The Borough of Charnwood is a

local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

with

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

status in the north of

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, which has a population of 166,100 as of the 2011 census. It borders Melton to the east,

Harborough Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, in the far southeast of the county, forming part of the border with Northamptonshire. Market Harborough's population was 25,143 in 2020. It is the ad ...

to the south east,

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

and Blaby to the south,

Hinckley and Bosworth Hinckley and Bosworth is a local government district with borough status in south-western Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Its only towns are Hinckley, Earl Shilton and Market Bosworth. Villages in ...

to the south west,

North West Leicestershire North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. The population of the Local Authority at the 2011 census was 93,348. Its main towns are Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Coalville and Ibstock. The ...

to the west and

Rushcliffe Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. The population of the Local Authority at the 2011 Census was 111,129. Its councilRushcliffe Borough Council Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

to the north. It is named after Charnwood Forest, an area which the borough contains much of. The administrative centre of the borough is located in

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...

, which is also the district's largest town and its main commercial centre. The town is also the location of

Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for post-nominals) is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when L ...

. Other notable settlements include

Shepshed Shepshed (often known until 1888 as ''Sheepshed'', also ''Sheepshead'' – a name derived from the village being heavily involved in the wool industry) is a town in Leicestershire, England with a population of 13,505 at the 2011 census. It is ...

, Syston, Birstall and

Thurmaston Thurmaston is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, located within the Borough of Charnwood. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 9,668. It is situated four miles north of the city centre of Leicester and lies just o ...

History

The

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

of Charnwood was formed on 1 April 1974 as a merger of the

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

, the

urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

and the

Barrow upon Soar Rural District The rural district of Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire, England, existed from 1894 to 1974. It was established under the Local Government Act 1894 as a successor to the Barrow Rural Sanitary District, and therefore was also based on the Barr ...

. It was then granted borough status on 15 May 1974. The symbol of Charnwood Borough Council is the

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, historically linked with Leicestershire, and this is also the symbol used by Leicestershire County Council. Charnwood also contains

Quorn Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products, or the company that makes them. Quorn originated in the UK and is sold primarily in Europe, but is available in 14 countries. The brand is owned by parent company Monde Nissin. Quorn is sold as b ...

, which is believed to be the birthplace of fox-hunting.

Geography

To the south it borders the

City of Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the Nati ...

, about 20 km away from Loughborough. There is a moderately urbanised A6 corridor between the two population centres and close to the River Soar, including

Barrow-on-Soar Barrow upon Soar is a large village in northern Leicestershire, in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough, with a population at the 2011 census of 5,856. Geography Barrow lies on the east bank of the River Soar, where the riv ...

, Mountsorrel, Birstall,

Sileby Sileby is a former industrial village and civil parish in the Soar Valley in Leicestershire, between Leicester and Loughborough. Nearby villages include Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Seagrave and Cossington. The popul ...

, Syston,

Queniborough Queniborough is an English village in the county of Leicestershire 2.5 miles (4 km) north-east of the town of Syston and of 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of the city of Leicester. Its 972 properties housed 1,878 registered electors in 2003. T ...

and

East Goscote East Goscote is a modern village and civil parish in the Borough of Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, just north of the market town of Syston. It is a medium-sized village, with a population measured at 2,866 in the 2011 censu ...

. To the south of the borough Birstall,

and Syston, form part of the Leicester Urban Area, while

and

(the second largest town in the district), amongst others, might be considered to be part of a Loughborough

urban agglomeration An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

. The highest point is Beacon Hill (248m/814 ft) to the north of the Charnwood Forest 'area of natural beauty' extending WN-west into the National Forest

Political representation

There are two

Parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...

constituencies covering the district. Charnwood is represented by the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

Edward Argar Edward John Comport Argar (born 9 December 1977) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Victims and Sentencing since October 2022. He briefly served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in October 2022. A member of the Conserva ...

MP.

is represented by the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

Jane Hunt Jane Clothier Hunt or Jane Clothier Master (26 June 1812 – 28 November 1889) was an American Quaker who hosted the Seneca Falls meeting of Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Life Hunt was born in Philadelphia in 1812 to William and Ma ...

Demographics

Charnwood is the largest borough by population in Leicestershire, and has the largest school population as well.

Parishes

* Anstey *

Barkby Barkby is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated north-east of Leicester, and only a short way from Leicester's urban sprawl in Thurmaston and Syston. Nearby villages are Beeby and ...

Barkby Thorpe Barkby Thorpe is a hamlet and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The hamlet has a population of around 50, and is close to the Leicester urban sprawl in Thurmaston. Nearby villages are Barkby, Beeby and the aba ...

Barrow upon Soar Barrow upon Soar is a large village in northern Leicestershire, in the Soar Valley between Leicester and Loughborough, with a population at the 2011 census of 5,856. Geography Barrow lies on the east bank of the River Soar, where the riv ...

Beeby Beeby is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, with a population of 115 according to the 2011 census. It is situated north-east of Leicester, nearer to the villages of Keyham, Lei ...

, Birstall,

Burton on the Wolds Burton on the Wolds is a village in Leicestershire, England situated on the B676 road west of the A46 and about the same distance to the east of Loughborough, close to the county border with Nottinghamshire. In the 2011 census, the populatio ...

* Cossington,

Cotes Cotes may refer to: Placename * Cotes, Cumbria, a village in England * Cotes, Leicestershire, a village in England * Cotes, Staffordshire, a village in England; see List of United Kingdom locations: Cos-Cou * Cotes, Valencia, a municipality in ...

Hathern Hathern is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The village itself is located in the north of the district, and is just north of Loughborough. It is served by the A6. The parish has a population o ...

Hoton Hoton is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, on the A60 north-east of Loughborough, just south of the border with Nottinghamshire. Nearby places are Prestwold (to the south), Wymeswold (to the ea ...

* Mountsorrel *

Newtown Linford Newtown Linford is a linear village in Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 1,000 at the 2001 census, including Ulverscroft, increasing to 1,103 at the 2011 census. The village lies in a valley in the Charnwood Fore ...

Prestwold Prestwold is a hamlet and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The parish has a population of around 60. The population at the 2011 census remained less than 100 and is included in the civil parish In En ...

Ratcliffe on the Wreake Ratcliffe on the Wreake is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 179. It is just to the north of the River Wreake, opposite East Goscote. ...

Rearsby Rearsby is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is known for its Seven Arch Bridge, and is also home to the Preachers Stone. Location The parish has a population of about 1,000, being measured at ...

Rothley Rothley ( ) is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. Situated around west of the River Soar and north of Leicester, it had a population of 3,612 inhabitants . The population measured at the 201 ...

Seagrave Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of around 500, measured at the 2011 census as 546, It is north of Sileby and close to Thrussington and Barrow upon Soar. Histo ...

South Croxton South Croxton (traditionally pronounced "crow-sun" �kroʊsən is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It had a population of 261 in the 2011 census. Nearby villages include Beeby, Barsby and Twyford. ...

, Swithland, Syston *

Thrussington Thrussington is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 587. It is on the River Wreake, near to Rearsby, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Hoby and ...

Thurcaston and Cropston Thurcaston and Cropston is a civil parish in Leicestershire, England. As its name suggests, it consists of the villages of Thurcaston and Cropston. The parish had a population at the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census of 2,076,Thurmaston Thurmaston is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, located within the Borough of Charnwood. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 9,668. It is situated four miles north of the city centre of Leicester and lies just o ...

Ulverscroft Ulverscroft is a civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire. It has a population of about 100. The population in 2011 is included in the civil parish of Newtown Linford. There is no village by the name, but there was previously an ...

* Walton on the Wolds, Wanlip, Woodhouse,

Wymeswold Wymeswold () is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood (borough), Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is in the north of Leicestershire, and north-east of Loughborough. The village has a population of about 1,000, measured ...

Freedom of the Borough

The following People, Military Units and Organisations and Groups have received the

Freedom of the Borough The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of Charnwood.

Individuals

Paula Radcliffe Paula Jane Radcliffe MBE (born 17 December 1973) is a former British long-distance runner. She is a three-time winner of the London Marathon (2002, 2003, 2005), three-time New York Marathon champion (2004, 2007, 2008), and 2002 Chicago Maratho ...

: 28 June 2004. * Michael Jones: 29 September 2008. * Lez Cope-Newman: 24 June 2019.

Military Units

* 2nd Battalion The

Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

: 4 September 2006. * 203 (Loughborough) Squadron The 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment: 15 April 2010. * The

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

: April 2010.

Organisations and Groups

* The

Leicester City Football Club Leicester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Leicester in the East Midlands of England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home ...

: 14 September 2021.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine

References

External links

Charnwood Borough Council YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charnwood, Borough of Non-metropolitan districts of Leicestershire Boroughs in England