Belgrave, Leicestershire
Encyclopedia
Belgrave is an electoral ward
and administrative division of the city of Leicester
, England
, consisting of the Leicester suburb of Belgrave in its entirety.
The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road, to the west of the A46
, known at that point as 'Melton Road'.
to the north, Latimer
to the south, Charnwood
to the east and Abbey to the west.
as Merdegrave (from Old English mearð ‘marten’ + grāf ‘grove’). However, after the Norman Conquest the first part of the name merde was taken to be Old French
‘dung’ or ‘shit’, hence the people changed it to Old French
beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’, in order to remove that unpleasant association.
where it is listed amongst the lands given to Hugh de Grandmesnil
by the King
. The land consisted of a mill, 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) of meadow and land for 6 ploughs.
The term was used for the large 19th century terraced developments along the A46
(Belgrave Road and then Melton Road). This area now has a large, vibrant Asian community featuring the Golden Mile (Leicester)
: a stretch of road a mile long so called due to its particularly high concentration of shops selling gold. The Asian Community based in and around Belgrave road have been residents since the early 70's. Many Asians came as refugees from Kenya during the turbulance in Uganda.
The Belgrave Hall
area is a conservation area
.
Old Belgrave is the original village and church, and was once nicknamed "Dummy Town", not because the inhabitants were stupid but because they would never inform to the police and solved village problems themselves.
in 2010-11 and a resident of the area since 1968.
The ward is currently represented on Leicester City Council by Labour Councillors Rashmi "Hari-Bol" Joshi and John Thomas.
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
and administrative division of the city of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, consisting of the Leicester suburb of Belgrave in its entirety.
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
, known at that point as 'Melton Road'.
Geography
Belgrave is bounded by the wards of Rushey MeadRushey Mead
Rushey Mead is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the northern Leicester suburb of Rushey Mead in its entirety, as well as historical parts of Northfields and Thurmaston.-Geography:...
to the north, Latimer
Latimer, Leicester
Latimer is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the residential suburb of St Marks.-History:The St Marks estate was built in the wake of Leicester's slum clearance programmes in 1960.-Geography:...
to the south, Charnwood
Charnwood (ward)
Charnwood is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England. It comprises the northern Leicester suburb of Northfields and its Tailby and Morton ex-council estates.-Geography:...
to the east and Abbey to the west.
Etymology
The settlement has been meant in Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Merdegrave (from Old English mearð ‘marten’ + grāf ‘grove’). However, after the Norman Conquest the first part of the name merde was taken to be Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
‘dung’ or ‘shit’, hence the people changed it to Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’, in order to remove that unpleasant association.
History
One of the earliest mentions of this place is in the Domesday bookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
where it is listed amongst the lands given to Hugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil
Hugh de Grandmesnil , also known as Hugh or Hugo de Grentmesnil or Grentemesnil, is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Subsequently he became a great landowner in England.He was the elder son of Robert of...
by the King
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The land consisted of a mill, 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) of meadow and land for 6 ploughs.
The term was used for the large 19th century terraced developments along the A46
A46 road
The A46 is an A road in England. It starts east of Bath, Somerset and ends in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, but it does not form a continuous route. Large portions of the old road have been lost, bypassed, or replaced by motorway development...
(Belgrave Road and then Melton Road). This area now has a large, vibrant Asian community featuring the Golden Mile (Leicester)
Golden Mile (Leicester)
The Golden Mile is a name given to a stretch of the Belgrave Road in Leicester, United Kingdom. The origin of the name is often, mistakenly attributed to the many shops selling gold jewellery. In fact, the name was first used in the late 1960s and early 1970s when a proliferation of yellow-amber...
: a stretch of road a mile long so called due to its particularly high concentration of shops selling gold. The Asian Community based in and around Belgrave road have been residents since the early 70's. Many Asians came as refugees from Kenya during the turbulance in Uganda.
The Belgrave Hall
Belgrave Hall
Belgrave Hall is a Queen Anne-style house built for Edmund Cradock in 1709 in the midst of of walled gardens in Belgrave, Leicester. It is a Grade II* listed building. Between 1767-1844 it was the home of the Vann family who in about 1776 built the nearby Belgrave House.Following its sale to the...
area is a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
Old Belgrave is the original village and church, and was once nicknamed "Dummy Town", not because the inhabitants were stupid but because they would never inform to the police and solved village problems themselves.
Demographics
According to the 2001 UK Census, 104 Pacific Islander born people were residing in Belgrave, with many more being of Pacific Islander descent, this is the largest number for any location in the UK.Politics
Former Councillors for Belgrave include Archibald Berridge and Ramnik Kavia, both of whom served as Lord Mayors of Leicester, and Colin Hall, currently the city's Lord MayorLord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
in 2010-11 and a resident of the area since 1968.
The ward is currently represented on Leicester City Council by Labour Councillors Rashmi "Hari-Bol" Joshi and John Thomas.
External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9290000/9290940.stmBelgrave's first saree shop from BBC Radio LeicesterBBC Radio LeicesterBBC Radio Leicester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The station broadcasts from studios in Leicester on 104.9 FM, on DAB, and via the BBC iPlayer.-History:...
] - Tourist info for Belgrave