Old Dalby railway station

The Old Dalby Test Track is a railway in the United Kingdom which is used for testing new designs of trains and railway infrastructure. It runs between Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Edwalton, on the course of the Midland Railway's route between Kettering and Nottingham which closed to passengers on 1 May 1967, and to goods in 1968. It is 13.5 miles (21.7 km) in length. Since its first use at a test track in May 1966, the Old Dalby Test Track has been involved in numerous projects, one early major initiative being British Rail Research Division's Advanced Passenger Train project. In addition to its use by trains, various elements of line-side infrastructure, such as overhead line (OHLE) and signaling equipment, have also been tested on the line. During July 1984, a destructive full-scale integrity test of a nuclear flask train was conducted, witnessed by a large crowd; most testing has been closed to the public and security measures are typically present around the line to deter intrusion. During the mid-1990s, as a result of British Rail's privatisation, ownership of the line was transferred to BRB (Residuary) Limited, while its historic main user, the Research Division, was abolished. In the privatisation era, Old Dalby has been leased out to various companies, including Serco, Alstom, and Metronet to conduct testing. Alstom electrified the former Down line using 25 kV AC OHLE at a reported cost of £25 million, and reinstated a six-mile portion of the Up line, to support its activities. During the 2010s, there was public speculation that the test track could form part of a direct link between Nottingham and Melton Mowbray for the purpose of re-introducing a passenger service.

Old Dalby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Broughton and Old Dalby, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is located to the north-west of Melton Mowbray. It was originally known as "Wold Dalby" or "Dalby on the Wolds". In 1931 the parish had a population of 315. On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished to form "Broughton and Old Dalby".

Dalby Preceptory, also known as Dalby and Heather Preceptory, was a preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller, in the village of Old Dalby, Leicestershire, England.

Home Farm is an historic farmhouse in Old Dalby, Leicestershire, England. It was built in 1635 and is a Grade II listed building. Dating to the Georgian period, it was substantially enlarged in 1835, when it became home farm to the nearby Old Hall. The building stands directly opposite the church of St John the Baptist, a Grade II* listed building.

Broughton and Old Dalby is a civil parish in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,400, rising marginally to 1,405 at the 2011 census. It includes Nether Broughton and Old Dalby. However, Upper Broughton also has an LE14 postcode but lies entirely within Nottinghamshire and is not part of the civil parish of Broughton and Old Dalby. The parish was created on 1 April 1936 from the former area of Nether Broughton and Old Dalby civil parishes. 21 acres of the parish were transferred to Upper Broughton, Nottinghamshire, on 1 April 1965.

Upper Broughton was a railway station serving Upper Broughton in the English county of Nottinghamshire. It was opened on the Nottingham direct line of the Midland Railway between London and Nottingham, avoiding Leicester. The line still exists today as the Old Dalby Test Track.

Upper Broughton or Broughton-Sulney or Over-Broughton is a village and civil parish about seven miles north west of Melton Mowbray, in the Rushcliffe district of the county of Nottinghamshire, England. In 2011 the built-up area had a population of 327, the same as the parish. The parish count increased to 346 at the 2021 census. The parish touches Wymeswold, Hickling, Widmerpool, Broughton and Old Dalby and Willoughby on the Wolds. Upper Broughton is a conservation area that was designated in 1973 and is 16 hectares. The settlement is near the boundary with Leicestershire, and Nether Broughton is across the county boundary.

St Luke's Church is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Upper Broughton.

Hickling is a village in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It is located close to the border with Leicestershire, approximately 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Melton Mowbray; the Vale of Belvoir is also nearby. It had a population of 511 in the 2011 census, increasing to 523 at the 2021 census. The disused Grantham Canal passes through the village and there is a large basin adjacent to the main road. This would have facilitated loading and mooring when the canal was in use. The basin now attracts a substantial population of swans and ducks. Plans to put the canal back to water include the building of a swing bridge on the main road through the village. Like many bridges along the canal the original one has been flattened and therefore presently prevents navigation of the cut. Some nearby bridges, like the one elsewhere on this page, will need little work to put back to use. Much of the village lies within a conservation area, which also contains 24 listed buildings. St Luke's Church dates from the 14th century. Inside the church can be found two ornate grave lids that were made for persons of importance and date from the tenth century. Roman coins and medals were found in an urn ploughed up nearby in 1771, and it is suspected that there may have been a Roman base nearby. Hickling residents are commended for their charity raising skills. The village holds an annual scarecrow festival over a weekend each September. Money raised at that event in 2009 along with the Hickling Country Fair, Open Gardens totalled over £13,500. £4,500 was handed over in February 2010, at a ceremony at the Plough Inn, to each of the Meningitis Trust, the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance, and a further 14 village groups.

Shoby is a hamlet and former civil parish 12 miles (19 km) north east of Leicester, now in the parish of Grimston, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. In 2000 it had an estimated population of 39. In 1931 the parish had a population of 49. Gregory Brokesby who was a resident of Shoby became the Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1632.

Grimston was a railway station serving Saxelbye village in the English county of Leicestershire. It was opened on the Nottingham direct line of the Midland Railway between London and Nottingham via Corby.The station was formerly named Saxelbye, the name was changed after only 3 months to avoid confusion with Saxby, a few miles east of Melton Mowbray, on the Midland's other line between Leicester and Peterborough. The village of Grimston lies about one mile to the north west of the former Grimston station. The line still exists today as the Old Dalby Test Track.

Saxelbye (or Saxelby) is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Grimston, in the district of Melton in Leicestershire, England. The village lies about three miles to the north-west of Melton Mowbray and is situated on the southern slope of the ridge that makes up the southern boundary of the Vale of Belvoir. In 1931 the parish had a population of 75. On 1 April 1936 the parish of Saxelby was abolished and merged with Grimston. The very fine Grade II* church with its crocketed spire is dedicated to St Peter. Webster’s Dairy in Saxelbye, founded in 1883, is one of only six dairies where Stilton cheese is produced. The Old Dalby Test Track passes close to the village.