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A surprise visit from the Garfit family in July 2025
In July this year we received an interesting email into our website from Georgie Warner, the granddaughter of Dr Garfit, Kirby Muxloe's most remembered G.P.
After corresponding with Georgie, she told us that her family had an original watercolour painting of Kirby Muxloe Castle and would like to donate it to our History Group.
As you can imagine, we were very excited to hear of this kind offer and even more so when the Garfit family decided to visit the village for 2 days during July.
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Charles Corringham Garfit, son of Charles Taylor Garfit and his wife Ada Maria, was born in 1871 in Tarporley, Cheshire. Charles first came to Kirby Muxloe as a single man in 1897, when he found lodgings at Ashleigh on Station Road. He returned to Cheshire the next year to marry Ruth Linnell. They returned to the village and set up home at Inglewood, Station Road, living there for the rest of their lives. Charles and Ruth had two children, Charles Forester Garfit and Brian Corringham Garfit.
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Dr Garfit's sons L-R Charles F. Garfit and Brian C. Garfit
Charles and Ruth on their Wedding Day
The original watercolour of KM Castle
by unknown artist
Dr Garfit on horseback
L-R Charles F Garfit and Brian C Garfit
Many of us remember stories or even have memories, of Dr Garfit visiting patients before going off to join either the Quorn or the Atherstone Hunt. He often had a pack of dogs in tow.
What we didn't know was that he was also an accomplished owner of bloodhounds and frequently won prizes at National shows.
Joining the Quorn Hunt circa 1930
Dr Garfit with his award winning bloodhounds
Standing by Dr Garfit's gravestone
L-R Kate Traill, Val Knott, Georgie Warner, Judith Upton
Dr Garfit with his two Bloodhounds
Dr Garfit with his prize winning bloodhound Hengist after winning a National award.
​We met up with Georgie and her husband Charlie, at the Castle Hotel ,where we enjoyed a cup of coffee whilst looking at their wonderful photographs. We then went on a tour of the village, starting off at St Bartholomew's Churchyard. We soon found the grave of Dr Garfit and his wife Ruth. The gravestone is situated to the left of the old main door, very near to the large yew tree.
This yew tree was planted as a very young tree by Dr Garfit in 1934.
In 1930, Dr Garfit visited the ruins of Drybury Abbey in Scotland. The Abbey was founded in 1150. A Yew tree said to be more than 700 years old stands in the Abbey grounds. It is believed that the tree was brought over from Normandy by the monks. This thought is strengthened by the fact that the foliage is different to an English Yew tree. Whilst visiting the Abbey, Dr Garfit picked up some fallen seeds from the tree and brought them home to Kirby Muxloe. With the help of Donald Smith of L.F.E. they nurtured the seeds and managed to get one seed to sprout. The small plant was then installed, with permission of the vicar, near to the main door of the Church. Initially it was surrounded by metal railings.
Today it is a very large thriving tree. At the base of the tree, we can see a metal plaque commemorating the planting of the tree in 1934.
The Plaque at the base of the large Yew tree in St Bart's Churchyard
Ron Webster standing by the Yew tree.
After visiting the Churchyard we moved on to the Old White House where we had been given permission to go into the garden and look through the hall window to see the route that Dr Garfit took, once a year, in order to keep a "right of way" open.
After Dr Garfit ceased to undertake this duty it was taken over by Mr Pemberton, who carried out the duty for a further few years. Eventually the "right of Way" lapsed.
Moving further into the village we walked through the Recreation ground and arrived at the library, where we looked at the display of artifacts from the Castle and grounds which were on display at the time.
Finally we arrived at Inglewood on Station road where Georgie and her husband took a look at the house where her grandparents had spent all their married life.
We then made our way back to the Castle Hotel where we were presented with the beautiful painting.
The next day Georgie and her husband attended the early Communion Service at St Bart's where they met Gareth the Rector, Pam Shuttlewood and Ron Webster. Georgie said that meeting Ron made the visit all the more special as he actually remembered her grandfather. They then took the Park and Ride bus and visited the Richard 111 Centre and Leicester Cathedral.
We all very much enjoyed the visit and wished Georgie and her husband a safe journey back to their home in Kent.
We hope that the painting will be on display in the village very soon. Watch this space!