Barrow upon Soar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barrow upon Soar |
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 Holy Trinity Church, Barrow upon Soar |
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 Barrow upon Soar
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| Population | 5,856 |
| OS grid reference | SK575176 |
| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Loughborough |
| Postcode district | LE12 |
| Dialling code | 01509 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Barrow upon Soar is a big village in Leicestershire, England. It's located in the Soar Valley, between the cities of Leicester and Loughborough. In 2011, about 5,856 people lived here. By 2021, the population grew to about 6,825 people. The village's name means 'grove situated on the River Soar'.
Contents
Discovering Barrow upon Soar's Location
Barrow upon Soar is found on the east side of the River Soar. The Fishpool Brook also joins the river here. A company called British Gypsum has a factory in Barrow. The village is also close to the Swithland Reservoir, a large lake.
Barrow upon Soar is part of the local government area called Charnwood.
Getting Around Barrow upon Soar
Road Travel in Barrow
The village is close to the A6 Road, which connects to places like Quorn.
Train Connections
Barrow-upon-Soar railway station is on the Midland Main Line. East Midlands Railway trains stop here from Monday to Saturday. There are no trains on Sundays.
A special railway, the Mountsorrel Railway, used to bring granite from the Mountsorrel quarries to Barrow. Today, a conveyor belt still carries quarry rock to Barrow. Here, the rock is sorted for delivery to different places.
Bus Services
Since 2022, the village does not have a direct bus service to Leicester. However, you can use the Kinchbus 2 service. This bus runs between Sileby and Loughborough. There is also the Centrebus service 27, which goes between Loughborough and Thurmaston.
Barrow upon Soar's Past
Barrow upon Soar has a long history. In 1877, a book called White's History, Gazetteer and Directory described the village. It said Barrow was famous for its excellent limestone. The village grew because of its lime works, which are places where limestone is processed.
The "Barrow Kipper" Plesiosaur
The village is famous for a plesiosaur fossil found here in 1851. A plesiosaur was a large, long-necked sea reptile that lived millions of years ago. This particular fossil, named Atychodracon megacephalus, was found in a lime pit. People nicknamed it the "Barrow Kipper."
Today, you can see the original plesiosaur skeleton at the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. There's also a full-size copy of the skeleton at Charnwood Museum in Loughborough. In the center of Barrow upon Soar, there's a roundabout with a sign showing the plesiosaur's skeleton. The village's football club even has the skeleton on its badge!
Barrow's Twin Town
Barrow upon Soar is twinned with Marans, Charente-Maritime, a town in France. This means the two towns have a special friendship and often exchange visits.
Famous People from Barrow upon Soar
Many interesting people have connections to Barrow upon Soar:
- Tobias Rustat (1608–1694) was a courtier and helped many charities.
- William Beveridge (1637–1708) became a Bishop of St Asaph. His grandfather, father, and brother were all vicars (church leaders) in Barrow.
- Ralph Heathcote (1721–1795) was a clergyman and writer born in Barrow.
- John Bradshaw (1812–1880) was a clergyman and cricketer born here.
- Lieutenant-General Edward Chippindall (1827–1902) was a British Army officer. He lived in Barrow for 20 years and was a member of the Quorn Hunt.
- Henry Melvill Gwatkin (1844–1916) was a church historian.
- Henry Pottinger Stephens (1851–1903) was a playwright and journalist from Barrow.
- Frank Darvall Newham (1864–1946) was a schoolmaster and clergyman who worked mostly in Cyprus.
- Harold Wright (1884–1915) was a cricketer who died during the First World War.
- John Stafford Curtis (1887–1972) was a cricketer from the village.
- Sir Franklin Gimson (born 1890) became the Governor of Singapore.
- Alfred Matts (1893–1970) was a cricketer from Barrow.
- Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson (1915–2001) was a famous Second World War pilot.
- Peter Preston (1938–2018) was the editor of The Guardian newspaper for many years.
- Paul Munden (born 1938) is a cricketer born in Barrow.
- Brian Reffin Smith (born 1946) is an artist and writer who went to the Humphrey Perkins School in Barrow.
- Mick Bates (born 1947) is a Welsh Assembly member who taught at the Humphrey Perkins School.
- Martin Schepens (born 1955) is a cricketer born in Barrow.
- Sally Barker (born 1959) is a singer-songwriter from Barrow.
Sports in Barrow upon Soar
The village has its own association football (soccer) club, called Barrow Town FC. They play their home games at Riverside Park. The club plays in the East Midlands Counties Football League, which is part of the English football system.
Images for kids
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Interior view of the church of the Holy Trinity
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The "Barrow Kipper" plesiosaur skeleton at the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery
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Reredos in the parish church by Nathaniel Hitch
See also
In Spanish: Barrow upon Soar para niños
