Grace-Dieu () is a placename situated in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, England. Its

toponymy Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' ( proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for a proper na ...

, meaning "Grace (of) God" in French, is from nearby Grace Dieu Priory, which was established in the

13th century The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 (represented by the Roman numerals MCCI) through December 31, 1300 (MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched ...

but was left in disrepair after the dissolution of the monasteries by King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. The

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

ruins are visible from the main road to

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England; it is the administrative centre of Charnwood Borough Council. At the United Kingdom 2021 census, the town's built-up area had a popula ...

. Grace Dieu Manor, located in close proximity to

Thringstone Thringstone is a village in the North West Leicestershire district, in Leicestershire, England. About north of Coalville, it lies in the English National Forest. Until 1875, Thringstone had been a township within the ancient parish of Wh ...

, was initially a private residence and later served as a preparatory school, known as Grace Dieu Manor School. At present, the population is recorded in the

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 ...

of Belton. Gracedieu Vineyard is situated in Charnwood Forest, facing south. It was established in 1991 and has gained a reputation for producing high-quality wine, particularly its "Green Man" wine, which is made from the Madeleine Angevine grape and is noted for its fragrant floral aroma.

References

Hamlets in Leicestershire North West Leicestershire District {{Leicestershire-geo-stub