Melton Mowbray facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Melton Mowbray/Melton
Top to bottom, left to right: Melton Mowbray St Mary's Church, Egerton Lodge, Station Approach, Nottingham Street & Ankle Hill
Population	27,737 (2021 census)
OS grid reference	SK751193
• London	95 miles (153 km) SSE
District	Melton
Shire county	Leicestershire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Melton Mowbray
Postcode district	LE13
Dialling code	01664

Police	Leicestershire
Fire	Leicestershire
Ambulance	East Midlands

EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	Melton and Syston
Website	[1], Melton Borough Council
List of places UK England Leicestershire

Melton Mowbray is a busy market town in Leicestershire, England. It's about 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Leicester and 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Nottingham. The town is located on the River Eye. In 2019, about 27,670 people lived here.

Melton Mowbray is known as Britain's "Rural Capital of Food." It's famous for the Melton Mowbray pork pie and is one of only six places allowed to make real Stilton cheese.

History of Melton Mowbray

What's in a Name?

The name Melton comes from an old English word, Medeltone. This means 'Middletown surrounded by small villages'. The name Mowbray comes from the Norman family who were early lords of the area.

Ancient Times

Melton Mowbray has a long history. There are 28 ancient sites and over 700 old buildings here. Signs of old industries like the Grantham Canal and iron mining can still be seen. Evidence suggests people lived here during the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Roman Influence

During Roman times, Melton was close to important Roman roads like the Fosse Way. This helped the town grow. Roman camps were set up nearby, and other Roman paths also passed through the area.

Anglo-Saxon and Viking Settlers

You can see signs of Anglo-Saxon and Viking (Danelaw) settlements in the local place names. Many villages along the Wreake Valley have names ending in "-by," which is a Danish word for village. An old Anglo-Saxon cemetery was found in Melton Mowbray.

Melton Mowbray once had six stone crosses from different centuries. These crosses were important landmarks. Most of them were removed or destroyed over time. However, some have been rebuilt, like the Butter Cross in the Market Place.

After the Norman Conquest

The Domesday Book from 1086 shows that Melton Mowbray was a busy market town. It had about 200 people, weekly markets, and two water mills. Melton has been a market town for over 1,000 years. It's the third oldest market in England. Tuesday has been market day since 1324.

Many buildings in the town centre have very old foundations. Some might even be from the 14th-century castle of the Mowbray family. King Richard I and King John visited the town long ago.

In 1549, after religious changes, land was bought for the town. The money from this land helped support Melton School, which is one of Britain's oldest schools. It also helped fix roads and the church clock.

The English Civil War

During the English Civil War, Melton was a base for the Roundheads (Parliament's army). Two battles were fought here. In 1645, a Royalist force attacked, and many Roundheads were killed. A local legend says that the hillside where the battle happened was covered in blood, leading to the name Ankle Hill. However, the name Ankle Hill existed before the war.

Local families had different loyalties during the war. The Anne of Cleves House is a famous old building in Melton. It was built in 1384 and later given to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII as part of their divorce settlement. Today, it's a pub.

More Recent Times

In 1837, a group of hunters caused a lot of damage in Melton Mowbray. This event was even shown in paintings and a play. The Corn Exchange, a building where grain was traded, was finished in 1854.

From 1942 to 1964, RAF Melton Mowbray was an air force base nearby. It was used for aircraft maintenance and later for transport. After the war, it became a camp for displaced people. From 1958 to 1963, it was a site for Thor strategic missiles.

Famous Food from Melton

A slice of blue Stilton cheese, cut from a wheel made in the traditional cylindrical shape

Stilton Cheese

Stilton cheese is a very famous blue cheese. It was first sold in the village of Stilton, but the cheese itself was developed in places like Melton Mowbray. Today, Stilton cheese is still made in Melton at the Tuxford & Tebbutt creamery. This is one of only six dairies allowed to make real Stilton. Makers in other areas, even Stilton village, cannot call their cheese Stilton.

Dickinson and Morris Pie Shop

Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

Melton Mowbray pork pies are made in a special way, by hand. In 2008, the European Union gave them special protection. This means only pies made in a certain area around Melton, using uncured pork, can be called Melton Mowbray pork pies. The pork used to be a leftover from cheese making, as pigs were fed the whey.

Melton Cloth

Melton Mowbray is also known for Melton cloth. This is a strong, tightly woven fabric first mentioned in 1823. It's used for things like sailors' pea coats and workmen's jackets.

How Melton is Governed

Melton Mowbray has two levels of local government. The Melton Borough Council handles local matters, and the Leicestershire County Council deals with county-wide issues. The borough council has its offices in the town.

Egerton Lodge: headquarters of Melton Mowbray Urban District Council 1929–1974 and Melton Borough Council 1974–1986. In 1987, the facility was converted into a nursing home. It remained in operation until June 2023, when it went into administration.

Town Estate

Melton Mowbray has a unique old system of town government called the Melton Mowbray Town Estate. It started in 1549 when two townspeople sold church items. They used the money to buy land to help everyone in the town. The Estate provided early education and street lighting. Today, it still owns and looks after the town's parks, sports grounds, and market.

Economy and Jobs

Many people in Melton Mowbray work for Pedigree Petfoods. This company started in 1951 and makes pet food. At its busiest, it employed over 2,000 people. Today, it still employs about 1,000 people and makes four million pet food items every day.

Important Buildings

St Mary's Church, Melton Mowbray

St Mary's Church is a very old and beautiful building. Most of it was built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It's considered one of the best parish churches in Leicestershire.

Fun Things to Do and Places to Go

Melton Regal Cinema

Stapleford Miniature Railway

The Melton Carnegie Museum tells the story of the town. You can learn about its history, hear sounds from different times, and see old items.

Melton has several music groups, including the Melton Band, which has been around since 1856. Many pubs in Melton, like the Generous Britain, have live music. The Anne of Cleves pub is one of the oldest in town, with parts dating back to the 14th century.

The Regal cinema in King Street is a beautiful old theatre. It was refurbished and reopened in 2013. You can watch movies there in a classic setting. During the summer, you can enjoy concerts at the Carousel Bandstand in Melton Mowbray Park.

Melton has its own radio station, 103 FM The Eye. It broadcasts to the local area and online. It was the first community radio station in the UK when it started in 2005.

The Stapleford Miniature Railway is a private railway about 3 miles (5 km) east of Melton. It has steam trains and is open to visitors for charity events twice a year.

About 1⁄2 mile (800 m) north-east of Melton is Twinlakes Theme Park. It has many rides and attractions for families. The Waterfield Leisure Pools offer swimming and a gym.

The town library is on Wilton Road. Next to it is Melton Theatre, which is part of Brooksby Melton College. The theatre hosts ballets, plays, concerts, and pantomimes.

Melton also has a fire station, a police station, and a hospital. Melton Country Park offers a nice green space for outdoor activities.

Schools in Melton

The former King Edward VII School, Melton Mowbray

Melton has several primary schools, including Brownlow, Grove, St Francis RC, St Mary's C of E, Sherard, and Swallowdale. For older students, there are Long Field Academy and John Ferneley College for ages 11–16. The Melton Vale Post 16 Centre (MV16) is for students aged 16 and older. Birchwood Special School helps students with special needs. Brooksby Melton College offers many different courses for vocational, further, and higher education.

Local News and Transport

Media

You can get local news and TV from BBC East Midlands and ITV Central. Local radio stations include BBC Radio Leicester, Smooth East Midlands, Capital Midlands, Greatest Hits Radio Midlands, and the local community station, The Eye. The Melton Times is the town's weekly newspaper.

Getting Around by Road

Two main roads meet in Melton Mowbray: the A606 (between Nottingham and Oakham) and the A607 (between Leicester and Grantham). Other roads also connect to the town. A new bypass road is being built to help reduce traffic in the town centre. It started in 2023 and should be finished by summer 2025.

Getting Around by Rail

Melton Mowbray railway station is on the line between Birmingham and Stansted Airport. You can catch trains to Leicester, Peterborough, and Cambridge every hour. Some trains also go to Nottingham, Norwich, and Sleaford. Since 2009, there has been a daily train service to London St Pancras.

Getting Around by Bus

Arriva Midlands runs frequent buses to Leicester. Centrebus operates most local bus services and routes to nearby towns like Syston, Grantham, Loughborough, and Oakham.

Sports in Melton

Melton has a football club called Melton Town F.C., nicknamed the Pork Pie Army. They play their home games at Melton Sports Village on a special 3G pitch. The town also has its own Sunday Football League.

Leicestershire County Cricket Club played some matches at Egerton Park in the 1946–1948.

You can also join a parkrun every Saturday morning in the country park, or a junior parkrun every Sunday morning in Play Close Park.