Shackerstone

Last updated
Shackerstone
Shackerstone Church - geograph.org.uk - 590773.jpg
St Peter's Church, Shackerstone
Leicestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shackerstone
Location within Leicestershire
Population921 (2011 Census)
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NUNEATON
Postcode district CV13
Police Leicestershire
Fire Leicestershire
Ambulance East Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire
52°39′N1°26′W / 52.650°N 1.433°W / 52.650; -1.433

Shackerstone 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 811, including Odstone which had risen to 921 at the 2011 census. [1]

Contents

History

In the Elizabethan era the Hall family were prominent in the village. They occupied the hall next to the church, known as Shakerstone Mannor. [2] They sold this property in 1843, [3] 13 years after Henry Edward and Sarah Theodosia Hall (William Shakespeare Hall's parents) had moved the family to the Swan River Colony.

During the Civil War, Shackerstone was near enough to Ashby de la Zouch to attract the attention of both parties. Parliamentary soldiers from Tamworth and Coventry stole horses, including a mare worth ten pounds from Mr. Hall. The local vicar, the Rev. John Hodges, was ejected from the living in 1646 and brought before the parliamentary sequestration committee for deserting his parish to join the royalist garrison at Ashby for four months. The commissioners charged him with frequenting the village alehouse on Sundays, and of being "a companion with fidlers and singers". [4]

In the early eighteenth century, John Nichols records a fine church, a water mill and an absentee parson, Dr Adamthwaite, a prolific and energetic letter-writer, who was vicar from 1779 to 1811. This was a poor parish. By 1789 time the parson complained that he could not afford to live there, residing instead in Hampton in Arden, in Warwickshire some 24 miles away, where he had a curacy. He claimed that the parsonage had been "miserably beggared" by the previous incumbent who died insolvent in a gaol. The vicarage was "so entirely let down as that no sign remains of there ever having been one". [5]

By 1 April 1805, the population seems to have slightly increased, a local census counting 51 families in Shackerstone, 53 families in Odstone and six in Barton, providing a total population of around 375.

Transport

In 1804 the Ashby Canal was opened and Shackerstone is passed by it on the east. There are public moorings prior to bridge 52, and between bridges 52 and 53 are private moorings. The sharp turn by the station has been known to cause a certain amount of entertainment for the unwary boater.

Shackerstone railway station is on the Battlefield Line Railway, a preserved steam and diesel museum, that runs trains to Bosworth Battlefield. The railway came to Shackerstone in 1873 as part of the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway and continued providing passenger services until 1931, after which only freight ran on the rails and the occasional special excursion trains. The stations claim to fame is that it was the first destination of the new London and North Western Railway Royal Train for King Edward VII in December 1902. The line was finally closed by British Rail in 1970 at which point the railway society arrived [6] and has restored the station and reopened the line to Shenton Station, the terminus for Bosworth Battlefield.

Landmarks

The motte and bailey Shackerstone, Motte and Bailey - geograph.org.uk - 931455.jpg
The motte and bailey
The Old House Shackerstone, The Old House - geograph.org.uk - 926449.jpg
The Old House

During World War II, the remains of the motte-and-bailey castle in the village had an air raid shelter dug into it. It is believed that this still has a rocking chair within it.

Located close to Shackerstone was the stately home of Gopsall Hall home of Charles Jennens, a librettist and friend of George Frideric Handel.

Culture and community

From 1994 to 2019 Shackerstone also hosted a large family festival, usually in the first week of September that covered everything from vintage cars to aerobatic stunt planes. The charity event is based around the a number of organising parties: the village, the canal, 4x4 group, an unaffiliated group and the railway. The festival was usually well attended by the public. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashby-de-la-Zouch</span> Market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, also spelled Ashby de la Zouch, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England, near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire borders. Its population at the 2021 census was 16,491. Ashby de la Zouch Castle was an important fort in the 15th to 17th centuries. During the 19th century, the town's main industry was ribbon manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashby Canal</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal is a 31-mile (50 km) long canal in England which connected the mining district around Moira, just outside the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, with the Coventry Canal at Bedworth in Warwickshire. It was opened in 1804, and a number of tramways were constructed at its northern end, to service collieries. The canal was taken over by the Midland Railway in 1846, but remained profitable until the 1890s, after which it steadily declined. Around 9 miles (14 km) passed through the Leicestershire coal field, and was heavily affected by subsidence, with the result that this section from Moira, southwards to Snarestone, was progressively closed in 1944, 1957 and 1966, leaving 22 miles (35 km) of navigable canal.

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

Donisthorpe is a village in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England, historically an exclave of Derbyshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North West Leicestershire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. The towns in the district include of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Coalville and Ibstock. Notable villages in the district include Donington le Heath, Ellistown, Hugglescote, Kegworth, Measham, Shackerstone, Thringstone and Whitwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinckley and Bosworth</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in England

Hinckley and Bosworth is a local government district with borough status in Leicestershire, England. The council is based in Hinckley, the largest town. The borough also includes the town of Earl Shilton and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The Bosworth in the borough's name refers to the small market town of Market Bosworth, near which the Battle of Bosworth Field was fought in 1485.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Market Bosworth</span> Market town in Leicestershire, England

Market Bosworth is a market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 1,906, increasing to 2,097 at the 2011 census. It is most famously near to the site of the decisive final battle of the Wars of the Roses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton, Leicestershire</span> Civil parish in Leicestershire, England

Carlton is a small rural parish located East of the river Sence in Leicestershire, England, around 2.2 miles North of Market Bosworth. According to the 2011 Census, Carlton has a population of 305 However, from 2014 it is estimated that there are around 330 people living there with a total of 283 registered electors. There are four roads in Carlton:

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

Sutton Cheney is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dadlington and Sutton Cheney, in the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth, in the county of Leicestershire, England, near the county border with Warwickshire. In addition to the village of Sutton Cheney itself, the civil parish also contains the villages of Dadlington and Shenton, a number of farms, and the location of the Battle of Bosworth. Its closest large towns are Nuneaton and Hinckley. Its closest market town is Market Bosworth.

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

Measham is a large village in the North West Leicestershire district in Leicestershire, England, near the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boundaries. It lies off the A42, 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) south of Ashby de la Zouch, in the National Forest. Historically it was in an exclave of Derbyshire absorbed into Leicestershire in 1897. The name is thought to mean "homestead on the River Mease". The village was once part of Derbyshire before being transferred to Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battlefield Line Railway</span> Heritage railway in Leicestershire, England

The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton, via Market Bosworth, which is a total of 5 miles (8.0 km). Shenton is near Bosworth Field; this is the location of the final battle of the Wars of the Roses, immortalised in Shakespeare's Richard III, giving the railway its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinckley and Bosworth (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Hinckley and Bosworth is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Luke Evans, a Conservative.

Snarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higham on the Hill</span> Human settlement in England

Higham on the Hill is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 840.

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

Shenton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Dadlington and Sutton Cheney, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district, in the county of Leicestershire, England, situated 2.20 miles (3.54 km) south-west of Market Bosworth. Shenton was formerly a chapelry and township of the parish of Market Bosworth. The settlement is almost entirely agricultural, containing several farms. Much of the land has been in the same family since William Wollaston purchased the manor in 1625. It is essentially a privately owned estate village and has seen comparatively little modern development. It has been designated a conservation area. The settlement lies either side of the Sence Brook, which is crossed by a picturesque Victorian bridge. The area is fairly flat, and subject to flooding. In 1931 the parish had a population of 154.

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

Gopsall is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Twycross, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is located between the villages of Appleby Magna, Shackerstone, Twycross and Snarestone. In 1931 the parish had a population of 13. Gopsall was formerly an extra-parochial tract, from 1858 Gopsall was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Twycross.

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

Odstone is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Shackerstone, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It stands on a marked promontory of high ground between two river valleys. In 1931 the parish had a population of 142.

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

The River Sence is a river which flows 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. Its watershed almost coincides with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough of Leicestershire, which was formed in 1974 by amalgamation of Market Bosworth Rural District and Hinckley Urban District. It flows into the Anker, which in turn flows into the River Tame. It is part of the wider River Trent catchment, which covers much of central England. In 1881, Sebastian Evans wrote that the usual names for this river were Shenton Brook and Sibson Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway</span>

The Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway was a pre-grouping railway company in the English Midlands, built to serve the Leicestershire coalfield. Both the Midland Railway and the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) wished to build a line on similar alignments, and they agreed to build jointly. Construction began in 1869 and the railway was opened in 1873. It linked Moira and Coalville with Nuneaton. Mineral traffic was busy, and the line formed a useful link for through goods trains. Some long distance passenger operation took place over the line, but it was never successful in carrying passengers.

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

Congerstone is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Shackerstone, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district, in Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north west of Market Bosworth, of which it was historically a daughter parish. It is near the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal and the A444 road. In 1931 the parish had a population of 209.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "A NOR'-WEST PIONEER". The West Australian . Perth. 8 March 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 7 January 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "Sarah Theodosia Hall" (PDF). Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Roberts, Alan (2004). "Scandalous Neighbours".
  5. ↑ Alan Roberts; Simon Harratt (2006). "Local history project on Shackerstone Rectory" . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "The Battlefield Line Railway" . Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Shackerstone Family Festival" . Retrieved 6 January 2016.

52°39′N1°26′W / 52.650°N 1.433°W / 52.650; -1.433

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.