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 Leicestershire, England. It is part of the Blaby district. In 2011, Glenfield had about 9,643 people living there.
The village is located just west of the city of Leicester. It is also very close to Junction 21A of the M1 highway. Glenfield is an important place because it is home to the main offices for Leicestershire County Council. It also hosts the headquarters for the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
You might hear of Glenfield Hospital, which shares the village's name. However, the hospital is actually just outside the village border, within Leicester city.
The main part of Glenfield is called "the Square." Here you will find St Peter's Church and its hall. There are also the ruins of an older church and the Methodist Church. The public library is nearby on Station Road. Other important places include Park House, the Memorial Hall, and the Scout Hut. There is also a playground, Glenfield Primary School, and a nursery school. Another school, The Hall County Primary School, is on Glenfield Frith Drive. Close to this school is Faire Road, known for its row of shops.
Contents
History of Glenfield
The name "Glenfield" means "clean field." This might suggest that the area was once clear of weeds.
Early Beginnings
Glenfield is mentioned in a very old book called the Domesday Book. This book was written in 1086. At that time, Glenfield was part of an area called Guthlaxton. It had 12 households, which means 12 families lived there.
Village Growth
The village grew a lot between the 1920s and the 1950s. This was when the Faire Estate was built. Later, in the 1980s and 1990s, another big housing area was built. This new area was on land that used to be farmland.
Railway History
Glenfield was home to the first train station from Leicester West Bridge. This station was on the Leicester and Swannington Railway. It opened on July 17, 1832. This railway was the third steam railway ever built in the world!
Before reaching the station, the train line went through Glenfield Tunnel. This tunnel was built by Robert Stephenson. It was 1 mile and 36 yards long. At the time, it was the longest railway tunnel in the world. You can still see the Glenfield end of the tunnel today.
In 1931, Glenfield had a population of 1,590 people. On April 1, 1935, Glenfield became part of a larger area called "Glenfields."
Local Facilities and Parks
Glenfield has its own village newspaper called The Glenfield Gazette. The local council owns several areas for fun and relaxation. These include Ellis Park, Station Park, and the Playing Fields.
Nature Areas
Near the A50 road, you can find the "Millennium Green." This green space is looked after by a local group. The Gynsills Nature Area is also in Glenfield. It has a small area of old trees and a pond. This area used to be part of the Gynsills Estate. Now, it helps protect different types of plants and animals.
The Square's Changes
The area known as "The Square" used to be more of a road. It had many more shops, often owned by the Stockley family. These shops were taken down in the 1950s and 1960s. This made space for the roundabout and new buildings called maisonettes. These new buildings replaced the old grocery, post office, and butcher's shop.
Famous People from Glenfield
Many interesting people have lived in Glenfield over the years.
- Charles Throsby, an Australian explorer, was born here in 1777.
- The painter Bryan Organ lived on Stamford Street.
- The writer Graham Barnfield lived on Salcombe Drive.
- Alderman Bertram Powell, who was the Lord Mayor of Leicester from 1959 to 1960, lived on Leicester Road.
- Several Leicester City football players have lived in Glenfield. These include Robbie Savage and Pontus Kåmark in the late 1990s.
- The British writer David Campton lived on Liberty Road until he passed away in 2006.
- More recently, footballers David Nugent and Chris Wood lived in Glenfield when they played for Leicester in the mid-2010s.
Businesses in Glenfield
While Glenfield is mostly a place where people live, it also has some businesses. The Widdowson Group is a notable company here. Other businesses are located on the Mill Lane Industrial Estate.
Getting Around Glenfield
Glenfield is about 3 miles (5 km) from Leicester. It is also 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre.
Train Travel
Glenfield railway station served the village from 1832 to 1928. Today, the closest train station is in Leicester.
Roads for Travel
The M1 highway is easy to reach from Glenfield. You can get on it at Junction 21A, which is south of the village. This makes it easy to visit Fosse Shopping Park. If you want to go north on the M1, you can quickly get there by taking the A50 towards Markfield, Groby, and Coalville.
The A46 road goes around the north of Leicester. It gives you access to Anstey and then the A6 to Loughborough.
Bus Services
The village has bus services to help people get around. These include the First Leicester service 13 and the Centrebus 40 CircleLine buses.
