Vale of Belvoir

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A plate from Jones's Views (1819), showing Belvoir Castle's dominant position overlooking the Vale of Belvoir.

The Vale of Belvoir (pronounced bee-ver), an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), is on the borders of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in England. Indeed, the name itself derives from the Norman-French for beautiful view.

The Vale is a somewhat ill-defined area, but is generally considered to be the low, wide valley that runs SW-NE along the border between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, tipping into Lincolnshire at the northern end. The area occupies the land between Newark on Trent to the north, Melton Mowbray to the south, Radcliffe on Trent in the west, and Grantham to the east. Belvoir village itself lies on the south-eastern slopes of the valley.

Belvoir Castle, which occupies a dominant position overlooking the Vale, has been the ancestral home of the Dukes of Rutland for a thousand years. The castle saw significant damage in both the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War, and has consequently been rebuilt a number of times in its history. It is now open to the public, whilst still remaining a family home, and provides a popular tourist centre to the area. In recent years the Belvoir name has become more widely known through the national and international sale of various cordials and other produce, a scheme introduced by the present Duke's father to raise funds for the continued upkeep of the castle, and to provide employment in an otherwise farm-dominated local economy.

Two other local specialities dominate the world reputation of the Vale: Stilton cheese, and pork-pies. Of the six dairies currently allowed to produce true Stilton cheese under the terms of its protected origin status, only one is not located in the area. The Vale is the historic centre for the production of this "King of English Cheese" and until the end of the 19th Century all stilton cheese was produced within 20 miles of the town of Melton Mowbray. Melton is also the home of the Melton Mobray Pork Pie, a pie produced by traditional methods using uncured pork and hand-formed pastry. Many regard Melton pies as being the finest available.

A controversial coalfield development was proposed in the 1970s. It became the subject of a public enquiry in 1979.