Boundary, Derbyshire

Smisby is an ancient manor, civil parish and small village in South Derbyshire, England. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) from Melbourne and near the Leicestershire border and the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The village including the outlying farms and houses has a population just over 200 that occupies some 110 properties. The population at the 2011 Census had increased to 260.

Bluebell Arboretum is an arboretum and associated plant nursery near the village of Smisby in South Derbyshire, England. It is a Royal Horticultural Society recommended garden, comprising a large selection of rare trees, shrubs and climbers growing in a woodland garden. Planting was started by the owners, Suzette and Robert Vernon (a Royal Horticultural Society committee member and Chelsea Flower Show judge) in 1992 on what was then a six acre (2.2 hectare) meadow, just under 500 feet (150 metres) above sea level. The arboretum was officially opened by Roy Lancaster, OBE VMH in 1997, and has since been expanded and is now open to the public throughgout the year, excluding Sundays during the winter months. In the garden emphasis is placed on its educational potential; its collection is extensive and well-labelled and there are many posters describing points of botanical/ecological interest, designed to stimulate further interest in trees, especially amongst younger visitors. The collection includes numerous species and cultivars from Northern Asia, North America and other temperate regions around the world; it includes cultivars of Cornus kousa (Chinese dogwood), Liquidambar styraciflua (American sweetgum), Liriodendron (tulip tree) and various Betula (birch) species, as well as other woody plants from many different genera. The arboretum includes a 2007 planting of 75 Sequoiadendron giganteum, the well-known giant redwood from the mountains of Southern California, and this area of the arboretum is intended to become a redwood grove in the future. Britain's first "Singing Sequoia" was commissioned in BlueBell Arboretum in spring, 2013; this automated musical and educational feature is amongst a group planting of Coastal Redwoods, which fully-grown in California are the tallest trees in the world. The aim of this planting is to create a small-scale representation of a Californian redwood forest, complete with sword ferns, 'Polystichum munitum', growing beneath the redwoods and skunk cabbages, 'Lysichiton americanus', in a nearby damp area. In May 2004, the arboretum was given the 'Greenwatch Award' by Derbyshire County Council for Environmental Sustainability, and was featured for its autumn colour in October 2007 in the BBC's Gardeners' World. The arboretum also regularly holds open days for the National Gardens Scheme charity.

St James’ Church, Smisby is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Smisby, Derbyshire.

The lock-up (or roundhouse) in Smisby, Derbyshire, England, is a village lock-up dating from the late 18th century. Such lock-ups were fairly common in England at that time and were used to hold miscreants, often drunkards, or other low-level offenders awaiting transportation to the local assizes, for short periods of time. The Smisby lock-up is built of brick and is a Grade II* listed building.

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch is a church in Blackfordby, Leicestershire. It is a Grade II listed building.

Blackfordby is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in the North West Leicestershire district, in the northwesternmost corner of Leicestershire, England. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the northwest of Ashby-de-la-Zouch and 2 miles southeast of Swadlincote. In 1931 the parish had a population of 705. On some early maps, such as one dated 1587, the village is shown as "Blaugherby", hence the local name of "Blofferby". The village is dominated by the Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Blackfordby, erected in 1858 on the site of an earlier Anglican Chapel which was attached to the St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The church stands in an elevated position next to the village school, and is built in the early English style. The church has a nave and chancel, with a tower surmounted by a broach spire and, for the greater part of the work, constructed from local sandstone which has become blackened due to the effects of air pollution. Until recent years there were several 16th & 17th century thatched cottages in and around the village, but now only two remain, one on Main Street, and one behind the "Rec". Both are now protected buildings. For many years the population remained at about 500, mainly agricultural workers, until the advent of the "Pits & Pipeworks". It is still a fairly quiet, rural village, although the population has greatly expanded in recent years. Council houses were built in 1948 and 1950, but the biggest changes have been brought about by private development. The village school still survives and has been extended to allow children to continue their education there until they are eleven years old. There were two pubs, The Black Lion and The Blue Bell, but no shops or Post Office. Now only one pub remains. The Black Lion.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch (), also spelled Ashby de la Zouch, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England, near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire borders. Its population at the 2011 census was 12,370. Ashby de la Zouch Castle was an important fort in the 15th to 17th centuries. During the 19th century, the town's main industries were ribbon manufacturing, coal mining, and brickmaking. The town is considered by many to be one of the main cultural hotspots of the United Kingdom, in spite of its small size. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Shellbrook to the west and Boundary to the north-west. Swadlincote, Burton upon Trent, Melbourne and Coalville are within 10 miles (16 km), with Derby 12 miles (19 km) due north. It lies at the heart of the National Forest, 24 miles (39 km) south of the Peak District National Park, on the A42 between Tamworth and Nottingham.

Holy Trinity, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, is a parish church in the Church of England Diocese of Leicester in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Museum is a museum in the Leicestershire town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The primary aim of the museum is to educate the public about the history of the town. The museum also has a number of temporary exhibitions. The museum opened its doors in 1982, with the museum relocating to its present location on North Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The museum is run by a group of approximately 70 volunteers.

Ivanhoe School (formerly Ivanhoe College) is a coeducational secondary school located in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England.The school was established in 1954 and named after the historical novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, part of which was set at Ashby de la Zouch Castle.It was previously a community middle school with specialist technology college status. In July 2012 Ivanhoe College converted to academy status. In September 2022 the school expanded its age range to 16, becoming a secondary school.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The structure, which was used as the offices of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building. The market hall, which is located behind the town hall, is separately listed.

Ashby de la Zouch railway station is a former railway station at Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire on the Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line. The Midland Railway opened it in 1849 and British Railways closed it in 1964. The station is a small Neoclassical building, with side pavilions and Doric columns in keeping with the nearby Royal Hotel of 1826. It is a Grade II* listed building.