Groby

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Groby
Grobyvillagestamfordarms.jpg
The village centre in 2005
Leicestershire UK location map.svg
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Groby
Location within Leicestershire
Population6,796 
OS grid reference SK5207
Civil parish
  • Groby
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LEICESTER
Postcode district LE6
Police Leicestershire
Fire Leicestershire
Ambulance East Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire
52°39′30″N1°13′58″W / 52.65824°N 1.23267°W / 52.65824; -1.23267 Coordinates: 52°39′30″N1°13′58″W / 52.65824°N 1.23267°W / 52.65824; -1.23267

Groby (pronounced "GREW-bee") Loudspeaker.svg listen  (help·info) 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 2011 census was 6,796. [1]

Contents

Description

The village has expanded vastly since the 1970s and is now part of the Leicester Urban Area. The southern side is dominated by new housing estates, built upon what was formerly farming land between the historic part of Groby and the neighbouring village of Glenfield. The old village centre still retains some character, with some cobbled lanes and thatched cottages. The church of St Philip and St James, [2] built in the lancet style by George Harry Booth-Grey, the sixth Earl of Stamford, dates from 1840 and stands in the grounds of Groby Castle. [3] The architect was William Railton. [4] Few remains are left of the castle, other than a small hill in the ground to the east of the main church building, which is the original medieval motte, and the manor house (Groby Old Hall), the stone-built parts of which are thought to have been part of the castle's outer buildings. [3] In April 2010 archaeologists from the popular Channel 4 television show, Time Team excavated the area behind the old hall and the parish church. They were looking to unravel the history of Groby Castle, and found a lost medieval mansion with its own chapel, built round a courtyard. The episode was aired on 20 March 2011.

The ancient main street through the centre of the village running south to Leicester and north towards Coalville was classified as the A50 under the British road numbering scheme, but this road has now bypassed much of the village due to two road schemes in the 1980s and 90s. The village also has easy access to the A46 Leicester Western Bypass and the M1 (J22 North and J21a South).
A 2011 survey, using 60 sets of data from police, Land Registry, Ofsted and Office for National Statistics named the village as the best place in the East Midlands to bring up children. [5]

History

Groby parish church Groby church.jpg
Groby parish church
The village centre around 1920, The Stamford Arms, former home of the Everard family became a pub in 1921. According to Groby Heritage Group, the tall chimney belonged to a quarry. Hunt meeting outside Stamford Arms Groby.jpg
The village centre around 1920, The Stamford Arms, former home of the Everard family became a pub in 1921. According to Groby Heritage Group, the tall chimney belonged to a quarry.

Groby was mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086, when it was described as having "land for 4 ploughs, 10 villagers with 1 Freeman and 5 smallholders have 3 ploughs...the value was 20s; now 60s." Ulf is shown as the lord of Markfield, Groby, Blaby and Ratby in the hundred of Guthlaxton in Leicestershire in 1066. [6] By 1086, the lord was Hugh de Grandmesnil who was also associated with the hundreds of Goscote, Guthlaxton and Gartree in Leicestershire. [6] [7] [8] The estate was held by the Ferrers family until 1445 when it passed to the Grey family. By 1800 the village had expanded with the population reaching 250, and by 1920 it had reached 1,000. [7] Employment in the village was largely in the local granite quarries and in farming. [7] The seventh Earl of Stamford and 3rd Earl of Warrington employed the London architect Mr M.J. Dain of Dain and Parsons to design the Jacobean style mansion to replace the former hunting lodge the Grey family used at Groby when they were hunting in Leicestershire, this mansion was built by the local builder of Groby Mr Thomas Rudkin, Bradgate House was completed in 1856 and built to the north-west of the village and referred to as the Calendar House because it had 365 windows, 52 rooms, and 12 main chimneys. The Earls niece Mrs Katherine Henrietta Venezia Grey sold the Leicestershire estates in 1925, she inherited these in 1905, including Bradgate House, which was demolished (although the ruins of its extravagant stable block remain), from which many villagers bought their homes. [7] Plots of land in the area were subsequently sold to builders, leading to a significant expansion of the village. [7]

Historically, the village is noted for its connection with two Queens of England. Groby Old Hall, built in the 15th century, was owned by the Grey family whose estate included Bradgate Park. [3] Sir John Grey of Groby married Elizabeth Woodville. After his death, in battle, she married Edward IV of England. Bradgate Park was the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, who became Queen of England for nine days in 1553. The Grey family held the barony until it was forfeited in 1554. Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby became MP for Leicester in 1641 and fought on the side of Parliament in the English Civil War. In 1649 Grey was the only aristocrat of the 59 signatories of the death warrant of Charles I.

There is no definitive explanation of the roots of the village's name, but its '-by' ending implies a link to Viking rule during the period of the Danelaw. Also, groo is a Viking word for pit, which may well refer to the quarry situated next to the village. The Domesday entry lists the village as 'Grobi'. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names also shows the names Groubi or Groebi in the 12th century. Furthermore, it suggests the name is from a tarn perhaps with the Old Scandinavian name grōf; and that the Old Norse gróf means "a torrent and a gully formed by it." The dictionary also says, "It is identical with [ Gothic language ] gróba, [ Old High German ] grouba 'pit, hollow'." [9]

Shopping

The village centre has a few shops, including two Co-op supermarkets, Co-op Chemists, Pricegate, Studio J hair salon, Chaplins (traditional family butcher), a bakery, greengrocers, Cathy Stevens Jewellery, Mark Jarvis, Wilson & Sons Newsagent, and Flint. There is also a fish and chip shop, a Chinese takeaway and various other shops. The pub The Stamford Arms, named after the historic owners – the Grey family were Earls of Stamford – had a £450k restaurant refurbishment in 2013. [10] The Lawnwood shopping parade has a convenience store, dog grooming parlour, tattoo removers and a hairdresser's. There is another Co-op supermarket a few minutes away from the village centre.

The Stamford Arms is the sole pub in Groby, located in the village centre. [11]

Education

There are four schools, Lady Jane Grey Primary, Elizabeth Woodville Primary and Martinshaw County Primary, whilst Brookvale Groby Learning Campus is located on a campus to the west of the village, and attracts students from Groby and surrounding villages including Ratby, Kirby Muxloe, Glenfield, and sometimes Markfield and New Parks. There is also a Scout troop based on the edge of Martinshaw Woods.

Industry

The old quarry in the village centre is now an industrial estate - mostly owned by the company GE Sensing formerly Druck Ltd, which makes pressure transducers.

Groby Quarry is located on the narrow lane which leads through to Newtown Linford, and is still used to quarry granite. Lawn Wood Quarry, on the A50, is now largely disused and is being filled in with landfill.

The light engineering company APT Leicester is based in Groby.

Groby Pool

Groby Pool Groby Pool 2006-08-29 038web.jpg
Groby Pool

Groby Pool, "reputedly the largest natural expanse of open water in Leicestershire" is a 38-acre (15-hectare) lake located opposite the quarry on Newtown Linford Lane. It is owned by Hanson quarries and managed by English Nature and became an SSSI in 1956. Due to lack of drainage, "it is one of the most significant wildlife areas in Leicestershire." The origins of the pool are debated. Theories include that it resulted from the damming of Slate Brook by monks from Leicester Abbey or that it was a Roman clay-pit for pottery production. There is a public car park a few minutes' walk to the southeast, and it is possible to walk along the east side nearest the lane, although access elsewhere is restricted. Visitors are requested NOT to feed the birds as it changes the water balance and damages wildlife. The pool has a strict no fishing rule. [12] In 2017, a number of notices were erected around the pool perimeter advising visitors NOT to paddle or swim due to blue green algae.

Local villages and towns

Field Head

Groby Parish also includes most of the settlement of Field Head.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenfield, Leicestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Glenfield is a large village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Glenfields, in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. At the 2011 Census, Glenfields had a population of 9,643. Its located at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradgate Park</span> 850 acre public park

Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, 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 Reservoir which was constructed on part of the park. To the north-east lies Swithland Wood. The park's two well known landmarks, Old John and the war memorial, both lie just above the 210 m (690 ft) contour. The park is part of the 399.3 hectare Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest, which has been designated under both biological and geological criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cropston Reservoir</span> Body of water

Cropston Reservoir lies in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire, England. The dam and associated water works are in Cropston, while the bulk of the reservoir is in the neighbouring Newtown Linford parish. It was opened in May 1871 in a corner of Bradgate Park, a large expanse of open land northwest of Leicester. It is part of the 987-acre (399.3 ha) Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Stamford</span> Title in the peerage of England

Earl of Stamford was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby. This Grey family descended through Lord John Grey, of Pirgo, Essex, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk ; Suffolk was executed for treason in 1554 forfeiting his titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anstey, Leicestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Anstey is a large village in Leicestershire, England, located north west of Leicester in the borough of Charnwood. Its population was 6,528 at the 2011 census. This figure is expected to increase due to the building of a new housing development off Groby Road. The village is separated from Leicester by the Rothley Brook, Castle Hill Park and the A46, and it borders the villages of Glenfield, Groby, Newtown Linford, Cropston and Thurcaston as well as the suburb of Beaumont Leys and Anstey Heights. To the north-west lies Bradgate Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newtown Linford</span> Human settlement in England

Newtown Linford is a linear village in Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 1,000 at the 2001 census, including Ulverscroft, increasing to 1,103 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swithland Wood and The Brand</span>

Swithland Wood and The Brand is a 87.9 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Woodhouse Eaves in Leicestershire. Swithland Wood is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade II. The Brand is designated a Precambrian site in the Geological Conservation Review, but the dating has been changed due to the discovery of trace fossils from the succeeding Cambrian period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markfield</span> Human settlement in England

Markfield is a large village in 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 Merchenefeld. A variant of this is still used as the name for the village primary school, Mercenfeld. It is to the south-east of Junction 22 of the M1, and to the south of the A50. The highest point in Markfield is shown on OS sheet 129 at 222 metres above sea level. Nearby places are Newtown Linford, Groby, Field Head, and Stanton under Bardon. In the 1841 census its population was recorded at 1,203. In the 2011 census the parish had a population of 5681. Markfield is within the LE67 postcode district. In 2012 Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council published an overview of Markfield conservation area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratby</span> Human settlement in England

Ratby is a commuter village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the west of Leicester, and just south of the M1 motorway. The population of the civil parish was measured in the 2011 census as 4,468. Other nearby places include Field Head, Kirby Muxloe, Glenfield and Markfield. The proximity of Ratby to Leicester causes it to form part of the Leicester Urban Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Field Head</span> Human settlement in England

Field Head is a small settlement along the A511 on the edge of the Charnwood Forest in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is mainly a ribbon development along the A511 from the top of Bradgate Hill to the Coach and Horses public house. However, in the 1960s development of an area South of the A511 effectively doubled the size of the settlement. It is part of the civil parish of Groby. The population is included in the civil parish of Ratby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old John</span> Highest hill in Bradgate Park

Old John is the highest hill in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England, on the southern edge of Charnwood Forest. It gives its name to the folly that stands at its top. The hill stands at 212 metres (696 ft) high, and is a prominent landmark across Leicester and Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford</span>

George Harry Booth-Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford and 3rd Earl of Warrington was an English cricketer, landowner and peer, who sat on the Whig benches in the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheet Hedges Wood</span>

Sheet Hedges Wood is in the parish of Newtown Linford, and lies some 1-mile (1.6 km) north of Groby, in Leicestershire, UK. The site is made up of two areas of woodland and a meadow field, all with public access, extending 29 acres (120,000 m2). The woodland block is adjacent to the road includes a car park and access trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookvale High School</span> Middle school in Groby, Leicestershire, England

Brookvale High School, opened 1976, was a mixed middle school in the village of Groby in Leicestershire, England, providing education for students aged 11–14. It shared a large campus with Groby Community College which takes pupils from 14–19. Its main intake came from partner schools in Groby and the nearby villages of Ratby, Kirby Muxloe and Newtown Linford though it accepted other pupils subject to availability of places. Its name was derived from a small group of cottages, named Brooke Vale Cottages, that formerly occupied the site where the school was built. The school specialised in languages and taught French, Spanish and German to its pupils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradgate House, Bradgate Park</span>

Bradgate House is a 16th-century ruin in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England.

Bradgate House is a 19th-century ruin in Groby, Leicestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Lin</span> River in Leicestershire, England

The River Lin is a river which runs through North Leicestershire. The source of the river is in Ulverscroft, near Charnwood Forest. The river runs through Bradgate Park before the river runs into the River Soar in Quorn. The river also feeds Cropston Reservoir and Swithland Reservoir. The river runs for around 17 kilometres between its source and confluence with the River Soar. The river is described as one of Leicestershire's shortest rivers.

References

  1. ↑ "UK Census Data:Groby". Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "St Philip and St James, Groby". Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Pevsner, Nikolaus (1960). Leicestershire and Rutland. The Buildings of England. Penguin Books. p. 115.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1115789)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "Village is top for families". Leicester Mercury. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Open domesday:Groby". domesdaymap.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 The Leicestershire & Rutland Village Book. Countryside Books. 1989. pp. 79–80. ISBN   1-85306-056-9.
  8. ↑ Morris, John; et al. (1979). The Domesday Book: Leicestershire. Phillimore & Co Ltd. p. 232a. ISBN   978-0-85033-332-9.
  9. ↑ Ekwall, E. (1980). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names (4th ed.).
  10. ↑ Matt Wright. Great food club - the guide 2013-2014. www.greatfoodclub.co.uk. p. 126.
  11. ↑ "Stamford Arms". Stamford Arms. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  12. ↑ Source, Groby pool SSSI information board at pool edge just beyond car park.

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