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Ashby-de-la-Zouch

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Ashby-de-la-Zouch(/ˈæʃbidələˈzuːʃ/),[2]also spelledAshby de la Zouch,[a]is a market town andcivil parishin theNorth West Leicestershiredistrict ofLeicestershire,England, near to theDerbyshireandStaffordshireborders. Its population at the 2021 census was 16,491.[3]Ashby de la Zouch Castlewas an important fort in the 15th to 17th centuries. During the 19th century, the town's main industry was ribbon manufacturing.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch/Ashby
Town and civil parish
Top to bottom, left to right:Ashby de la Zouch Castle,St Helen's Church& Market Street
Ashby-de-la-Zouch/Ashby is located in Leicestershire
Ashby-de-la-Zouch/Ashby
Ashby-de-la-Zouch/Ashby
Location withinLeicestershire
Population15,120 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSK3516
•London115 SE
Civil parish
  • Ashby de la Zouch
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Areas of the town
List
Post townAshby-de-la-Zouch
Postcode districtLE65
Dialling code01530
PoliceLeicestershire
FireLeicestershire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
WebsiteAshby de la Zouch Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire
52°44′46″N1°28′34″W/ 52.746°N 1.476°W/52.746; -1.476

The civil parish includes thehamletsof Shellbrook to the west and Boundary to the north-west.Swadlincote,Burton upon Trent,MelbourneandCoalvilleare within 10 miles (16 km), withDerby12 miles (19 km) due north. It lies at the heart of theNational Forest,24 miles (39 km) south of thePeak District National Park,on theA42betweenTamworthandNottingham.

History

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Ashby de la Zouch Castle

The town was known as Ashby in 1086.[4]This is a word ofAnglo-Danishorigin, meaning "Ash-treefarm "or" Ash-tree settlement ".[5]TheNorman Frenchname extension dates from the years after theNorman conquest of England,when Ashby became a possession of theLa Zouchefamily during the reign ofHenry III.[6]

Ashby de la Zouch Castle was built in the 12th century.[7]The town and castle came into the possession of the Hastings family in 1464 andWilliam Hastings, 1st Baron Hastingsenhanced its fortifications from 1473.[7]In theEnglish Civil War,the town was one of theCavaliers' chief garrisons under the control of ColonelHenry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughboroughand commander of the North Midlands Army. When the town fell after a long siege in March 1646, it was counted a great relief to the surrounding towns and villages.[8]

Many of the buildings in Market Street, the town's main thoroughfare, are timber framed. Most of this structure is hidden by later brick facades.The Bull's Headpublic houseretains its originalElizabethanhalf-timbering, although most of this was plastered over some years ago and can no longer be seen from the street.[9]A short distance further down Market Street is a shop, currently occupied as a LOROS Charity Shop, which retains its original Elizabethan timbers in full street view.[10]Regencybuildings are also standing in this street. Bath Street has a row ofClassical-style houses calledRawdon Terrace,dating from the time of the 1820s, when the town was aspadestination.

Notable buildings

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Churches

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Holy Trinity parish church
Methodist church
Congregational church
Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic church

St Helen's Churchis Ashby's original Anglican parish church. It is a late 15th-centuryPerpendicular Gothicbuilding. The outeraisleswere designed byJ. P. St. Aubynand added in 1878.[11]St. Helen's contains notable memorials to various members of the Hastings family and other notables.[7]It also holds a rare 300-year-oldfinger pillory.[12]

Holy Trinity Churchis aGothic Revivalbuilding designed byH. I. Stevensin theEarly English Gothic styleand built in 1838–40.[7]It has galleries supported by iron columns.[7]Thechancelwas added in 1866 and the ironworkchancel screenin 1891.[7]

TheRoman Catholic ChurchofOur Lady of Lourdeswas designed byF. A. Waltersand built in 1908–15[7]at the expense ofthe 15th Duke of Norfolk.It isneo-Norman,with threeapsesand a tower at the southeast corner.[7]

TheCongregational Churchwas built in 1825 in aneoclassicalstyle withTuscancolumns.[13]There is also aChristadelphianmeeting hall in the town.[14]

Ivanhoe Baths

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The water tower at Ashby de la Zouch cemetery, prior to its conversion into a dwelling

The Ivanhoe Baths was an 1822Neo-Grecianbuilding with aDoricfaçade 200 feet (61 m) long.[13]Unused, it was derelict by 1960,[13]and was demolished in 1962.[15][16]Mineworkers discovered a copious saline spring when working coal at Moira Colliery, 3 miles (5 km) west of the town, in 1805. Here developers built the Moira Baths, with a large hotel nearby for travellers. After a few years, however, it was decided to convey the water to Ashby, where the Ivanhoe Baths were built. The Royal Hotel, originally called the Hastings Hotel, was built in 1826 to accommodate visitors to the growing spa.[13]It has a Doricporte-cochèreand additional Doric columns in its hall inside.[13]The hotel closed in February 2018.[17]

Water tower

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The Grade II-listed, 19th-century water tower, located in the town's cemetery on Moira Road, has been converted into a dwelling. The conversion was controversial since it involved a number of modern additions to the building.[18]

Loudoun Monument

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In 1879,Baron Donington,the widowed husband ofEdith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun,had the Loudoun monument erected to her memory in Ashby. The octagonal monument by SirGeorge Gilbert Scottis based on theEleanor crosses and is aListed building.[19]It is located at the junction of Bath and South Streets, opposite the Roman Catholic church.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall

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Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall,which was built at the same time as the market hall to its rear, dates to 1857.[20]

Education

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The town has twosecondary schools:

  • Ashby School,previously Ashby Grammar School, is for 11–18-year-olds. It was founded in 1567. The town formerly had two other endowed boys' schools founded in the 18th century.

Manor House School was an independent day school in the centre of Ashby for boys and girls aged four to 16. The school was located between St Helen's Church and the ruins of Ashby's historic castle. Pupils travelled to the school from a wide area. The school entered into administration on 13 December 2018.

Business

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In the 19th century, Ashby's main industry was leather working. There was also a cotton textile factory and a glue factory. Ashby was surrounded by coalmines but was never a coalmining town itself. By far the largest employer in the town today isUnited Biscuits,providing about 2,000 jobs at its distribution centre, which stores its products and transports them nationwide, and itsKP Snacksfactory in Smisby Road. The firm formerly had a larger presence in Ashby.McVitie'sbiscuit factory on Smisby Road closed in 2004 with the loss of 900 jobs.[21]

Other employers in Ashby includeTesco,Ashfield Commercial & Medical Services, Timeline Communications, Eduteq Limited and TAC UK Ltd, a firm of energy consultants. Standard Soap Ltd, a significant industrial employer within Ashby-de-la-Zouch since 1928, closed in early 2012, resulting in the loss of 155 jobs.[22]The town has a concentration of high-tech employers. The video game software houseUltimate Play the Gamewas based in Ashby. Now calledRare,it has moved to Manor Park nearTwycross.

Recreation

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Ashby United Community Football Club is a community club for juniors and seniors of all ages. They play across multiple divisions across all of their Junior and Senior teams and are seen as leading the way in community inclusion when it comes to football and sports in the town.[23]

WillesleyPark Golf Course is set in rolling countryside, partly in parkland and partly on heathland, covering 230 acres of gentle undulating countryside. The course was opened for play in April 1921. The first hole is played along an avenue oflime treeswhich once flanked the old coach road from the oldNormancastle in the town to the now demolished Willesley Hall.

Ashby Hastings Cricket Club[24]was founded before 1831. Its ground, theBath Groundsin the centre of Ashby, hostsLeicestershire CCC2nd XI matches each year. The club runs three Saturday League sides, all of which play in the Everard's Leicestershire County Cricket League. The 1st XI play in the Premier Division, the highest level of club cricket available in Leicestershire, the 2nd XI play in Division 4 and the 3rd XI play in Division 8. The club also run a Midweek XI who play in the Premier Division of theLoughboroughCricket Association League and a Sunday XI who play friendly cricket. The club's Junior Section includes sides at Under 15, Under 13, Under 11 and Under 10 age groups.[25]A second club, Ashby Town Cricket Club[26]was formed in 1945.

Ashby RFC has its grounds in Nottingham Road. It plays in the League Midland 3 East (North). It also has mini and junior sections for girls and boys from age four, as well as seniors and seconds side and an O2 Touch team for players of all ages and both genders.[27]

The town also has abridgeclub (Ashby Bridge Club), and a hockey club (Ashby Hockey Club)

Agreyhound racingtrack was opened on 3 April 1931. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body theNational Greyhound Racing Club) known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.[28]Racing was held on Tuesday and Saturday evenings and distances included 200, 350, 550 and 525 yards. The date of closure is thought to be around 1935.[29]

Ivanhoe Runners, established in 1985 as a road, cross-country and social running club is a thriving and well respected running club based in Ashby de la Zouch. The club organises the annual Ashby 20 mile road race event, usually held five weeks ahead of the London Marathon. The perfect final pre-marathon race preparation or a challenging goal in itself. Set on a testing undulating route the race, organised for runners by runners is well established on the athletics calendar and sells out quickly. For many years the race has been sponsored by ALDI, and uniquely rewards finishers with a famous Ashby 20 hoody instead of a medal along with a well earned cheese cob. As recognition for the race’s outstanding organisation, with well stocked water stations and incredibly enthusiast marshals the race has received the highest Gold BARR grading annually since 2006. In 2017 the Ashby 20 was awarded the Bill Reynolds award for excellence recognising its excellent organisation, medical and emergency provision and community links. Each year,vthe race is supported by a number of local organisations such as Leicestershire Search and Rescue, Ashby Endurance Explorer Scouts, the Rotary Club of Ashby Castle, Ashby Town Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Derby Runner, Conkers parkrun and Heartwize Runners.

Transport

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The town was to be served byAshby Canalfrom 1804 but the canal never reached Ashby, as it was constructed only to the village ofMoira.The town was served by theLeicester–Burton upon Trent lineof theMidland Railway[30]and had its own station. After the canal was abandoned in stages between 1944 and 1966,British Railwayswithdrew the passenger service and closedAshby de la Zouch railway stationin September 1964. The railway remains open for freight. There were also connections to both theMelbourne LineandAshby and Nuneaton Joint Railwayconnecting the town with the towns ofMelbourne,Market Bosworth,HinckleyandNuneatonas well as the city ofDerby,but these lines closed between the 1950s and 1980s. Both of the lines now form footpaths with some of the old stations still present but others demolished.

In the 1990s, BR planned to restore passenger services between Leicester and Burton as the second phase of itsIvanhoe Lineproject. However, after theprivatisation of British Railin 1995, this phase of the project was shelved. In 2009 theAssociation of Train Operating Companiespublished a £49-million proposal to restore passenger services to the line, which would include reopening a station at Ashby.[31]

The nearest railway station isBurton-on-Trent,8 miles (13 km) away. The fastest train to London in the mornings and evenings is from Tamworth (12 miles from Ashby) to Euston at 1hr 2mins average non-stop at peak hours.

A511 Ashby bypass

TheA50LeicestertoStoke-on-Trentroad and theA453BirminghamtoNottinghamroad used to pass through the town centre. The heavy traffic, which previously travelled through the town, has been greatly relieved by theA42andA511bypasses, which replace the A453 and A50, respectively.

Bus routes provide an hourly direct service to Burton-upon-Trent, Coalville, East Midlands Airport, Leicester and Swadlincote (Diamond East Midlands9 and 19, andArriva Midlands29, 29A and X29). TheNational Expresscoach network is available in Leicester, which has a daily direct service to London.

East Midlands Airportis 9 miles (14 km) north-east of Ashby. It provides flights to and from other parts of the UK and Europe. For International travellers,Birmingham Airportis 26 miles away (c. 30 mins) and provides international flights.

Media

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Television signals can only be received from theSutton ColdfieldTV transmitter which broadcast programmes fromBirmingham.[32]However,BBC East MidlandsandITV Centralare also received through cable and satellite television such asFreesatandSky.

Local radio stations areBBC Radio Leicester,Smooth East Midlands,Capital Midlands,Hits Radio East Midlands,Greatest Hits Radio Midlands,and Hermitage FM, a community based station.[33]

Local newspapers are Ashby Nub News andLeicester Mercury.[34]

Culture

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Every May, Ashby holds an arts festival sponsored by the district council.[35]This features local artists, musicians, songwriters, poets, performers, and story tellers. The multiple sites around the town host exhibitions, musical performances, workshops and talks, and the town centre is decorated with flags and an outdoor gallery.

Ashby Statutes, atravelling funfair,is held every September. Instituted by Royal Statute, it was originally ahiring fair,wheredomestic servantsand farmworkers would be hired for the year. During the fair in the 21st century, Market Street, the main road through the town (the former A50 trunk road), is closed for nearly a week. The traffic is diverted along narrower roads either side of Market Street. Locals call this event "The Statutes".

A song "Ashby de la Zouch (Castle Abbey)", written by Al Hoffman, Milton Drake and Jerry Livingston, was recorded by theMerry Macsin 1946 on Decca No. 18811. It includes the lines "If you wanna smooch and be happy as a pooch, go to Ashby de la Zouch by the sea."[36](Ashby-de-la-Zouch is close to the centre of England, almost as far from the sea as is possible.)[37]In April 1946 the American jazz bassist and composerCharles Mingusrecorded a tune called "Ashby de la Zouch" with his band. The title or choice of song could have been an acknowledgement of guitaristIrving Ashby,who took part in the recording.[38]Ashby-de-la-Zouch istwinnedwithPithiviersin north-central France.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch is mentioned inIvanhoe,the novel by Sir Walter Scott set in 1194, as "the lists at Ashby" and as “the lists at Ashby-de-la-Zouch”,[39]suggesting thatjoustingmay once have taken place in the town (listsbeing the barriers through which the respective steeds charge during ajoust). The same phrase is used in the original computer gameDefender of the Crown,which apparently drew inspiration from Scott's novel.

Notable people

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See also:Category:People from Ashby-de-la-Zouch
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  • Adrian Mole,a fictional diarist created by writerSue Townsend,was fromLeicesterand moved to Ashby de la Zouch during his lifetime.[41]
  • Harry Flashman,Sir Harry Paget Flashman is a fictional character created byThomas Hughes(1822–1896) in the semi-autobiographicalTom Brown's School Days(1857) and later developed byGeorge MacDonald Fraser(1925–2008). Sir Harry, after his inglorious career, retired to his country home, Gandamack Lodge, in Ashby, there to write his memoirs, known to the public asThe Flashman Papers.[42]
  • Ashby de la Zouch is often mentioned byGuz Khanin his showMan Like Mobeen,where some characters who "go on holiday to Ashby de la Zouch" mistakenly say it is in Spain rather than Leicestershire.[43]
  • The protagonist of the 1994 video gameUniverseis from Ashby-de-la-Zouch.[44]
  • This town is where the tournament for knights and archers described in Chapters VII to XIV of the novelIvanhoe,byWalter Scott,was held. Both King Richard and Locksley showed their prowess before John, brother of Richard. The novel was set in 1194.[39]

Location

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Neighbouring communities includeLount,Normanton le Heath,Smisby,Packington,Donisthorpe,Oakthorpe,Moira,MeashamandColeorton.

Notes

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  1. ^So spelled officially"Town of Ashby de la Zouch".North West Leicestershire District Council.Retrieved24 July2019.

References

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  1. ^"Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire, East Midlands, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information".citypopulation.de.Retrieved16 October2024.
  2. ^Wells 2008,p. 47.
  3. ^"Town population 2011".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics. Archived fromthe originalon 11 October 2016.Retrieved5 June2016.
  4. ^"Ashby-de-la-Zouche".Open Domesday.Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2014.Retrieved23 May2024.
  5. ^Watts, Insley & Gelling 2004.
  6. ^"Ashby-de-la-Zouch".UK Genealogy Archives.Archived fromthe originalon 27 March 2009.Retrieved23 May2024.
  7. ^abcdefghPevsner 1960,p. 51.
  8. ^"The Ashby Garrison In The Civil War".www.localhistories.org.Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2006.Retrieved5 April2018.
  9. ^"Modern photograph of The Bulls Head".Ashby Museum website.Ashby Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 20 November 2008.Retrieved13 July2012.
  10. ^"Photograph of 51 Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch".Ashby Museum website.Ashby de la Zouch Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 20 November 2008.Retrieved13 July2012.
  11. ^Pevsner 1960,p. 50.
  12. ^Pevsner 1960,p. 79.
  13. ^abcdePevsner 1960,p. 54.
  14. ^"The Church in The Heart of Ashby".Ashby Christadelphians.
  15. ^Pevsner 1960,p. 84.
  16. ^Noble 2014,p. 420.
  17. ^Pegden, Tom (18 March 2018)."Why historic county hotel has closed".leicestermercury.Retrieved18 March2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^KATIE BOWLER (29 November 2012)."Thumbs-up for water tower housing plan".Burton Mail.Retrieved25 May2013.[dead link‍]
  19. ^"Loudoun Monument, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire".britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.Retrieved2 December2019.
  20. ^Historic England."Town Hall (1073608)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved10 February2022.
  21. ^"Annual and Transition Report, Foreign Private Issuer".SEC.6 April 2005.During 2003, we announced a proposal to close our biscuit factory at Ashby-de-la-Zouch by the end of 2004 to improve our factory utilization and enable us to effectively support growth in our priority brands. We transferred approximately one-third of production to other sites and completed the first phase of the redundancy program...During 2004...[w]e also completed the closure of our biscuit facility at Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
  22. ^"Jobs lost as Standard Soap factory closes".BBC News.Retrieved10 July2016.
  23. ^"Ashby United Community Football Club".
  24. ^"Ashby Hastings Cricket Club".ahcc.co.uk.Retrieved5 April2018.
  25. ^"AHCC Web Site".ahcc.co.uk.Retrieved5 April2018.
  26. ^"Ashby Town Cricket Club".ashbycricket.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2012.Retrieved5 April2018.
  27. ^"Ashby Rugby Football Club".Retrieved10 July2016.
  28. ^Barnes 1988,p. 410.
  29. ^"ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH".Greyhound Racing Times.
  30. ^Scott 1907,p. 245.
  31. ^"Connecting Communities – Expanding Access to the Rail Network"(PDF).London:Association of Train Operating Companies.June 2009. p. 19.Retrieved7 September2018.
  32. ^"Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter".UK Free TV.1 May 2004.Retrieved25 October2023.
  33. ^"Hermitage FM".Retrieved25 October2023.
  34. ^"Ashby Nub News".Retrieved25 October2023.
  35. ^"Ashby Arts Festival".www.ashbyartsfestival.co.uk.Retrieved10 July2016.
  36. ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:ScrambledEggs1969 (4 October 2012)."The Merry Macs – Ashby de la Zouch By The Sea (Castle Abbey) 1946 Zooch".Retrieved5 April2018– via YouTube.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. ^"Notes & Queries: Which British town is furthest from the sea?".The Guardian.25 April 2012.Retrieved10 July2016.
  38. ^Hoffman, Al; Livingston, Jerry; Drake, Milton, 1912– (1945)."Ashby-De-La-Zouch (Castle Abbey)".D. Davis & Co.Retrieved22 June2020.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^abScott, Walter (1998) [1819].Ivanhoe.Edinburgh University Press. p. Chapters VII-XIV.ISBN978-0191794940.
  40. ^"Michael Wakelam obituary".The Guardian.24 April 2020.Retrieved4 May2016.
  41. ^"What happened to the cast of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 3/4".Northants Live.30 September 2020.Retrieved10 February2022.
  42. ^"Flashman and the Tiger".Ilo Publishers.Retrieved10 February2022.
  43. ^"What's on TV: Monday".The Times.29 March 2020.Retrieved10 February2022.
  44. ^Bottomley-Mason, Gary (1994).Universe Manual "Your Passport to Paralela".Core Design. p. 5.

Sources

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There is a very in-depth record of the town written in a book by W. Scott in 1907 entitled "The History of Ashby-de-la-Zouch", and printed by a local Printer called George Brown. It includes many excellent images.

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toAshby-de-la-Zouch.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forAshby-de-la-Zouch.
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