicester, southeast of Nottingham and northwest of Peterborough. It had a population of 12,14 ...

. The

River Gwash The River Gwash, occasionally Guash, a tributary of the River Welland, flows through the Historic counties of England, English counties of Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. It rises just outside the village of Knossington in Leicestersh ...

flows through the village. The village retains two public houses, The Old Plough, and the 17th-century Blue Ball Inn.

All Saints' Church

All Saints' Church All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to: Albania * All Saints' Church, Himarë Australia * All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * All Saints Anglican Church, Brisbane, Queensland *All ...

has a circular churchyard. A sculpted stone stands in the churchyard, at the west end of the church, close to the tower. Known as the Braunston "Goddess", it was found in about 1920 when the church doorstep needed to be replaced; when the slab was lifted, the carving was revealed on the underside. There has been considerable speculation as to its age and meaning, and its original position as part of the church building, or whether it may even predate the church. It is not a

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed Grotesque (architecture), grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from ...

as it has no drainage channel. It may have had an

apotropaic Apotropaic magic (From ) or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superstition or out of tr ...

purpose.

References

External links

*
''At the Edge'' article on the Braunston "Goddess"

Step back in time in Rutland, The Observer, The Guardian, January 25, 2009Braunston Church WebsiteThe Blue Ball
Rutland's oldest inn
Braunston Parish Council website
Villages in Rutland Civil parishes in Rutland {{Rutland-geo-stub