Braunstone Town
Encyclopedia
Braunstone is a civil parish
and is the largest parish within the district of Blaby
in Leicestershire
, England
, now known as the Town of Braunstone or more commonly, Braunstone Town. At 2007 the population is around 15,000. There are around 7,500 households including Thorpe Astley
.
Braunstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book
in 1086. The village remained a small settlement (population 238 in 1921) until 1925 when the Leicester Corporation compulsorily purchased the bulk of the Winstanly Braunstone Hall estate.
It is just outside the city boundary of Leicester
, and the part of the old civil parish now inside the city boundary is also called Braunstone. This part of the parish, which contains a large council estate was detached in 1935 from the Blaby district and Braunstone Parish to become part of the county borough
of Leicester, hence the present split. The use of the name Braunstone Town is more recent, and is an attempt by Braunstone Town Council to distinguish their village from the modern council estate of the same name.
Braunstone Town is adjacent to the M1 motorway
(junction 21) and is adjoined by the Meridian Business and Leisure Parks, and the Fosse Shopping Park and Grove Triangle retail outlets.
Although the parish doesn't have a railway station of its own, Leicester station
is close. Leicester PlusBus
, is scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together at a saving meaning that the station is within easy reach.
axe (about 1000 BC) found in 1893.
Next came the building of the Roman road
from Leicester
, through the site of the Narborough Road South to the High Cross near Sharnford
. It is also evident that the Vikings of the early or later period had settlements in or near Braunstone, hence the nearby names of Viking origin – Lubbesthorpe, Countesthorpe
, Enderby
, Elmesthorpe
, Cosby
, Kilby
, Kirby
etc. Throughout the above period Braunstone was covered with forest as were most county areas surrounding – in what was known as Leicester Forest
. But like most forests these were composed of a series of large woods containing small early settlements or hamlets inter-connected by rough trackways – from which most of our public field paths owe their origin.
Braunstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book
(1086 AD) where it is referred to as BRANTESTONE or BRANSTUN.
The above lands were held by Robert Burdet under Hugo de Grantemesnil one of William I’s most powerful barons.
Notes: A ploughland or carvcate = about 80 to 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) of land.
Socmen = Scandinavian Villan = Peasant or serf.
NOTE: A copy of the Domesday Book is displayed at the Civic Centre.
The first Lord of the Manor was Hugh de Grantemesnil
, one of William I barons. At this time the village consisted of 8 households and was worth about 60 shillings (£3!).
The Harcourt or Horecut family held the overriding interest in the estate from the 13th to the 16th Century. A survey taken in 1299 showed a growth to 24 households in the village.
The fourteenth century saw several outbreaks of the Black Death
in the area. Its effect on Braunstone is not recorded, but nearby Glenfield
was seriously affected. At this time the Leicester Forest extended into Braunstone as far as Bendbow Spinney.
Several portions of Braunstone were sold off in the late 16th Century. 150 acre (0.607029 km²) of arable land were sold to the Manners family in 1579 and a further 100 acre (0.404686 km²) went to the Bennett family ten years later. 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) of land were converted to pasture in 1596 by the Hastings family who owned the estate at that time.
Woodlands were gradually converted to pastures, mainly for sheep - being then the more profitable husbandry. Also woodland timber was cut down during civil wars or as fines for supporting the wrong side.
Leicester Forest was fully enclosed in 1628. Village
rs of Braunstone were compensated for the loss of Forestry Rights.
The first manorial house was sited near to St. Peters Church and would have been built of the same type of stone as the church. Around 1480 AD the second manor house known in deeds as "the Mansion" was sited at the corner of Braunstone Lane and Braunstone Avenue. This property had stone walled cellars and ground floor, and two upper and overhanging storeys of oak frame infilled with either wattle and daub or brickwork and a Swithland
slate roof. Some rooms were panelled. This building was demolished in February 1776 when the Winstanleys built the Braunstone House, now called Braunstone Hall.
James Winstanley purchased the estate from the Hastings family in 1650. He paid £6,000. The Winstanleys were Lords of the Manor of Braunstone for nearly 300 years and were responsible for building most of the structures which can be seen in Braunstone Park today.
The 18th Century was a period of prosperity for Braunstone. The largest estate of the time was owned by one Abraham Compton and comprised 68 ewes, 25 lambs, 14 cows, 6 heifers, 4 calves and 6 pigs.
In 1750 James Winstanley III tried to sink a pit on the manor. His attempts were thwarted when his bore hole was filled with stones by intruders, thought to be from local mining districts.
Braunstone Hall was built by William Oldham, who was later to become Mayor of Leicester. There is a rainwater head dated 1776. During the building work, a stonemason and a labourer fell to their deaths from the attic storey. This may have given risen to the stories of the Hall being haunted. The garden part was used to grow fruit trees and contained several hot houses. It is now the walled Garden. There was also a small home farm which provided food for the hall. After the Winstanleys left the hall in 1926 it was converted for use as a school.
Braunstone remained a picturesque village with various tenanted farmsteads until, in 1925, the Leicester Corporation compulsorily purchased the bulk of the Winstanley Braunstone Hall estate for £116,500.
Braunstone’s population rose from 238 in 1921 to 6,997 in 1931.
In 1935 the part of Braunstone on the city side of Braunstone Lane became the North Braunstone Ward of the City of Leicester, and the parish of Braunstone in compensation had part of Lubbesthorpe added to its boundary.
During the last war, Braunstone Park was put to agricultural use. Wheat, barley, and potatoes were grown and sheep allowed to graze. What is now the Memorial Gardens was used as a military camp, occupied first by the British Army and later by the American 82nd Airborne troops. After the war, due to the severe housing shortage, people were allowed to occupy the camp until they found homes of their own.
The Town Council has 21 elected members (i.e. councillors) who are elected for terms of office of four years.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
and is the largest parish within the district of Blaby
Blaby (district)
Blaby is a local government district in Leicestershire, England.The district is named after the village of Blaby. It covers the civil parish of Blaby and 23 others. Among these are Cosby, Countesthorpe, Enderby, Huncote, Narborough , Sapcote, Stoney Stanton, and Wigston Parva...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, 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...
, now known as the Town of Braunstone or more commonly, Braunstone Town. At 2007 the population is around 15,000. There are around 7,500 households including Thorpe Astley
Thorpe Astley
Thorpe Astley is a suburban settlement on the southwestern edge of the city of Leicester, England. It is part of the civil parish of Braunstone Town, although a small part of the development, around Goodheart Way, extends into Leicester Forest East civil parish...
.
Braunstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
in 1086. The village remained a small settlement (population 238 in 1921) until 1925 when the Leicester Corporation compulsorily purchased the bulk of the Winstanly Braunstone Hall estate.
It is just outside the city boundary 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...
, and the part of the old civil parish now inside the city boundary is also called Braunstone. This part of the parish, which contains a large council estate was detached in 1935 from the Blaby district and Braunstone Parish to become part of the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Leicester, hence the present split. The use of the name Braunstone Town is more recent, and is an attempt by Braunstone Town Council to distinguish their village from the modern council estate of the same name.
Braunstone Town is adjacent to the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
(junction 21) and is adjoined by the Meridian Business and Leisure Parks, and the Fosse Shopping Park and Grove Triangle retail outlets.
Although the parish doesn't have a railway station of its own, Leicester station
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
is close. Leicester PlusBus
PLUSBUS
PLUSBUS is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with rail tickets in Great Britain. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities.-History:...
, is scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together at a saving meaning that the station is within easy reach.
History
The earliest dated human find recorded is a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
axe (about 1000 BC) found in 1893.
Next came the building of the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from 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...
, through the site of the Narborough Road South to the High Cross near Sharnford
Sharnford
Sharnford is a village and civil parish in Blaby of Leicestershire. The parish has a population of about 1,000. The village is about four miles east of Hinckley, and is near to Aston Flamville, Wigston Parva and Sapcote....
. It is also evident that the Vikings of the early or later period had settlements in or near Braunstone, hence the nearby names of Viking origin – Lubbesthorpe, Countesthorpe
Countesthorpe
Countesthorpe is a large village and civil parish in the Leicestershire district of Blaby, with a population of 6,393 . It lies to the south of Leicester, and is about six miles from the city centre, but only two miles south of the suburb of South Wigston...
, Enderby
Enderby, Leicestershire
Enderby is a civil parish in the district of Blaby , in Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the south western outskirts of the city of Leicester and has a population of 5,648 at the time of the 2001 census....
, Elmesthorpe
Elmesthorpe
Elmesthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the south-east of Earl Shilton, near to Hinckley on the A47 road. In 2004, the parish had an estimated population of 520....
, Cosby
Cosby, Leicestershire
thumb|Cosby Village centreCosby is a village in the English county of Leicestershire. Cosby is located in the south west of the county near the larger villages and towns of Whetstone, Blaby and Wigston. Its proximity to the city of Leicester means it is part of the Leicester Urban Area.It is not...
, Kilby
Kilby
Kilby is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. It is the easternmost village in the district, and is south of Leicester. It has a population of about 300. Kilby has only one pub called the Dog & Gun, An Anglican Primary School and a Parish Church. There is...
, Kirby
Kirby Muxloe
Kirby Muxloe is a town and civil parish west of Leicester. Its proximity to the city causes it to form part of the Leicester Urban Area. The Leicester Forest East parish border runs along the Hinckley Road A47...
etc. Throughout the above period Braunstone was covered with forest as were most county areas surrounding – in what was known as Leicester Forest
Leicester Forest
-Site and history:The forest occupied an area fourteen miles long and four miles wide between the River Soar and Rothley Brook, and covered 5,000 acres. It was described in Domesday Book as 'Hereswode'. Once owned by Hugh de Grandmesnil, ownership passed to successive Earls of Leicester...
. But like most forests these were composed of a series of large woods containing small early settlements or hamlets inter-connected by rough trackways – from which most of our public field paths owe their origin.
Braunstone is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
(1086 AD) where it is referred to as BRANTESTONE or BRANSTUN.
"Braunstone – six plough lands, all but for oxgangs, in Braunstone which is the reign of The Confessor had been valued at twenty shillings, were worth sixty shillings at the general survey and were then held by the son of Robert Burdet. The land was equal to four ploughs, one was in Demesne, and four Bondmen; and two socmen and five villains, with one border, had two ploughs. There was a wood five furlongs long and three broad, and there were 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of meadow.
Two socment abiding in Braunstone had five oxgangs of land in Lubbesthorpe; and jointly with ten villains and six borders in that lordship had two ploughs and five ploughing oxen.
The above lands were held by Robert Burdet under Hugo de Grantemesnil one of William I’s most powerful barons.
Notes: A ploughland or carvcate = about 80 to 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) of land.
Socmen = Scandinavian Villan = Peasant or serf.
NOTE: A copy of the Domesday Book is displayed at the Civic Centre.
The first Lord of the Manor was Hugh de Grantemesnil
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...
, one of William I barons. At this time the village consisted of 8 households and was worth about 60 shillings (£3!).
The Harcourt or Horecut family held the overriding interest in the estate from the 13th to the 16th Century. A survey taken in 1299 showed a growth to 24 households in the village.
The fourteenth century saw several outbreaks of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in the area. Its effect on Braunstone is not recorded, but nearby Glenfield
Glenfield, Leicestershire
Glenfield is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is part of the Blaby district, and has a population of about 10,000. Its location at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester effectively makes it a suburb, although it is politically and administratively separate...
was seriously affected. At this time the Leicester Forest extended into Braunstone as far as Bendbow Spinney.
Several portions of Braunstone were sold off in the late 16th Century. 150 acre (0.607029 km²) of arable land were sold to the Manners family in 1579 and a further 100 acre (0.404686 km²) went to the Bennett family ten years later. 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) of land were converted to pasture in 1596 by the Hastings family who owned the estate at that time.
Woodlands were gradually converted to pastures, mainly for sheep - being then the more profitable husbandry. Also woodland timber was cut down during civil wars or as fines for supporting the wrong side.
Leicester Forest was fully enclosed in 1628. Village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
rs of Braunstone were compensated for the loss of Forestry Rights.
The first manorial house was sited near to St. Peters Church and would have been built of the same type of stone as the church. Around 1480 AD the second manor house known in deeds as "the Mansion" was sited at the corner of Braunstone Lane and Braunstone Avenue. This property had stone walled cellars and ground floor, and two upper and overhanging storeys of oak frame infilled with either wattle and daub or brickwork and a Swithland
Swithland
Swithland is a linear village in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is in the old Charnwood Forest, between Cropston and Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves. Although small, it has a village hall, a parish church, and a pub. The village is known for the slate that was quarried in the...
slate roof. Some rooms were panelled. This building was demolished in February 1776 when the Winstanleys built the Braunstone House, now called Braunstone Hall.
James Winstanley purchased the estate from the Hastings family in 1650. He paid £6,000. The Winstanleys were Lords of the Manor of Braunstone for nearly 300 years and were responsible for building most of the structures which can be seen in Braunstone Park today.
The 18th Century was a period of prosperity for Braunstone. The largest estate of the time was owned by one Abraham Compton and comprised 68 ewes, 25 lambs, 14 cows, 6 heifers, 4 calves and 6 pigs.
In 1750 James Winstanley III tried to sink a pit on the manor. His attempts were thwarted when his bore hole was filled with stones by intruders, thought to be from local mining districts.
Braunstone Hall was built by William Oldham, who was later to become Mayor of Leicester. There is a rainwater head dated 1776. During the building work, a stonemason and a labourer fell to their deaths from the attic storey. This may have given risen to the stories of the Hall being haunted. The garden part was used to grow fruit trees and contained several hot houses. It is now the walled Garden. There was also a small home farm which provided food for the hall. After the Winstanleys left the hall in 1926 it was converted for use as a school.
Braunstone remained a picturesque village with various tenanted farmsteads until, in 1925, the Leicester Corporation compulsorily purchased the bulk of the Winstanley Braunstone Hall estate for £116,500.
Braunstone’s population rose from 238 in 1921 to 6,997 in 1931.
In 1935 the part of Braunstone on the city side of Braunstone Lane became the North Braunstone Ward of the City of Leicester, and the parish of Braunstone in compensation had part of Lubbesthorpe added to its boundary.
During the last war, Braunstone Park was put to agricultural use. Wheat, barley, and potatoes were grown and sheep allowed to graze. What is now the Memorial Gardens was used as a military camp, occupied first by the British Army and later by the American 82nd Airborne troops. After the war, due to the severe housing shortage, people were allowed to occupy the camp until they found homes of their own.
Braunstone Town Council
The Braunstone Town Council is the parish council level local authority of the parish of Braunstone Town. The Town Council was established in 1977 when the former parish council resolved to change its status to that of a town council.The Town Council has 21 elected members (i.e. councillors) who are elected for terms of office of four years.