Countesthorpe
Encyclopedia
Countesthorpe is a large village and civil parish
in the Leicestershire
district of Blaby
, with a population of 6,393 (2001 census). 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
. Nearby places are Blaby
and South Wigston to the north, Kilby
to the east, Peatling Magna
and Willoughby Waterleys
to the south, and Broughton Astley
, Cosby
and Whetstone
to the west. According to the 1066 census it had a population of 6.
The name Countesthorpe originates from the 11th century when the area was part of the marriage dowry of the Countess Judith niece of William the Conqueror. The 'thorpe' part of the name is from the gothic meaning of 'land'.
The parish church of St. Andrew was started in 1220 by the family of Lord William of Ludbrook. It was restored in 1840 and again in 1907. The 14th century tower still remains.
The village has four public houses - The Railway, The King William IV, The Bull's Head and the Axe & Square.
It also has an award winning Indian Restaurant "Dine India", famously mentioned in the national press by patrons Kasabian.
The village is twinned with the town of Mennecy
in France.
.
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...
in the 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...
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...
, with a population of 6,393 (2001 census). It lies to the south 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 is about six miles from the city centre, but only two miles south of the suburb of South Wigston
South Wigston
South Wigston is a suburb of Leicester, England. It is outside the city boundary, forming part of the Oadby and Wigston district of Leicestershire.-Geography and administration:...
. Nearby places are Blaby
Blaby
Blaby is a village in central Leicestershire, England, some five miles south of Leicester city centre. It has population of around 6,240 , and its proximity to the city causes it to form part of the Leicester Urban Area....
and South Wigston to the north, 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...
to the east, Peatling Magna
Peatling Magna
Peatling Magna is a village in south Leicestershire near to Ashby Magna & Peatling Parva and is part of Harborough District.-Church:The church of All Saints is mainly of the 14th and 15th centuries and contains some fine examples of carved woodwork of different periods....
and Willoughby Waterleys
Willoughby Waterleys
Willoughby Waterleys is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated near the A426 Leicester to Lutterworth road. Nearby villages are Ashby Magna, Peatling Magna and Countesthorpe....
to the south, and Broughton Astley
Broughton Astley
Broughton Astley is a large village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated in the south west of Leicestershire, about east of Hinckley and about from the centre of Leicester.- History :...
, 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...
and Whetstone
Whetstone, Leicestershire
Whetstone is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 6,000 and largely acts as a commuter village for Leicester, five miles to the north...
to the west. According to the 1066 census it had a population of 6.
The name Countesthorpe originates from the 11th century when the area was part of the marriage dowry of the Countess Judith niece of William the Conqueror. The 'thorpe' part of the name is from the gothic meaning of 'land'.
The parish church of St. Andrew was started in 1220 by the family of Lord William of Ludbrook. It was restored in 1840 and again in 1907. The 14th century tower still remains.
The village has four public houses - The Railway, The King William IV, The Bull's Head and the Axe & Square.
It also has an award winning Indian Restaurant "Dine India", famously mentioned in the national press by patrons Kasabian.
The village is twinned with the town of Mennecy
Mennecy
Mennecy is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Mennecy are known as Menneçois.-Twin towns:...
in France.
Education
Countesthorpe has a primary school called Greenfield Primary, a high school named Leysland High School , and a college called Countesthorpe Community CollegeCountesthorpe Community College
Countesthorpe Community College is a upper school situated on the western edge of Countesthorpe in Leicestershire near the A426-History:When the school first opened its doors in the 1970s, its informal learning environment caused controversy, with much interest from national press. Many features of...
.