Mountsorrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountsorrel |
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 The Butter Market |
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 Mountsorrel
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| Population | 8,223 (2011 Census) |
| • London | 95 miles (153 km) SSE |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LOUGHBOROUGH |
| Postcode district | LE12 |
| Dialling code | 0116 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament |
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Mountsorrel is a village in Leicestershire, England. It is located on the River Soar, just south of Loughborough. In 2011, about 8,223 people lived there.
Mountsorrel is known for its historic Butter Market and a very large granite quarry. The Grand Union Canal also flows through the village.
Exploring Mountsorrel's Location
Mountsorrel is part of the Charnwood area. It sits around a steep hill where a castle once stood. The River Soar runs along its eastern side.
The village is famous for its Buttercross Market in the center. It also has one of Europe's largest granite quarries. The Grand Union Canal passes through Mountsorrel, connecting it to Leicester.
What is Mountsorrel's Geology Like?
The land around Mountsorrel is made of granite. This type of rock is very strong and hard. Some of the granite used in Leicester came from Mountsorrel. A piece of Mountsorrel granite is even part of a memorial at Screveton in Nottinghamshire.
A Look at Mountsorrel's Past
Mountsorrel has a long and interesting history. People have lived here for a very long time.
Early History of Mountsorrel
A castle was built in Mountsorrel around 1080 by Hugh Lupus. But there are signs that people lived here even before that. Pottery pieces from the Norman times have been found. Some people believe a Roman villa was on Broad Hill in the 4th century. This is where the quarry is today. Workers found old items, including a wooden bucket, when they were quarrying in the late 1800s.
The village was first officially recorded in 1377. At that time, it had 156 people.
In 1151, Robert le Bossu, who was the Earl of Leicester, took control of Mountsorrel castle. He was a very important person, like a chief judge for the area.
The name 'Mountsorrel' might come from a French castle called Montsoreau. Both places are next to rivers and have hills nearby. This made them look similar to the English nobles of that time.
Mountsorrel castle was destroyed in 1217 by the King's soldiers. They called it "a nest of the Devil." Even though the future King Louis VIII of France sent help, it arrived too late. Today, only a granite rock on Castle Hill remains of the castle. This hill also has a war memorial for those who died in World War I.
Mountsorrel has two main churches. One is Christ Church, and the other is St Peter's Church. St Peter's is a very old and important building.
Mountsorrel's Recent History
The famous preacher John Wesley visited Mountsorrel. He gave a sermon in a building that is now part of Stonehurst Family Farm. In 1782, a law was passed to divide up the common lands in Mountsorrel. This was called enclosure.
The Leicester Navigation canal opened in 1794. This allowed barges to travel between Loughborough and Leicester.
Mountsorrel once had a hospital for people with mental health issues. It closed down and is now a housing estate.
By 1781, there were about 150 homes in Mountsorrel. By 1840, the population grew to 1,900 people. During World War II, in 1942, a company called Alvis moved to Mountsorrel. They made armored vehicles. Their factory in Coventry had been bombed. After the war, Rolls-Royce Limited took over the factory in 1945. This site is now covered by homes.
The A6 bypass around Quorn and Mountsorrel opened in 1991. This helped quarry trucks avoid driving through the village center. A new leisure center, the Soar Valley Leisure Centre, opened in 2004. Christ Church & St Peters primary school is on Rothley Road.
The Stonehurst Family Farm and Motor Museum opened in 1951. It has many animals and offers fun tractor rides.
The Butter Market's Story
The Butter Market was built in 1793. It replaced an older market cross from the 1400s. The Lord of the Manor, Sir John Danvers, moved the old cross to his garden. The Butter Market is a very important historic building.
The Old Rectory
The Old Rectory is a beautiful building built in 1783. It was once a vicarage, which is where a church leader lives. A copy of this building was built in Liverpool in 1790. The famous Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, was born in that house.
Industry and Trade in Mountsorrel
Mountsorrel has a history of important industries and trade.
Mountsorrel's Market History
In 1292, Nicholas de Seagrave was given permission to hold a market in Mountsorrel every Monday. This was granted by King Edward I. Nicholas's father was a very powerful judge at the time.
Mountsorrel was also allowed to hold a yearly fair. This fair was stopped in 1873. Villagers asked for it to be stopped because it allowed people to sell alcohol without paying taxes.
By the 1700s and 1800s, Mountsorrel's market became very important. People traded raw wool, leather, and woollen yarn. Horses and cattle were also sold. 'Mountsorrel gloves' were once very famous, like gloves from Oxford.
The Mountsorrel Quarry
As early as 1860, there was a special railway line to the quarry. Today, a conveyor belt still follows that path to move rock. Large-scale quarrying of granite began in the late 1700s. By 1870, about 500 people worked there. In 1872, the Mountsorrel Granite Company took over the quarry. A hospital was even set up in the village to help workers who got sick from the dust.
Mountsorrel is home to one of Europe's biggest granite quarries. It covers a huge area. The granite is mainly used for building and fixing roads. The quarry produces about 3 million tonnes of granite each year. It has enough granite for many more years. The quarry is blasted most weekdays around 12:30 pm. The force can be felt throughout the village and even in nearby towns.
The quarry is now run by a company called Lafarge. It is also home to the common lizard, which is a protected animal.
Rolls-Royce in Mountsorrel
Rolls-Royce bought a factory in Mountsorrel in 1945. This factory had made airplane propellers before. The 'Rolls-Royce Mountsorrel' factory became a special place for making parts for aircraft and cars.
In 1959, a fire badly damaged the factory's production area. However, the design part was not harmed.
In 1969, the Mountsorrel factory designed parts for the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine. This engine was used in the Lockheed Tristar airplane. In the 1970s, 1,200 people worked at the factory. The site closed in 1994. Homes have now been built where the factory once stood.
Sports in Mountsorrel
Mountsorrel Castle Cricket Club is an old cricket club started around 1880. They have two adult teams that play in a local league. Their home games are played at the Memorial Recreation Ground in Mountsorrel.
Getting Around Mountsorrel
The main road near Mountsorrel is the A6. It connects Loughborough and Leicester.
The village has a few bus services:
- Arriva Fox County 126/127: Connects Leicester, Loughborough, and Shepshed.
- Paul S Winson X27: Travels between Loughborough, Quorn, Mountsorrel, and Rothley.
- Roberts Coaches 27: Goes from Loughborough to Barrow-Upon-Soar, Mountsorrel, Rothley, Syston, and Thurmaston.
The closest main train station is Sileby railway station. It has trains to Leicester and Nottingham. The Mountsorrel railway station is also nearby. It is part of the Mountsorrel Railway, which is a heritage railway.
Famous People from Mountsorrel
- James Biddles: His daughter, Adelaide, became a famous actress.
- Rosemary Conley: She is well-known for creating a popular diet plan. She used to live in Mountsorrel.
- Billy Kee: A professional football player who grew up in Mountsorrel.
- John Charles Felix Rossi: A sculptor who lived in the village in the 1800s.
- Dick Turpin: There is a plaque in Mountsorrel. It says that people believe the famous highwayman Dick Turpin used a mounting point opposite The Swan Inn.
- Rebecca Wakefield: She was born here in 1844. She became a Methodist missionary in East Africa.
Images for kids
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The Butter Market
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St Peter's parish church
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War memorial on Castle Hill
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Part of Mountsorrel Castle
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Buddon Quarry
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Mountsorrel quarry
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Waterside Inn
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Dick Turpin plaque
See also
In Spanish: Mountsorrel para niños
