People Making Places
NEWTOWN LINFORD July 2015
NEWTOWN
Wlcome to Newtown Linford
N LINFORD
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Newtown Linford "NIWE TUN LIND FORD" (The New Town By The Ford Where The Lime Trees Grow) Newtown Linford Lies at the southern entrance to Bradgate Park. It is surrounded by rocky hills and woods and is one of the chief sources of Swithland Slate.
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The tourism generated by Bradgate Park has led to a number of highly popular cafes and hotels in the area, as well as a pub and social club.
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The village has several timber framed and stone buildings, roofed in thatch or slate. Although it now has a modern facade, the Bradgate Hotel is still the same village inn where carriers used to rest both themselves and their horses. Lenthill Farm was once the village inn, the Horns Tavern, and played an important part in a local custom. Until 1872, when they were abolished, Newtown Linford was part of the Peculier of Groby. These were independent of the Bishop, except for confirmations and every few years. A court was held in Newtown Linford Church to deal with many minor and often bizarre offences.
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One such was ringing church bells without first removing coats or spurs. At the end of the Court, the court officers would process to dinner at the Horns Tavern. As a contribution to this, Lord Stamford would always donate a Pike from Groby Pool and a buck from Bradgate Park. [The name is still commemorated in the name of the beer "Theakston's Old Peculier", which refers to the court rather than the effect on the drinker!] The village pump is still standing, opposite the Village Stores, although it is no longer working. The Village Stores themselves were once the village blacksmith's shop.
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HISTORY OF NEWTOWN LINFORD: A Palstave Axe from the Middle Bronze Age (1400-900 BC) was found at Newtown Linford. The village is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, showing that it did not exist as a separate settlement until after 1086. It probably existed as a "daughter" settlement of Groby before 1293 but was only recorded as a separate settlement at this date.
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John Leland visited Bradgate Park in the early sixteenth century and passed through Newtown Linford on the journey. He pronounced it "a poore village"! However, by 1670, the village had 48 households.
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Lord of the Manor in 1822 was the Earl of Stamford. Until the break up of the Grey estate, Newtown Linford was an estate village, entirely owned by the Greys. At this time there were ten farms in Newtown Linford but now there are only two.
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In 1925 Katherine Dunscombe, who had inherited Bradgate Park from her uncle, the Seventh Earl of Stamford, decided to realise some of her assets. Consequently, some 6,500 acres in Newtown Lindford and surrounding parishes went up for auction.The sale lasted several days and was held at the Bell Hotel in Leicester, where the Haymarket shopping c e n t re n o w s t a n d s . M o s t o f t h e N e w t o w n Linford property was sold on the first day and many farms and cottages were sold to their tenants who became property owners for the first time. Whenever this happened, there was cheering and applause in the auction room! The most expensive property was Lane End Farm which was sold - to the tenant - for ÂŁ3,650. Ms.Dunscombe, held on to the Park for another three years but finally sold it to Charles Bennion of Thurnby.
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In an amazing act of generosity, Bennion presented the entire Park to the City and County of Leicester "that for all time it might be preserved for the quiet enjoyment of the people of Leicestershire". The running of the park was now in the hands of a group of trustees, who wasted no time in making the most of their charge. The park continued to grow while its natural beauty and wildlife were preserved and encouraged. As the popularity of the park grew, Newtown Linford found a new role for itself as a sort of "service centre" for Bradgate. Most visitors to the park approached through the village and it was not long before several local people hit on the financial opportunities offered by serving refreshments. Since then, the village has become a tourist destination in its own right and, without doubt, one of the most attractive in the borough.
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Church The church of All Saints stands by the gates to Bradgate Park. It was built in the 14th century from Charnwood Forest Stone and roofed in local Swithland slate.
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The church was heavily renovated in 1860 and a chancel and north transept added in 1893. It has had many additions and alterations including a stained glass window commemorating Lady Jane Grey which was added in 1915. One feature mentioned by Pevsner in his "Buildings of England" series is an 18th century tympanum bearing the royal arms of George III.
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When Henry VIII dissolved the Monasteries in 1539, Ulverscroft Priory was one of those dissolved. According to local tradition the Priory bell, called Tomasat, was transferred to All Saint's Church, Newtown Linford, where it still remains.
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People Newtown Linford, It is about 5.8 mile north-west of Leicester, 8.4 mile south of Loughborough. Population is about 1,000. In this village, surrounded by a beautiful landscape shaped by centuries of human e n d e a v o u r, r e s i d e n t s l i v e d q u i e t l y a n d maintained their traditions. Now, at weekends many people will gather together here to walk in Bradgate Park and rest in tearooms and restaurants, leisurely enjoying free time with their families and relatives. With the aroma of coffee blowing in the wind, it seems that time has ceased, far away from urban noise. When the visitors have gone it returns to its own secluded lifestyle.
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Next time when you visit here, drop by for a tea or coffee after walking in Bradgate Park and experience the culture and architectural beauty of one of Charnwood’s best kept historic villages.
People Making Places
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Photography By
Ting-An Lin/Yi-Hsueh Huang/Jian-Sheng Sun
Editor
Ting-An Lin