The village originated as a 7th-century settlement, and is mentioned as a parish in the 1086 Domesday Book. Since 1936 it has been part of a joint parish that includes Redmile and Plungar.
Heritage
There are 120 dwellings in Barkestone-le-Vale. The village used to have a primary school, which was closed in the late 1980s, by which time it had only 11 pupils. The school building was converted for residential use, as was the former mill house. A large derelict farmhouse is also undergoing conversion. The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a listed building Grade II* dating mainly from the 14th century, with 15th-century additions. Most of the windows are in Perpendicular style. Parts of the church were rebuilt in 1840 and the whole was restored in 1857. The church congregationbelongs to the Vale of Belvoir group. A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1825. This was not mentioned in gazetteers later in the century. It closed for lack of support in 1927.
Countryside
A number of footpaths serve the village, one of them linking it with Belvoir Castle. The rural nature of the area makes it suitable for bird-watching. Some of the species that may be seen in the countryside surrounding the village are the buzzard, the quail, and the reed and sedge warblers. The Grantham Canal, which opened in 1797 is no longer in commercial use. It passes to the north and west of the village, parallel with the disused railway.
Public transport
The nearest railway station is Bottesford on the Nottingham to Grantham/Skegness line. Redmile railway station, with trains between Melton Mowbray and Grantham or Newark-on-Trent, closed to passengers in 1951. Barkestone is served by daytime buses between Bottesford and Melton Mowbray six times a day on Monday to Saturday.
Amenities
There is a primary school in Redmile. The nearest shops and a secondary school are in Bottesford. The village pub has become a bar and grill, open most evenings. Plungar has the nearest traditional pub, The Anchor. The localpost office opens for only two hours a week.
