Belgrave, Leicestershire

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Diwali and Xmas lights in 2005

Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. The old Belgrave Village is on the Loughborough Road, to the west of the A46, known at that point as 'Melton Road'.

1 History
2 Etymology
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

One of the earliest mentions of this place is in the Domesday book where it is listed amongst the lands given to Hugh de Grandmesnil ^[1] by the King. The land consisted of a mill, 24 acres of meadow and land for 6 ploughs.

The term was used for the large 19th century terraced developments along the A46 (Belgrave Road and then Melton Road). This area now has a large, vibrant Asian community featuring the Golden Mile (Leicester): a string of specialist Asian stores reputed to sell more gold than any singular region in Britain. It is bounded to the south by Leicester City Centre, to the west by the River Soar and to the east by the Midland Main Line.

The Belgrave Hall area is a conservation area^[2].

Old Belgrave is the original village and church, and was once nicknamed "Dummy Town", not because the inhabitants were stupid but because they would never inform to the police and solved village problems themselves.^{[citation needed]}

Belgrave Square in London was once owned by the same family that owned Old Belgrave Village and this is where Belgrave Square and the name Belgravia originate.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Etymology

The settlement has been meant in Domesday Book as Merdegrave (from Old English mearð ‘marten’ + grāf ‘grove’). However, after the Norman Conquest the first part of the name merde was taken to be Old French ‘dung’ or ‘shit’, hence the people changed it to Old French beu, bel ‘fair’, ‘lovely’, in order to remove that unpleasant association.