Sileby

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Sileby
Sileby High Street - geograph.org.uk - 860407.jpg
Sileby High Street
Leicestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Sileby
Location within Leicestershire
Population8,959 (2021 Census)
OS grid reference SK604151
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LOUGHBOROUGH
Postcode district LE12
Dialling code 01509
Police Leicestershire
Fire Leicestershire
Ambulance East Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire
52°43′52″N1°06′22″W / 52.731°N 1.106°W / 52.731; -1.106

Sileby is a former industrial village and civil parish in the Soar Valley in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is located between Leicester and Loughborough. The village is close to Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Seagrave and Cossington. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 7,835, rising to 8,959 at the 2021 census. [1]

Contents

The origins of the village date back to around 840 AD when the area was settled by the Danes - Leicestershire forming part of the Danelaw along with other counties in the vicinity. The name Sileby may in fact come from the Danish name "Sighulf".

The village lies at the bottom of an ancient valley created by the nearby River Soar, meaning that surrounding farmland is particularly prone to flooding during persistent or heavy rain.

History

Traditionally, Sileby was split into two wards, separated by the brook that flows through the middle of the village. These are St Mary's to the north and St Gregory's to the south. However, due to Boundary Commission changes, a third ward of "Barrow West" was added, albeit as an arbitrary boundary essentially for electoral purposes.

One of Sileby's most notable landmarks is the Anglican church of St. Mary founded around 1152 and a Grade II* listed building, [2] The Gothic tower now houses a ring of ten bells. [3]

Sileby Primitive Methodist Church was built in 1866 to the designs of James Kerridge. [4] Sileby Wesleyan Methodist Church on the High Street was built in 1884. [5]

Sileby industrialised heavily over the Victorian period, with several hosiery and shoe factories present in the village until as recently as the 1980s, as well as a wallpaper manufacturer and several engineering companies. Nearly all of these have now disappeared and most of the factory premises have long since been demolished and replaced by new housing estates - it is now a commuter town for people who work throughout the East Midlands and beyond.

Transport

St. Mary's parish church, Sileby Sileby parish church 2006-04-14 028web2.jpg
St. Mary's parish church, Sileby

The village has a railway station on the Ivanhoe Line, and trains run hourly to Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Lincoln. [6]

Centrebus service 27 and Kinchbus service 2 both link Sileby to Loughborough which also gives further connections to the Skylink Leicester-Derby buses which run to East Midlands Airport which is around 15 miles away. The Kinchbus service to Leicester was withdrawn on 4 September 2022, leaving the village with no bus service to the city, no evening service to Loughborough and no public transport whatsoever on Sundays. [7]

Local road transport links via the nearby A6 and A46 link directly to the M1, which lies to the west. The A46 to the village's east follows the route of the Fosse Way to Lincoln in the north and provides a link to the east coast of England. The local area is prone to flooding from the River Soar and its tributaries, meaning that access and egress can be limited in persistently wet weather with some local roads becoming impassable.

The proximity to the River Soar also means that Sileby has an active marina. [8]

Sport

Sileby has a great number of sporting clubs, many of which have enjoyed success in recent years. There are clubs and facilities for cricket, football, Kickboxing, tennis, lawn bowls, rugby, baseball and shooting amongst others.

Sileby Community Centre, High Street Wesleyan Methodist Church, Sileby.jpg
Sileby Community Centre, High Street

Sileby Town Rugby Football Club (also known as the Sileby Vikings [9] ) was established in 2006 and now plays in Midlands Division 4 East (South), as well as the local Leicestershire Leagues, using the facilities at Platts Lane Recreation Ground in the nearby village of Cossington. They currently run a First XV, Second XV and since August 2015 a Ladies XV has also been added.

Community

Sileby has a community magazine, Talk@Sileby. The magazine is published by volunteers three times a year..

Sileby Community Centre is located on the High Street in what was formerly Sileby Wesleyan Methodist Church.

Sileby Library was handed over by L.C.C. to a group of trustees/volunteers in December 2015 and is now known as Sileby Community Library. [10]

There is an active Scout group which meets at its HQ on Brook Street and includes Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts classes on weekday evenings. [11]

Sileby has shifted from its industrial past producing clothing to being a commuter town, with few industrial buildings remaining. Notable survivors are the factories on Seagrave Road, currently occupied by the village's last remaining hosier. [12]

Development

The village has expanded greatly, with several hundred new houses having been built and the former "Maltings" buildings (part of an old brewery that used to be based in the village in the 1800s) redeveloped as houses and flats.

Sileby has seen increased housing developments due to the selling of local agricultural areas and farmlands, such as the estate off Ratcliffe Road, [13] near to Ratcliffe on the Wreake, two more developments have also been completed near the village of Seagrave. There are plans for a new housing estate to be built between Sileby and Cossington. [14]

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

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

The River Soar is a major tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands and is the principal river of Leicestershire. The source of the river is midway between Hinckley and Lutterworth. The river then flows north through Leicester, where it is joined by the Grand Union Canal. Continuing on through the Leicestershire Soar Valley, it passes Loughborough and Kegworth until it reaches the Trent at the county boundary. In the 18th century, the Soar was made navigable, initially between Loughborough and the Trent, and then through to Leicester. It was not until the early 19th century that it was linked by the Grand Union Canal to the wider network to the south and to London.

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

Charnwood is a local government district with borough status in the north of Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, much of which lies within the borough. Towns in the borough include Loughborough, Shepshed and Syston. Villages in the borough include Barrow upon Soar, Birstall, Hathern, Mountsorrel, Quorn, Rothley, Sileby and Woodhouse Eaves.

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

Rothley is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. Situated around one-half mile west of the River Soar and five miles north of Leicester, it had a population of 3,612 inhabitants the 2001 census. The population measured at the 2011 census was 3,897.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soar Valley</span>

The Soar Valley in Leicester- and Nottinghamshire, England is the basin of the River Soar, which rises south of Leicester and flows north through Charnwood before meeting the River Trent at Trent Lock.

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

Cossington is a village within the Soar Valley in Leicestershire, England. It lies between Sileby, Rothley, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake and Syston. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 598.

<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">Mountsorrel</span> Human settlement in England

Mountsorrel is a village in Leicestershire on the River Soar, just south of Loughborough with a population in 2001 of 6,662 inhabitants, increasing to 8,223 at the 2011 census.

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

Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area.

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

Loughborough is a constituency in Leicestershire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Jeevun Sandher of the Labour Party. The constituency is a considered a bellwether, as it has reflected the national result at every general election since February 1974.

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

Barrow upon Soar is a large village in northern Leicestershire, in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough, with a population at the 2011 census of 5,856.

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

Ratcliffe on the Wreake is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 179. It is just to the north of the River Wreake, opposite East Goscote.

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

Hoton is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, on the A60 north-east of Loughborough, just south of the border with Nottinghamshire. Nearby places are Prestwold, Wymeswold, and Rempstone. At the 2011 Census, the population was 353.

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

Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of around 500, measured at the 2011 census as 546, It is north of Sileby and close to Thrussington and Barrow upon Soar.

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

Thrussington is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 587. It is on the River Wreake, near to Rearsby, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Hoby and Brooksby, and not far from the path of the Fosse Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A607 road</span> Road in England

The A607 is an A road in England that starts in Belgrave, Leicester and heads northeastwards through Leicestershire and the town of Grantham, Lincolnshire, terminating at Bracebridge Heath, a village on the outskirts of Lincoln. It is a primary route from Thurmaston to the A1 junction at Grantham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinchbus</span> Loughborough bus operator, part of Wellglade

Kinchbus, formerly G.K. Kinch, is a bus operator in Loughborough, England. Since 1998 it has been a subsidiary of the Wellglade Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sileby Wesleyan Methodist Church</span> Church in Sileby, England

Sileby Wesleyan Methodist Church is a former Methodist church in Sileby, Leicestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melton and Syston (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2024 onwards

Melton and Syston is a county constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. It was first contested at the 2024 general election. The seat is currently represented by Edward Argar of the Conservative Party.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2021". City Population. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1230687)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "Sileby S Mary". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers . Dovemaster. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Opening of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Sileby". Loughborough Monitor. England. 2 May 1867. Retrieved 12 February 2020– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Opening of a new Wesleyan Chapel at Sileby". Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News. England. 4 December 1884. Retrieved 11 February 2020– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ Table 53 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  7. ↑ Shannen Headley (18 August 2022). "Fury as Kinchbus axes services to Leicester from villages". LeicestershireLive. Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Sileby Marine". Sileby Marine. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Sileby Vikings RFC". Pitchero. Pitch Hero Ltd. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "Sileby Library". Leicestershire County Council. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sileby Scouts". Scouts. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  12. ↑ "Ladkin Hosiery Limited, Sileby". Cylex UK. Cylex Local Search. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Developer bids to build 175 homes on village farmland". 29 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Controversial plans for 170 homes between two villages approved". 30 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Speedway: Leicester Lions fans get ready to roar at Rye House", Leicester Mercury , 19 March 2010, retrieved 2011-06-01
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