Glenfield, Leicestershire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glenfield |
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 St Peter's Church, Glenfield |
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 Glenfield
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| Population | 9,643 (parish; 2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SK538060 |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEICESTER |
| Postcode district | LE3 |
| Dialling code | 0116 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Glenfield is a large village in the civil parish of Glenfields in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 9,643. Its located at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester. The parish was formed from the merger of the ancient Glenfield parish with Glenfield Frith in 1935.
The village is directly to the west of Leicester and is just off junction 21A of the M1 motorway. It is the site of the headquarters of Leicestershire County Council, and of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. It also gives its name to Glenfield Hospital, although the hospital is actually across the city border in Leicester.
The heart of the community is around the Square, with St Peter's Church (CofE), the church hall, the ruins of the former church, the Methodist Church and Hall and the public library (offering generous Internet access) just inside Station Road, and Park House (parish council), the Memorial Hall, Scout Hut, playground, Glenfield Primary School and the nursery school all located just inside Stamford Street. The Hall County Primary School is located on Glenfield Frith Drive. Situated close to the Hall school is Faire Road commonly known for the row of shops situated there.
History
Glenfield is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, at which time it lay in Guthlaxton hundred and contained 12 households.
The village was greatly enlarged between the 1920s and the 1950s, when the Faire Estate was built. In the 1980s and 1990s another large estate was built on former farm land behind Ellis Park.
Glenfield was the site of the first station from Leicester West Bridge on the Leicester and Swannington Railway, opened on 17 July 1832 as the world's third steam railway. Just before reaching the station the line passed through Glenfield Tunnel, which was built by Robert Stephenson and was, at 1 mile 36 yards, the world's longest railway tunnel at the time. The Glenfield end of the tunnel can still be seen.
Parish facilities
Glenfield has its own village newspaper, The Glenfield Gazette. The parish council own several areas of recreational land, including Ellis Park, Station Park and the Playing Fields. Near to the A50 and the boundary with Groby is the "Millennium Green", which is managed by a local trust. The Gynsills Nature Area can be found at the junction of Gynsill Lane and Stelle Way. A small area of mature trees and a pond, once part of the Gynsills Estate parkland, now an area promoting biodiversity and nature conservation.
The area known as "The Square" was once more of a road and contained many more shops, mostly owned by the Stockley family. These were knocked down in the fifties and sixties to accommodate the roundabout and the maisonettes were built in place of the grocers, post office and butchers shop.
Food and drink
There are a variety of pubs, take-away, restaurants and hotels in the Glenfield area. These include the Nag's Head, the Forge (formerly the Griffin), the Gynsills and the Railway Inn (near to the site of the former Glenfield Station). There are Chinese and fish and chip takeaways, and Cypriot and Indian restaurants in the village.
Transport
Glenfield is only 3 miles (5 km) away from Leicester, and 1.5 miles (2 km) from the Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre.
Roads
The M1 can be easily accessed at Junction 21a to the south of the village (southbound only), which makes Fosse Shopping Park accessible. The M1 North can be reached in minutes along the A50 towards Markfield, Groby and Coalville.
The A46 leads around the north of Leicester, with access to Anstey and then the A6 to Loughborough.
Bus
The village is currently served by First Leicester service 13 and Centrebus 40 CircleLine buses.
Notable residents
The Australian pioneer and explorer Charles Throsby was born in Glenfield in 1777. Stamford Street was the home of painter Bryan Organ. Salcombe Drive was the home of the pundit Graham Barnfield. Leicester Road was the home of Alderman Bertram Powell Lord Mayor of Leicester 1959–60, from the late 1930s to his death in 1969. During the late 90s former Leicester City players Robbie Savage and Pontus Kåmark lived in Glenfield. The British dramatist and playwright David Campton was a resident of Liberty Road, Glenfield up until his death in 2006. Footballers David Nugent and Chris Wood lived in Glenfield when playing for Leicester City in the mid-2010s.
