Ratby and other related structures remain scattered in close proximity to the line. the to proximity close in scattered remain structures related other and at Inn Railway The now is what as remains Ashby Canal and The Battlefield Line Railway Hallelujah for Gopsall Hall! office booking The stone. quarried transport to used still is but 1960s the in passengers to closed line The country. the in railways Stephenson Robert Railway Swannington to Leicester , at that time being one of the earliest steam steam earliest the of one being time that at , by 1832 in completed , the Barra Billa Hole Hill . The need for improved transport to these extractive industries led to the construction of of construction the to led industries extractive these to transport improved for need The . and The Ashby Canal and civil engineering and has many canal competitors. A line The Gopsall Estate near Twycross was the at those as Markfield Groby , however extraction has ceased leaving a legacy of woodlands and nature reserves such such reserves nature and woodlands of legacy a leaving ceased has extraction however , and The Battlefield Line Railway interesting archaeological from Ashby to Nuneaton was home of Charles Jennens, a friend of the around quarried Bardon Under Stanton Forest National . Granite and slate was was slate and Granite . around remains aggregates for quarrying Active initiative. offer an excellent recreational features along its length opened in 1873. The Royal composer George Frideric Handel. Jennens of part Nailstone Desford Bagworth . Regeneration of the landscape following the legacy of coal mining is ongoing as as ongoing is mining coal of legacy the following landscape the of Regeneration . and , opportunity to experience the including single arch bridges, Train went to Shackerstone was his librettist writing the words for six of at mines quarrying mining . Winding wheels remind us of coal coal of us remind wheels Winding . and rural character of the borough two aqueducts and a tunnel. on its first outing in 1902 Handel’s works. Most famous of these works – industries local significant other of scars the shows landscape The Ratby Hinckley Groby Shilton Earl . and , , and explore other sites of Yet, it has no locks – built to conveying the Royal family is ’The Messiah’ premiered in 1743, reputedly in seen be can workshops and great interest. follow the contours of the land on their way to visit Gopsall written by Jennens at Gopsall; Handel must cottages knitters framework of examples Fine Leicester. after UK the in stockings of producer largest second the be to it helping to save costs. Many stretches Hall. The line closed in 1965 almost certainly have visited. town, the surrounding villages many in operated which industry cottage a spawned frame The Illife. William to thanks 1640 in Ashby Canal meanders for Hinckley of the navigation possess all but trains still operate as town the in arrived having frame stocking Lea’s William Rev with industry” hosiery the of “cradle the as known was itself most of its length through Charles Jennens lived an affluent life style the attractions of a natural part of the Battlefield Line peaceful countryside from its and in 1750 had the previous Jacobean life? new found have which buildings the in trade this of echoes river rich in flora and fauna Railway with stations at Trails Shoe & Boot (via the Council website) to hear the the hear to website) Council the (via junction with the Coventry mansion replaced with the opulent the follow not Why 1950s. the in peaked industry the WW2, and WW1 in and the canal offers a valuable Shackerstone (CV13 6NW), military the supplying Russia, as far as exports With factories. 23 with production shoe and boot by dominated were villages both Canal close to Bedworth to its Gopsall Hall, thought to be the finest Shilton Earl Shilton Earl Barwell , by 1896 1896 by , in Row Chelsea as such homes at or “yards” in working Initially . and recreational facility for boating, Market Bosworth (CV13 0PE) as such villages terminus at Snarestone. It was house in Leicestershire, Handel provided textiles trade textiles . From the 1860s production was moved out from Leicester to surrounding surrounding to Leicester from out moved was production 1860s the From . fishing, walking and cycling. and Shenton (CV13 6DJ). Each the of centre the was Leicestershire opened in 1804 to transport the specification for the organ for this hall. station comprises a complex of goods from the coalfields In 1846 the Ashby Canal Sadly after WW2 the hall was demolished and history working Our interesting historical buildings and sites of heavy industry in was purchased by the all that remains is a Temple in the grounds. It and include various facilities North West Leicestershire to Midland Railway Company, is located in Race Course Wood (CV13 6NQ), including tea rooms and lucrative markets via Coventry. this followed the normal accessible via a permissive footpath: From museum at Shackerstone. The canal tells the story of the strategy for expanding railway Congerstone take the Shackerstone Road. development of the art of canal companies to buy out their Fork left at the school and follows the signs to Gopsall Temple. the Methodist movement along with with along movement Methodist the website. Council the John Wesley John (1703-1791), founder of of founder (1703-1791), via downloaded be can Drayton heritage walk leaflet for Fenny Fenny for leaflet walk heritage the name the “Apostle of the North.” the of “Apostle the name the family house once stood. An excellent excellent An stood. once house family and builder of chapels, earning him him earning chapels, of builder and known as Dog Yard, where Fox’s Fox’s where Yard, Dog as known There he was an energetic preacher preacher energetic an was he There here is an area of the village once once village the of area an is here for the rest of his life in Manchester. Manchester. in life his of rest the for from far Not Road. Forge Old and his ministry in the Midlands to serve serve to Midlands the in ministry his Lane Fox George of junction the at after its opening Gadsby gave up up gave Gadsby opening its after monument a with acknowledged are via the Council website. Council the via years Five Inn. Bell Blue the opposite village the with connections His included in the Markfield Village Trail Trail Village Markfield the in included Street, High the on garden attractive Fenny Drayton Fenny . in up grew and Desford on the Green. More information is is information More Green. the on an now is 1800, in opened , and leader of the Quakers was born born was Quakers the of leader and Church, so he preached outside outside preached he so Church, in Graveyard and Chapel Baptist Strict George Fox Fox George founder (1624-1691), Hinckley in St Michael and All Angels Parish Parish Angels All and Michael St in former the of site The . and Desford that there was often not enough room room enough not often was there that at congregations established worship. Christian in So many people came to hear him him hear to came people many So Calvinist, High a and preacher and change and dissent fomented actually Markfield during the C18. C18. the during to visitor minister Baptist Particular and Strict have villages quiet small, our of William Gadsby William his brother Charles, was a frequent frequent a was Charles, brother his a (1773-1841), many but abound churches Anglican George Fox, the Quakers and origins of non-conformism non-conformism of origins and Quakers the Fox, George My kingdom for a horse The first computer programmer - Ada Lovelace Conflict and There is so much The Battle of Bosworth, close to the Fenn Daughter of the “mad, bad and dangerous to know” poet Lord Byron, Ada Commemoration more to discover… Lanes, was one of the most significant Lovelace was brought to Kirkby Mallory to distance her from her father’s We can’t fit it all in. There are various memorials and monuments battles in English history. The death here dubious influences. She lived with her grandparents at Kirkby Hall, the stable located throughout the borough to of Plantagenet King Richard III on the block of which remains at Mallory Park (LE9 7QE) racetrack. Download these local trails at commemorate the valiant efforts of servicemen plore th morning of 22nd August 1485 ended the www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/heritage x e Ada’s mother insisted on a rigorous education in science and mathematics. and women in conflicts including the two World E Wars of the Roses and saw the birth of the Luckily, Ada had a bright intellect and was fascinated with machines. As an adult Wars. Green plaques for Flight Lieutenant Barwell Boot & Shoe Trail Tudor dynasty. The fascinating Bosworth (please note an updated trail for Earl Shilton she socialised with the likes of Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. But Geoffrey Rice DFC RAF VR and Tommy Brown Battlefield Heritage Centre (CV13 0AD) tells was produced in 2018) her work with Charles Babbage showed her intellectual ability as she realised in GM are located within Burbage and Earl Shilton the story in inspiring detail, yet several other 1842 that his “Analytical Engine” could do far more than compute mathematical (see the plaque trail overleaf). More information The Bosworth Battlefield Trail Walk Rural key sites can be visited. Walk the battlefield equations; it could compute other tasks. She is now recognised as the first on the location of war memorials can be found (including access to the Ashby Canal and the from Sutton Cheney Wharf (CV13 0AL) or computer programmer.