Hinckley and Bosworth
Encyclopedia
Hinckley and Bosworth is a local government district
with borough
status in south-western Leicestershire
, England
, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Its only towns are Hinckley
, Earl Shilton
and Market Bosworth
. Villages include Barwell
, Burbage
, Dadlington
, Groby
and Twycross
.
As of the most recent local election
, the council is controlled by the Liberal Democrats
.
The district is broadly coterminous to the Bosworth parliamentary constituency
, which is represented in Parliament by David Tredinnick
(Conservative).
The Borough was formed in 1974 by the merger of the Hinckley Urban District and the Market Bosworth Rural District
less Ibstock
. It was originally to be known as Bosworth, but the council changed its name on 20 November 1973, before it came into its powers. It was granted borough status
in 1974.
Two large neighbouring urban areas lie to the South of the Borough: Hinckley
and Burbage
, and Barwell
and Earl Shilton
. A narrow green wedge separates the two conurbations, which is increasingly being occupied by leisure facilities such as the Marston's Stadium and a new leisure centre. To the East of the wedge lies Burbage Common and Woods, a large popular green recreational area.
The West of the borough is largely flat in nature, dominated of the River Sence
flood plain. This area of the borough is largely rural, consisting of a number of very small villages and hamlets.
At the Northern and Eastern edges of the Borough lie several settlements (including Bagworth
, Desford
, Groby
, Markfield
, Ratby
and Thornton
) which largely relate to Leicester; in particular the most Northern villages have little to do with the main administrative centre of Hinckley
. The Northern area of the Borough also forms part of Charnwood Forest
, an area which it is hoped can be enhanced to provide an attractive natural resource.
the third being the preseved Battlefield Line
.
The only station on the National Rail network is Hinckley Railway Station
on the South Leicestershire Line opened by the LNWR between 1862 and 1864. Currently there are direct services to Birmingham New Street and Leicester
only with additional services to/from Cambridge
and Stansted Airport in the peak.
An earlier railway which remains is the former Leicester and Swannington Railway
which opened in 1832 and only carries freight and special passenger services only.
showed that housing in Hinckley and Bosworth produced the 10th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,209 kg of carbon dioxide
per dwelling.
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
with borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
status in south-western 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...
, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Its only towns are Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
, Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 .-History:...
and Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It formerly formed a district known as the Market Bosworth Rural District. In 1974 it merged with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth...
. Villages include Barwell
Barwell
Barwell is a civil parish and large village in Leicestershire, England, with a population of around 8,750 people. The name literally translates as "Stream of the Boar" and is said to originate from a boar that used to drink from the well near a brook in Barwell. It was originally known as Borewell,...
, Burbage
Burbage, Leicestershire
Burbage is a civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is a southern suburb of the town of Hinckley. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the parish had a population of 14,324.-History:...
, Dadlington
Dadlington
Dadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and Bosworth District Council in Leicestershire, England. It is situated between Hinckley, Market Bosworth and Nuneaton.The village has a population of around 301 and contains a 13th century church Dadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and...
, Groby
Groby
Groby is a large English village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2001 census was 7,301.-Description:...
and Twycross
Twycross
Twycross is a small village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England on the A444 road. Parts of it are called Norton juxta — Latin for 'next to' — Twycross or Little Twycross...
.
As of the most recent local election
United Kingdom local elections, 2007
The 2007 UK local government elections were held on 3 May 2007. These elections took place in most of England and all of Scotland. There were no local government elections in Wales though the Welsh Assembly had a general election on the same day. There were no local government elections in Northern...
, the council is controlled by the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
The district is broadly coterminous to the Bosworth parliamentary constituency
Bosworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bosworth is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, which is represented in Parliament by David Tredinnick
David Tredinnick (politician)
David Arthur Stephen Tredinnick is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.He is a former officer in the Grenadier Guards and is Member of Parliament for Bosworth first elected in 1987....
(Conservative).
The Borough was formed in 1974 by the merger of the Hinckley Urban District and the Market Bosworth Rural District
Market Bosworth Rural District
The rural district of Market Bosworth existed from 1894 to 1974 in Leicestershire, England. It was named after Market Bosworth, and was created under the Local Government Act 1894, based on the Market Bosworth rural sanitary district, and that part of the Atherstone rural sanitary district which...
less Ibstock
Ibstock
Ibstock is a village and civil parish about south of Coalville in North West Leicestershire, England. The village is on the A447 road Between Coalville and Hinckley....
. It was originally to be known as Bosworth, but the council changed its name on 20 November 1973, before it came into its powers. It was granted borough status
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
in 1974.
Geography
There are a number of geographical features which shape the landscape of Hinckley & Bosworth.Two large neighbouring urban areas lie to the South of the Borough: Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
and Burbage
Burbage, Leicestershire
Burbage is a civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is a southern suburb of the town of Hinckley. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the parish had a population of 14,324.-History:...
, and Barwell
Barwell
Barwell is a civil parish and large village in Leicestershire, England, with a population of around 8,750 people. The name literally translates as "Stream of the Boar" and is said to originate from a boar that used to drink from the well near a brook in Barwell. It was originally known as Borewell,...
and Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton
Earl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 .-History:...
. A narrow green wedge separates the two conurbations, which is increasingly being occupied by leisure facilities such as the Marston's Stadium and a new leisure centre. To the East of the wedge lies Burbage Common and Woods, a large popular green recreational area.
The West of the borough is largely flat in nature, dominated of the River Sence
River Sence
The River Sence is a river in Leicestershire, England. The tributaries of the Sence including the Saint and Tweed fan out over much of western Leicestershire from Charnwood Forest and Coalville in the north-east to Hinckley and almost to Watling Street in the south and south-west...
flood plain. This area of the borough is largely rural, consisting of a number of very small villages and hamlets.
At the Northern and Eastern edges of the Borough lie several settlements (including Bagworth
Bagworth
Bagworth is a village in Leicestershire, England, west of Leicester.-History:There are records of the manor of Bagworth from the early 14th and early 15th centuries, when it was held by the same feudal lords as the neighbouring manor of Thornton....
, Desford
Desford
Desford is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district, west of the centre of Leicester. The parish includes the hamlets of Botcheston and Newtown Unthank and a scattered settlement at Lindridge.-Manors:...
, Groby
Groby
Groby is a large English village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2001 census was 7,301.-Description:...
, Markfield
Markfield
Markfield is a commuter village sitting within both the National Forest and Charnwood Forest and in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The settlement dates back to at least the time of the Norman conquest and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name...
, Ratby
Ratby
Ratby is a commuter village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. It is situated to the west of Leicester, and just south of the motorway. It has a population of about 4,000. The Roman name for Leicester was Ratae Corieltauvorum...
and Thornton
Thornton
The given name Thornton originates from the Old English, means "settlement walled by strong thorn hedges" or "thorny estate dweller". May refer to:-United Kingdom:*Thornton, Angus*Thornton, Buckinghamshire*Thornton, East Riding of Yorkshire...
) which largely relate to Leicester; in particular the most Northern villages have little to do with the main administrative centre of Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
. The Northern area of the Borough also forms part of Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest is an upland tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough, and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland; its elevation is generally 600 ft and upwards, the area...
, an area which it is hoped can be enhanced to provide an attractive natural resource.
Places of interest
- Burbage Common and Woods is one of the largest recreation areas in the Borough consisting of 80 hectares of Fields, Meadows and Woodland
- Hinckley museum is in a range of 17th-century timber-framed framework knitters' cottages.
- The Ashby Canal, the longest contour canal in England, passes through the Borough from HinckleyHinckleyHinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
in the south of the Borough through Stoke GoldingStoke GoldingStoke Golding is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, which lies in the heart of England, in South West Leicestershire, close to the Warwickshire county border. According to the 2001 census the total population was 1,721, living in just over...
, DadlingtonDadlingtonDadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and Bosworth District Council in Leicestershire, England. It is situated between Hinckley, Market Bosworth and Nuneaton.The village has a population of around 301 and contains a 13th century church Dadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and...
, Market BosworthMarket BosworthMarket Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It formerly formed a district known as the Market Bosworth Rural District. In 1974 it merged with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth...
and ShackerstoneShackerstoneShackerstone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal and the River Sence. According to the 2001 census the parish, which also includes the village of Barton in the Beans, had a population of...
before heading North to its current terminus at SnarestoneSnarestoneSnarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England.It lies on the edge of the National Forest and is from the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It has a population of approximately 300 people and 120 households....
. - There is a large mill in Sheepy Magna to the West of the Borough located on the River SenceRiver SenceThe River Sence is a river in Leicestershire, England. The tributaries of the Sence including the Saint and Tweed fan out over much of western Leicestershire from Charnwood Forest and Coalville in the north-east to Hinckley and almost to Watling Street in the south and south-west...
- Stoke GoldingStoke GoldingStoke Golding is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, which lies in the heart of England, in South West Leicestershire, close to the Warwickshire county border. According to the 2001 census the total population was 1,721, living in just over...
has one of the most beautiful medieval churches in Leicestershire, with an exquisitely carved arcade and very fine 13th-century window tracery. - The site of the Battle of Bosworth, administered by Leicestershire County Council, includes an interpretation centre at Ambion HillAmbion HillAmbion Hill is the hill in Leicestershire, England near the town of Market Bosworth where, traditionally, the Battle of Bosworth Field is supposed to have been fought. This has been disputed by historians and research has been started to ascertain the truth about what was called, at the time, the...
, where Richard IIIRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
encamped the night before the battle. St. James Church at DadlingtonDadlingtonDadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and Bosworth District Council in Leicestershire, England. It is situated between Hinckley, Market Bosworth and Nuneaton.The village has a population of around 301 and contains a 13th century church Dadlington is a hamlet administered by Hinckley and...
is the place where many of the dead were buried and where a chantry was founded on their behalf. - The Battlefield LineBattlefield Line RailwayThe Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...
is a preserved railway which runs over part of the alignment of the former railway from NuneatonNuneatonNuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
to Ashby-de-la-ZouchAshby-de-la-ZouchAshby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
. It is home to the Shackerstone Diesel Group. - Twycross ZooTwycross ZooTwycross Zoo is an zoo near the village of Twycross in Leicestershire, close to the border of Warwickshire . The zoo claims the largest collections of monkeys and apes in the World, and in 2006 re-launched itself as "Twycross Zoo – The World Primate Centre."The zoo attracts around 500,000 visitors...
is notable for having the largest collection of primates in the world. - Thornton ReservoirThornton ReservoirThornton Reservoir is a small reservoir situated in the National Forest near the village of Thornton in Leicestershire. It has a surface area of and a perimeter of . It was originally built in 1854 when it had its own treatment works which were situated to the south of the current dam...
is a former 75 acres (303,514.5 m²) drinking water reservoir that is no longer in use. - A large collection of tropical birds is on display at Tropical BirdlandTropical Birdland, LeicestershireTropical Birdland in the north of the village of Desford, Leicestershire, England, is a visitor attraction that has many bird species including parrots, toucans, hornbills and owls on display. Some of the birds are allowed to fly out-of-doors during visiting hours.The photograph opposite is of a...
near to DesfordDesfordDesford is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district, west of the centre of Leicester. The parish includes the hamlets of Botcheston and Newtown Unthank and a scattered settlement at Lindridge.-Manors:...
.
Railways
Three railways remain in existence across the Borough, including two owned by Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
the third being the preseved Battlefield Line
Battlefield Line Railway
The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton , via Market Bosworth, a total of...
.
The only station on the National Rail network is Hinckley Railway Station
Hinckley railway station
Hinckley railway station serves the town of Hinckley in Leicestershire, England. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains Train Operating Company ....
on the South Leicestershire Line opened by the LNWR between 1862 and 1864. Currently there are direct services to Birmingham New Street and 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...
only with additional services to/from Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and Stansted Airport in the peak.
An earlier railway which remains is the former Leicester and Swannington Railway
Leicester and Swannington Railway
The Leicester and Swannington Railway was one of England's first railways, being opened on 17 July 1832 to bring coal from collieries in west Leicestershire to Leicester.-Overview:...
which opened in 1832 and only carries freight and special passenger services only.
Parishes
- Bagworth and ThorntonBagworth and ThorntonBagworth and Thornton is a civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, west of Leicester. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 1,836. The parish includes the villages of Bagworth and Thornton....
, BarlestoneBarlestoneBarlestone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 2,471. The village adjoins the neighbouring village of Osbaston....
, BarwellBarwellBarwell is a civil parish and large village in Leicestershire, England, with a population of around 8,750 people. The name literally translates as "Stream of the Boar" and is said to originate from a boar that used to drink from the well near a brook in Barwell. It was originally known as Borewell,...
(Re-created in 2007), BurbageBurbage, LeicestershireBurbage is a civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is a southern suburb of the town of Hinckley. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the parish had a population of 14,324.-History:... - CadebyCadeby, LeicestershireCadeby is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, about 6 miles north of Hinckley, close to Newbold Verdon and Market Bosworth. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 177....
, CarltonCarlton, LeicestershireCarlton is a village in Leicestershire, England, close to Market Bosworth.There are four roads in Carlton: Main Street , Bosworth Road , Congerstone Lane and Shackerstone Walk .- Village... - DesfordDesfordDesford is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district, west of the centre of Leicester. The parish includes the hamlets of Botcheston and Newtown Unthank and a scattered settlement at Lindridge.-Manors:...
- Earl ShiltonEarl ShiltonEarl Shilton is a small town in Leicestershire, England, some from Hinckley and about 10 miles from Leicester, with a population of around 9,000 .-History:...
(A town council) - GrobyGrobyGroby is a large English village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2001 census was 7,301.-Description:...
- Higham on the HillHigham on the HillHigham on the Hill is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England.-Geography:The village is about three miles away from both Hinckley and Nuneaton. The parish is bounded by Warwickshire and the A5 to the south-west...
- Market BosworthMarket BosworthMarket Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It formerly formed a district known as the Market Bosworth Rural District. In 1974 it merged with the Hinckley Rural District to form a new district named Hinckley and Bosworth...
, MarkfieldMarkfieldMarkfield is a commuter village sitting within both the National Forest and Charnwood Forest and in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The settlement dates back to at least the time of the Norman conquest and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name... - NailstoneNailstoneNailstone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, situated to the west of Leicester and north-east of Market Bosworth. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 521....
, Newbold VerdonNewbold VerdonNewbold Verdon is a village and civil parish in the county of Leicestershire, England.The Domesday Book records the settlement as Niwebold. It acquired the suffix Verdon from Nicholas de Verdon who owned the manor in 1226. His descendant William de Ferrers was born here in 1332 or 1333... - Osbaston
- PeckletonPeckletonPeckleton is a small village and civil parish located in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The villages of Kirkby Mallory and Stapleton also form as part of the parish. Thus, according to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,077...
- RatbyRatbyRatby is a commuter village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. It is situated to the west of Leicester, and just south of the motorway. It has a population of about 4,000. The Roman name for Leicester was Ratae Corieltauvorum...
- ShackerstoneShackerstoneShackerstone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal and the River Sence. According to the 2001 census the parish, which also includes the village of Barton in the Beans, had a population of...
, SheepySheepySheepy is a civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, containing the villages of Sheepy Magna, Sheepy Parva, Sibson, Wellsborough, Upton, Pinwall and Cross Hands - a total of 449 homes...
, Stanton-under-Bardon, Stoke GoldingStoke GoldingStoke Golding is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, which lies in the heart of England, in South West Leicestershire, close to the Warwickshire county border. According to the 2001 census the total population was 1,721, living in just over...
, Sutton CheneySutton CheneySutton Cheney is a village in Leicestershire, England, close to the location of the Battle of Bosworth Field.Sutton Cheney Wharf on the Ashby Canal gives access to the battlefield and is a tourist destination in its own right... - TwycrossTwycrossTwycross is a small village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England on the A444 road. Parts of it are called Norton juxta — Latin for 'next to' — Twycross or Little Twycross...
- WitherleyWitherleyWitherley is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is in the far south-west of Leicestershire. The Warwickshire/Leicestershire border runs along the parish boundary, along the River Anker to the west and the A5 to the south, with Witherley...
Energy report
In May 2006, a report commissioned by British GasCentrica
Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
showed that housing in Hinckley and Bosworth produced the 10th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,209 kg of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
per dwelling.
- See also: Energy efficiency in British housingEnergy efficiency in British housingDomestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
.