Birstall, Leicestershire

Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area.

Birstall

The village sign depicts a Cedar tree[1]
Birstall
Location within Leicestershire
Population12,216 (2011)
OS grid referenceSK596088
Civil parish
  • Birstall
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLEICESTER
Postcode districtLE4
Dialling code0116
PoliceLeicestershire
FireLeicestershire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament

It is the largest village in Charnwood, with a population only marginally lower than the neighbouring town of Syston at the 2001 census.

The village

Birstall lies on the A6 and is the last major settlement before Leicester when arriving from the north. Birstall thus forms part of the Leicester Urban Area. The village centre lies just off the A6, along Sibson Road. The village contains two supermarkets, a garden centre and a variety of other shops. There are a number of schools, including Highcliffe Primary School, Riverside Primary School and The Cedars Academy. The village contains the Anglican church of St. James the Great,[2] the St Teresa Roman Catholic church and Birstall Methodist Church.

There is a large housing estate in the north-west of the village, leading off Greengate Lane.

The Grand Union Canal runs through the bottom end of the village, separating it from Watermead Country Park, a series of lakes in the bottom of the Soar Valley, which have been set aside as a recreational area and country park.

Birstall village centre.

The Great Central Railway steam railway has its southern terminus near the village, where the A6 meets the Leicester outer ringroad at Red Hill Circle. Just north of Red Hill Circle, and west of the A6, is Red Hill filling station, which became a Grade II listed building in 2012. The railway also forms the boundary of the southern end of Birstall Golf Club.

To the north of the village, the A6 meets the A46 Leicester Western Bypass and then continues on towards Loughborough along the Soar Valley.

The symbol of Birstall is a Cedar tree.[1] The original tree stands in Roman Road. It was once in the grounds of the now demolished Birstall Hall.

The local Air Training Corps unit is 1947(Birstall) Squadron.

The area of the Parish is 791 acres (3.20 km2).

History
Birstall parish church, St James the Great on Church Hill. Here lies the grave of John Hannah (VC).

The name Birstall comes from the Old English for "old disused fort" - Burhsteall. Saxon remnants have been found in the village and surrounding area. The village was called Burstalle in the Domesday Book when it belonged to Hugh de Grandmesnil.[3] Willard held these lands for Hugh and the 16 acres (65,000 m2) of meadow and a mill were said to be worth three ounces of gold. The village was a small one until the arrival of the Great Central Railway in 1899. From then onwards development has continued and still continues to-day. Between 1901 and the 2001 the population grew from 611 to over 11,000.

Hallam Fields

A new housing development called 'Hallam Fields' commenced construction in 2006 and was well advanced by 2008. It occupies land to the west of the A6, between the 'Gates' estate and the A46. The development will take ten years to complete, consisting of up to 900 properties including schools, shops, offices, industrial units and a fire station. It has been described as a mini Poundbury. By April 2010 it had 11 streets. These are Archdale Close, Bridge Green, Dale Close, Far Pastures Road, Halfpenny Close, Hallam Fields Road, Little Connery Lees, Pinfold Close, Brook Furlong Drive, Palmer Square and Lady Augusta Road. North of the development, on the roundabout connecting the A46 and A6 is a new service area with a KFC, a Shell petrol station and an Ibis Budget.

Places and buildings within the village

Schools:

  • Highcliffe primary school
  • Riverside primary school
  • Hallam fields primary school
  • The Cedars Academy

Note: Longslade Community College and Stonehill high school merged to become Cedars Academy

Shops:

  • One main supermarket
  • One garden centre
  • Various shops along Sibson road

Community facilities:

  • Library on Wanlip Lane
  • Parish Council offices

Parks:

Golf club:

  • Birstall Golf Club - founded in 1901 - one of the first golf clubs in Leicestershire[4]

Pubs / clubs Birstall has 3 pubs and 3 social clubs. The White Horse Pub dates from the time the canal was constructed

Transport

The village is served by Kinchbus, Skylink, Arriva Fox County and Centrebus. Birstall park and ride is operated by Roberts Tours.

Neighbouring villages

The closest village to Birstall is Wanlip, a smaller village, with the village of Rothley being the next closest. The villages of Thurmaston and Syston are also nearby as well as Thurcaston. Birstall shares its southern border with the City of Leicester.

Twin towns

References
  1. Birstall Parish Council, accessed 26 July 2008
  2. [St James' Church], accessed 25 July 2008
  3. Domesday Book: A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 2003. p. 655 ISBN 0-14-143994-7
  4. Birstall Golf Club, accessed 25 July 2008
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