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Cliff has lived in the village for most of his life. www.

Keith Hextall
Keith was appointed as Archaeological Warden by Sapcote Accommodation in 1997. This voluntary position is part of the Leicestershire Archaeological Network run by County Hall. One task is the monitoring of approved planning developments for which a watching brief has been recommended. This involves visiting the site during development and recording any finds, features or objects revealed and if necessary getting professional archaeologists involved. Reports are written up and deposited in Sapcote village file at County Hall. Any finds made are entered on the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) for Sapcote with their grid reference. This builds up an accurate picture of the development of our village. Every village in Leicestershire and Rutland has an SMR. Anyone making any significant finds should ensure that they notify County Hall with the exact location where found. County Hall will identify any finds free of charge. They do not keep the finds unless the finder requests that they can be added to the County collections. One must also remember that finds belong to the landowner not the finder unless an agreement has been made.
Keith been involved in Local History and Archaeology since he was a pupil at Market Bosworth Dixie Grammar School where he was a founder member of the school's Classical and Historical Society. He 'emigrated' to Sapcote from Barlestone, near Market Bosworth, some 25 years ago after having found an old house with a large garden. At the time he did not realise that it was built on what was a part of the manorial site of the Basset's. Through the years he has amassed a large collection of medieval pottery from the garden. Since being appointed Archaeological Warden he has tried to bring to the notice of the villagers of Sapcote the tremendous heritage that remains.
A watching brief at Park House Farm during its conversion revealed that the present building dated back to the mid eighteenth century at least 100 years older than had been thought originally. Medieval pottery was uncovered in the stackyard the earliest dating from circa 900 - 1050AD. 
Keith called in County building expert David Smith to look at the stone built boundary wall between the Old Rectory and number 41 Church Street. It was described as one of the finest stretches of stone wall in the county and dates back to the 16th-17th centuries. This is a story in itself.
Peter Liddle, the Keeper of Archaeology at County Hall asked Keith if he would gather together as much information about the Castle and Manorial site (the playing fields) as he could. This resulted in contacting and meeting the archaeologists who had excavated the site in the late 1960's and discovering a lost thesis being the most detailed history of the Basset's of Sapcote ever undertaken.
Over two hundred people attended an open evening in Sapcote Club in September 1999. Villagers were able to spend an evening with the archaeologists who had undertaken the excavations and see slides of what lies under the playing fields.
During 1999 Keith carried out an excavation in the garden of his home in Church Street. This revealed an extension to the moat thought to have ended in the old rectory garden. The pottery discovered dated the moat to the 12th century. Reports of all these findings are lodged at County Hall and also printed in the Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society of which he is a member.

During late 1999 he was called in to investigate the history of a house at Barlestone. Believed originally to be only 100 years old it was eventually dated to the late 16th century and the timber frame construction was only the second of its type found in the county. This attracted much interest from the media and resulted in TV and Radio appearances. Other buildings have since been examined and the Stoney Stanton Heritage Society are at present calling on him to help them with the dating of buildings in that village. His latest project is helping the Assistant Keeper of Archaeology at County Hall to catalogue all the information relating to Sapcote held there.
Keith was appointed as village Heritage Warden in 2000. This is a new county council appointment, which as the name suggests runs alongside and complements the post of Archaeological Warden. Heritage Wardens work in partnership with Leicestershire County Council to help safeguard areas of local distinctiveness and special character. The Heritage Warden is there to provide both a service to the local community, offering advice and information , as well as acting as a guardian of local heritage, monitoring changes, reporting and noting anything of interest, (for example flora and fauna) and helping to protect local heritage sites from unnecessary harm. 
To get more people involved in our village heritage, Keith is proposing to set up a local Heritage Group. Anyone wishing to join should contact him on 01455-274662.


Margaret E. Hextall - Sapcote Correspondent.
In July 1994 I joined the Leicester Mercury Community News team as 'Village Voice' correspondent for Sapcote. Since then I have submitted a column of some 400 words each week, made up of five or six news items about the village. Sometime later I was invited to submit copy on a regular basis to the Hinckley Times as local correspondent for Sapcote.
This year, at the Leicester Mercury, a new system has been introduced which means that my column can be seen by the whole of the Leicester Mercury readership throughout Leicestershire and Rutland and not just in the local Hinckley area.
The main part of my work is writing about people and happenings in the village. I have covered family reunions, golden, diamond and platignum wedding anniversaries, villagers personal achievements and retirements of well-known local personalities.
Fundraising events, public meetings, concerts etc are given pre-publicity and reported on afterwards. I also write about issues and developments which affect our community. Over the years a few picture stories have actually made the front page.
I hope I have managed to put Sapcote on the map. I am always pleased to hear of news items - you can contact me on 01455-274662.