Market Bosworth

Market Bosworth

Market Bosworth Market Place
Market Bosworth
 Market Bosworth shown within Leicestershire
Population 1,906 Census 2001
OS grid referenceSK4003
DistrictHinckley and Bosworth
Shire countyLeicestershire
RegionEast Midlands
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town NUNEATON
Postcode district CV13
Dialling code 01455
Police Leicestershire
Fire Leicestershire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK ParliamentBosworth
List of places
UK
England
Leicestershire

Coordinates: 52°37′26″N 1°24′06″W / 52.6239°N 1.4017°W / 52.6239; -1.4017

Market Bosworth is a small market town and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. At the time of the 2001 Census, the parish, including the hamlet of Far Coton, had a total population of 1,906.[1]

Until 1974 it contained the offices of Market Bosworth Rural District, which was merged in that year with the Hinckley Rural District to form the district of Hinckley and Bosworth.

History

Building work at the old Cattle Market and other sites has revealed evidence of settlement on the hill since the Bronze Age.[2] Remains of a Roman villa have been found on the east side of Barton Road. Bosworth as an Anglo-Saxon village dates from the 8th century.

Before the Norman Conquest of 1066, there were two manors at Bosworth one belonging to an Anglo-Saxon knight named Fernot, and some sokemen.[3] Following the Norman conquest, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, both the Anglo-Saxon manors and the village were part of the lands awarded by William the Conqueror to the Count of Meulan from Normandy, Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester. Subsequently the village passed by marriage dowry to the English branch of the French House of Harcourt.

King Edward I gave a royal charter to Sir William Harcourt allowing a market to be held every Wednesday. The village took the name Market Bosworth from 12 May 1285, and on this day became a "town" by common definition. The two oldest buildings in Bosworth, St. Peter's Church and the Red Lion pub, were built during the 14th century.

The Battle of Bosworth took place to south of the town in 1485 as the final battle in the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Following the discovery of the remains of Richard III in Leicester during 2012, on Sunday 22nd March 2015 the king's funeral cortège passed through the town on its way to Leicester Cathedral for his reburial.

In 1509 the manor passed from the Harcourts to the Grey family.

In 1554, following the beheading of Lady Jane Grey, the manor of Bosworth was among lands confiscated in the name of Mary I of England and her husband Philip II of Spain. They awarded the manor to the Catholic nobleman Edward Hastings. In 1567, his heirs sold it to Sir Wolstan Dixie, Lord Mayor of London, who never lived in Bosworth. The first Dixie to live in Bosworth was his grand-nephew, Sir Wolstan Dixie of Appleby Magna, who moved to the town in 1608. He started construction of a manor house and park, as well as establishing the free Dixie Grammar School. The modern hall, Bosworth Hall, was the work of Sir Beaumont Dixie, 2nd Baronet (1629–1692).

In 1885 the 11th Baronet 'Beau' Dixie was forced to auction Bosworth Hall to pay his gambling debts. It was bought by Lady Agnes Tollemache, whose husband Charles Tollemache Scott enlarged the estate, planted woodlands and rebuilt the lodges and farms.[4] Lady Agnes' daughter sold the estate in 1913.

The War Memorial in the town square honours 19 local men who died in the First World War, and 11 men dead in the Second World War.[5]

Notable residents

This includes people born, educated, or having lived in Market Bosworth.

  • Samuel Johnson - essayist and lexicographer; in 1732 worked at the Dixie Grammar after leaving Oxford because of debt, but left after four months, unable to bear the "boorish" 4th Baronet
  • Anne Evans (1820-1870) - his daughter, poet and composer
  • Sir John Evans (1823 Burnham – 1908) - his son, treasurer of the Royal Society
  • Sebastian Evans (1830 Market Bosworth - 1909) - poet. Revised his father's book Leicestershire Words, Phrases, and Proverbs, (1848, 1881).[6]

Community

The Town entered into the Britain in Bloom competition on the 500th anniversary of the battle in 1985. Floral decorations were displayed around the town. The success of this entry caused the formation of the "Bosworth in Bloom Committee", to prepare for more displays. In 2012 - the Town reached the national finals for England and won a Gold Award. [8]

The Town has a children's football teams AFC Market Bosworth and Market Bosworth football club with teams across various age groups.[9][10][11]

Facilities and places of interest

The market square located in the centre of the village is surrounded by amenities, including various small independent shops, a bank and a post office. A regular market takes place on Wednesdays. The village also has three schools; The Market Bosworth Primary and Junior School, The Market Bosworth School, and the private Dixie Grammar School. As well as three churches; Anglican,[12] Catholic and Free Church, a fire station, and a hotel. Of notable interest in the corner of the Market Place are two cottages known as the Rose and Thistle Cottages - so named to confirm the link of the Dixie family to England and Scotland. The properties date back to 1640 (engraved in the frame at first floor) and the original 'Crook A frame' can still be seen in Thistle Cottage which is now a popular Tea Room and Bistro. Rose Cottage remains as a private residence. The cottages were extensively rebuilt and were re-faced with brickwork in 1807 (evidenced by date stamped brick on Thistle Cottage facade) to modernise the appearance to be in keeping with other properties around the Market Place at that time.

There are three main pubs within the Town; The Black Horse - which was renovated in 2008 serves high quality food. The Dixie Arms Hotel - a Marston's pub that also has an Italian pizzeria. And the Red Lion - one of Bosworth's oldest building, which occasionally hosts a real ale festival, the town recently lost its fourth pub (The King William IV - known locally as the King Bill), this has now been converted into four private residences. There are two take-aways; The Batter of Bosworth, which has won many awards for cleanliness, quality and service. Several customers have been so impressed with the chips that they have decided to have them supply the food at their weddings. Next door is Tin Tin, a Cantonese takeway.

Market Bosworth Country Park[13] and a water trust[14] offer outside recreation, and the village is currently having a golf course built in the surrounding fields. The site of the Battle of Bosworth[15] is just a few minutes South of the town. Going out of Bosworth westwards on the B585, the steam Battlefield Line Railway runs at weekends from Shackerstone, Market Bosworth station and Shenton. There is an annual Rail Ale Festival centred on the Goods Shed at Mkt. Bosworth Station on the last weekend in July. The Ashby Canal runs adjacent to the railway.

See also

References

External links

 Congerstone Carlton Osbaston
Wellsborough Cadeby
   Market Bosworth  
Shenton Sutton Cheney Stapleton
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