Newtown Linford
Encyclopedia
Newtown Linford is a linear village
in Leicestershire
, England
.
It is located in a valley in the Charnwood Forest
area, and has four access roads. The first is from Anstey
, then there are roads which lead to the A50
at Groby
and at Markfield
(the former passing Groby Pool). There is another road that leads out to the North, which splits towards Ulverscroft
, or Loughborough
, Woodhouse
, Woodhouse Eaves
, Swithland
etc.
The village is famous for Bradgate Park
, a large country park which was home to Lady Jane Grey
, Queen for nine days. There are a few shops (mainly aimed at the day-tripper
s who come to Bradgate Park) but the garden centre which used to dominate the centre of the village closed in 2004 and has been built on for housing. All of the properties in the village belonged to the Grey Estate until 1925 when it was sold off. Much of the village was designated a conservation area
in 1972, and there are 32 listed buildings in the village which include the old style red telephone box.
s in the village - The Bradgate and The Linford. There is a primary school
which celebrated its centenary in 2007, and various restaurants (including Gibson's Grey Lady). In 2008 the Louis Scott Restaurant opposite the Park gates changed ownership and became the Village Restaurant putting it in the same family ownership as Gibson's Grey Lady Restaurant. There is a B&B
called "Wondai", but the Johnscliffe Hotel was demolished a few years ago to make way for housing.
Bradgate Park attracts walkers and cyclists, and in the summer the village is often full of day-trippers from all around Leicestershire
. There are three cafes, the Jade Tea Rooms, the Post Office Cafe and the Marion Cafe which was named after Marion Richardson who used to live there. The Post Office itself was closed in 2008 but remains a newsagent as well as a cafe. There is also a cafe in the Deer Barn in the centre of Bradgate Park.
The River Lin runs through the village, before flowing through Bradgate Park
and joining the reservoir at Cropston
.
Newtown Linford boasts a large number of old cottages with a lot of character - especially between Groby Lane and Markfield Lane. At the end of Groby Lane is the village cricket pitch. All Saints Church (built c.1400) is next to the cricket pitch, but the village cemetery lies at the top of the hill on Groby Lane. The churchyard includes a gravestone inscribed with the letters of the alphabet and numerals, said to have been a practice stone purchased by a miserly man to save on the cost of getting a stone inscribed.
Newtown Linford is also home to one of Britain's surviving police box
es. This box is a listed building and is still used by the local Police beat team today.
. It is within the Bradgate County Electoral Division
and is represented on Leicestershire County Council
by David Snartt. It is within the Forest Bradgate ward of Charnwood Borough Council, on which it also is represented by David Snartt.
Newtown Linford is twinned with Plateau Est de Rouen in France
, and Bradgate, Iowa
in the United States
.
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
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...
.
It is located in a valley in the 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...
area, and has four access roads. The first is from Anstey
Anstey, Leicestershire
Anstey is a large semi-industrialised village in Leicestershire, England, located north west of Leicester in the borough of Charnwood. Its population was about 6,000 at the 2001 census although this is likely to have increased...
, then there are roads which lead to the A50
A50 road
The A50 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however, it was once a much longer route.-Current route:...
at 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 at 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...
(the former passing Groby Pool). There is another road that leads out to the North, which splits towards Ulverscroft
Ulverscroft
Ulverscroft is a civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire. It has a population of about 100. There is no village by the name, but there was previously an Ulverscroft Priory....
, or Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
, Woodhouse
Woodhouse, Leicestershire
Woodhouse, often known to locals as Old Woodhouse, is a small village in the heart of Charnwood, England. Located between the larger Woodhouse Eaves and Quorn villages, this picturesque village, with a mixture of small cottages and large modern houses, is one of the most expensive villages in the...
, Woodhouse Eaves
Woodhouse Eaves
Woodhouse Eaves is a village located on the side of Beacon Hill, in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire, England.It is a sizeable rural village, having several pubs and a few shops...
, 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...
etc.
History
The village's name originates from the relocation of people when the Ferrers family of Groby turned Bradgate into a deer park. The people who lived within the estate were moved to the "New Town" - or hamlet as it would have been then, at the ford of the river Lin (once located at the junction of Markfield Lane and Main Street). The village was first documented in 1293 and was previously known as "Lyndynford". The villagers were all tenants of the Ferrers family, and later the Grey family.The village is famous for Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
, a large country park which was home to Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, Queen for nine days. There are a few shops (mainly aimed at the day-tripper
Day-tripper
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...
s who come to Bradgate Park) but the garden centre which used to dominate the centre of the village closed in 2004 and has been built on for housing. All of the properties in the village belonged to the Grey Estate until 1925 when it was sold off. Much of the village was designated 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...
in 1972, and there are 32 listed buildings in the village which include the old style red telephone box.
Local area
There are two pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in the village - The Bradgate and The Linford. There is a primary school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
which celebrated its centenary in 2007, and various restaurants (including Gibson's Grey Lady). In 2008 the Louis Scott Restaurant opposite the Park gates changed ownership and became the Village Restaurant putting it in the same family ownership as Gibson's Grey Lady Restaurant. There is a B&B
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
called "Wondai", but the Johnscliffe Hotel was demolished a few years ago to make way for housing.
Bradgate Park attracts walkers and cyclists, and in the summer the village is often full of day-trippers from all around 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...
. There are three cafes, the Jade Tea Rooms, the Post Office Cafe and the Marion Cafe which was named after Marion Richardson who used to live there. The Post Office itself was closed in 2008 but remains a newsagent as well as a cafe. There is also a cafe in the Deer Barn in the centre of Bradgate Park.
The River Lin runs through the village, before flowing through Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
and joining the reservoir at Cropston
Cropston
Cropston is a village within the civil parish of Thurcaston & Cropston, part of the Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire, England. It is on the edge of Charnwood Forest, and lies close to Bradgate Park. The village itself is small, with the older properties close to the crossroads of Reservoir and...
.
Newtown Linford boasts a large number of old cottages with a lot of character - especially between Groby Lane and Markfield Lane. At the end of Groby Lane is the village cricket pitch. All Saints Church (built c.1400) is next to the cricket pitch, but the village cemetery lies at the top of the hill on Groby Lane. The churchyard includes a gravestone inscribed with the letters of the alphabet and numerals, said to have been a practice stone purchased by a miserly man to save on the cost of getting a stone inscribed.
Newtown Linford is also home to one of Britain's surviving police box
Police box
A police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police...
es. This box is a listed building and is still used by the local Police beat team today.
Government
Newtown Linford is within the Charnwood parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Stephen DorrellStephen Dorrell
Stephen James Dorrell is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage and Secretary of State for Health...
. It is within the Bradgate County Electoral Division
Bradgate Electoral Division
Bradgate Electoral Division is a County Council electoral division in Leicestershire, England, taking its name from Bradgate Park which is at the centre of the division. It includes the villages of Anstey, Cropston, Thurcaston, Newtown Linford, Ulverscroft, Swithland, Woodhouse and Woodhouse...
and is represented on Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council
Leicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. It was originally formed in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888. The county is divided into 52 electoral divisions, which return a total of 55 councillors. The council is controlled by...
by David Snartt. It is within the Forest Bradgate ward of Charnwood Borough Council, on which it also is represented by David Snartt.
Newtown Linford is twinned with Plateau Est de Rouen in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Bradgate, Iowa
Bradgate, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 86 in Bradgate, with a population density of .-2000 census:As of the census of 2000, there were 101 people, 48 households, and 30 families residing in the town. The population density was 291.1 people per square mile . There were 54 housing...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
External links
- Newtown Linford at the Leicestershire Villages website
- Newtown Linford Parish Church in the Bradgate Team Parish.