Shepshed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shepshed | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 13,000 | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | SK475195 | |
| Administration | ||
| District: | Charnwood | |
| Shire county: | Leicestershire | |
| Region: | East Midlands | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | Leicestershire | |
| Historic county: | Leicestershire | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | {{{Police}}} | |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} | |
| Ambulance: | East Midlands | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | LOUGHBOROUGH | |
| Postal district: | LE12 | |
| Dialling code: | 01509 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | ||
| European Parliament: | East Midlands | |
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Shepshed, often known until 1888 as Sheepshed, (also Sheepshead) is a town in Leicestershire, England with a population of around 13,000 people. It is in the Charnwood borough.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The town originally grew as a centre for the wool trade. However, since the construction of the M1 motorway nearby, it has become a dormitory town for Loughborough, Leicester and Nottingham. It was officially a village until recently, and claimed to be Britain's largest and also claimed to have the highest number of pubs per head of population in the country. Now, however, it is home to only 15 public houses.
There has been much controversy about the origin of the name of the town. The earliest form is Scepeshefde Regis as mentioned in the Domesday Book, which means "Hill where sheep graze", but since then there have been many changes until the present form, Shepshed, was adopted in 1888.
Very little evidence of settlement on the site of Shepshed appears before the Domesday Book. However, succeeding centuries provide an abundance of historical material. The prosperity of medieval Shepshed was based on the wool industry and "Well Yard" on Forest Street may well be a corruption of "Wool Yard", where Bradford wool merchants congregated to buy from local inhabitants. In addition, there is considerable evidence to suggest that a weekly market was held at least, until the 14th Century.
The older part of the Town is found in the vicinity of St Botolph's Parish Church, which has stood on its present site since the 11th Century and is the westernmost parish church in England to bear the name of Saint Botolph.
The church's original patronage came from Leicester Abbey, however between 1699 and 1856 the patrons were the Phillips family of Garendon Hall. This family has been Lords of the Manor since its purchase by Ambrose Phillips in 1683. Garendon Hall (now demolished) was built on the site of Garendon Abbey, a prominent Cistercian House which was built in 1133 and survived its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1536.
The 18th Century saw the enclosure of the common lands around Shepshed. There had been enclosures in the 15th and 16th Century, but towards the end of the 18th Century the last remaining common land, approximately 2000 acres (8 km²), was enclosed and divided among the principle commoners of the village. Much destruction was caused in the town when in 1753, 85 bays of buildings were destroyed by fire.
There were many changes during the 19th Century. Shepshed was briefly linked by canal to Loughborough, and to the coalmines of West Leicestershire when the Charnwood Navigation Canal was opened in 1798. However, their success was only short lived. By 1804 the canal had proved an uneconomic venture and was closed. The Charnwood Forest Railway was opened in 1881, but regular passenger services ceased in 1931. However, the goods service did not close until 1963.
[edit] Sport
The main sports team in the town and the surrounding borough is Shepshed Dynamo F.C., who play in the Unibond League Division One. The town is twinned with the Parisian suburb of Domont.
[edit] Education
Hind Leys Community College educates pupils from 14 to 19, in the town, and includes students not only from Shepshed, but also from local towns and villages such as Loughborough, Belton, Castle Donington, Diseworth, Long Whatton, and Tonge.Pupils aged from 10 to 14 attend Shepshed High School. There are four primary schools in the town; Oxley, St Botolph's and Newcroft for pupils until the age of 10, and St Winefride's which caters for Roman Catholic pupils until the age of 11, after which they transfer to De Lisle Catholic 11-19 school in Loughborough.
