Glenfield - Ancient and Modern

WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY covered the very early history of Glenfield and there are traces of those early times.

Archaeological finds still crop up but there are other indications not least in some place names. We have Roman Avenue leading onto the Roman Way long-distance cycle route going out to Ratby and Groby roughly following the probable line of a Roman road and intercepting the Ivanhoe Way giving access to the National Forest and beyond.

In more recent times

Glenfield featured in the early development of the railways with the tunnel, opened in 1832, at just over a mile in length. It is occasionally opened up for visitors to see. The tunnel entrance is a grade II listed structure as are the ventilation shafts now in private gardens.

The Ellis family - after which Ellis Park is named - had been very successful farmers who moved on into industry and commerce and became one of Leicestershire’s most important families. They were Quakers and became philanthropists so quite what they would have thought about their former home becoming the Gynsills Farm public house can only be guessed at.

Their involvement in mining of slate, coal and granite was boosted by joining up with their family friend, George Stephenson and his son Robert to construct this tunnel. It was then the longest railway tunnel in the world with the line providing a link to the City of Leicester. The line of the track is now a bridleway linking the Railway Hotel in Glenfield to the Railway Inn at Ratby.

It would appear the locals have never been satisfied with the levels of public transport in the area as in 1912 the Parish Council petitioned the Midland Railway Company for an extra train on Wednesdays and Saturdays on the line through the village to Ratby.

Passenger trains stopped using the line in the 1920s but it was not until the 1960s before freight use stopped and the station was demolished. The track between the railway Hotel in Glenfield and its namesake in Ratby, is now a bridleway and part of the Ivanhoe Trail but the spur to Groby is unused but still in evidence.

Other names with historic connotations include The Hall school on the site of an old hall and Glenfield Frith Drive in which it stands, the road to the neighbouring village of Glenfield Frith. We have the Balk which used to lead to Baulk Fields. The Square was known as The Market Square. The path between Main Street and Church Road was known as The Lees and that between Church Road and Stamford Street as Blacksmith’s Bank, both names having recently been reintroduced.

In days gone by the nearby villages of Anstey (Ansty), Kirby Muxloe (Kerby Muckles) and Groby (Grooby) also changed their spellings.

If you see a map of the village from the first part of the 20th century you can see the Slate Way or Slate Way shown and nearby there is a note of gold workings. The Slate Walk is now buried under the belt of trees separating the new southern housing from the older parts of the village and the new road parallel with it is now called Slatewalk Way. We also have Goldworkings Close, the nearest road to the old workings.

During the late 1800s the Premier Brick Company was developed, situated where the Mill Lane Industrial Estate is now and the Glenfield Distributive Society was established, later becoming the `Co-op‘ with branches in Station Road, Stamford Street and Dominion Road. The Glenfield Co-operative Boot and Shoe Manufacturing Society was founded in the Progress Works on Station Road but Glenfield was still very much a rural community.

As the 19th century drew to a close though, change was accelerating in the village; mains water and gas came on stream and the Parish Council was formed. The Co-op branches are long gone but for many years the organisation had a superstore in Glenfield but now has no representation other than a funeral parlour.

House for Sale in Glenfield

SPENCERS Estate

Agents are offering for sale a four-bedroomed detached home in Saintbury Road, Glenfield.

Accommodation is arranged over two floors and comprises in brief: entrance hall, lounge with feature fireplace to the front aspect, leading to particularly attractive sunroom with skylights and tiled roof. The rear aspect houses a substantial kitchen/diner/living space with fully fitted units and appliances with velux skylights and french doors leading to the rear garden, a further reception room provides a versatile ground floor space and leads to a utility room and ground floor w/c.

Upstairs there are four good sized bedrooms and two bathrooms off landing, whilst externally there is a private driveway providing ample off road parking, as well as integral garage, and landscaped rear garden with patio and lawn areas, mature trees and shrubbery

Asking Price: £515,000. Contact Spencers Estate Agents on 0116 3400 593 or visit www.spencers.co.uk

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