Swepstone

Newton Burgoland is a village in the civil parish of Swepstone and Newton Burgoland, in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The Swepstone parish used to include a small settlement named Newton-Nethercote, which formed part of the village, but that is now part of the rest of Newton Burgoland. The population is included in the civil parish of Swepstone. The place-name is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Neutone. It is referred to as Neuton Burgilon in 1390. The name "Newton" means "new homestead or village". The "Burgoland" element refers to the Burgilon family, the name meaning "Burgundian".The village contains a public house, "The Belper Arms", which is identified as the oldest pub in Leicestershire. The pub dates back to 1290 when which it was named "The Shepherd and the Shepherdess Inn". During the Second World War, the village was highly affected by German bombing which took place in surrounding villages such as Odstone, Measham and Heather. In 1940, evacuees were escorted to the village notably from Coventry, Birmingham and London to escape the bombing in such cities. Nearby Gopsall Hall was later requisitioned as a barracks for British soldiers during the war, who visited public houses in Newton Burgoland such as "The Belper Arms" and "The Spade Tree". The village contains a primary school situated on School Lane. Children attending the school typically transfer when aged 11 to Ibstock Community College, The Market Bosworth School or elsewhere. The famous cinema and church organ builder, John Compton, was born in Newton Burgoland.

Normanton le Heath is a village and civil parish situated between the parishes of Packington, Ravenstone and Heather in North West Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 131 at the 2001 census, rising to 165 at the 2011 census. It should not be confused with another Normanton in the county which is near Bottesford. The name, which in Old English means the settlement of Northmen on the heath, suggests that the current village was probably an English village taken over by a group of Norse or Danish settlers at the time of the original Viking settlement, and this fits well into the overall pattern of land occupation in the area. It lies on the edge of the great heath that once stretched Westwards from the edge of Charnwood Forest, something which is reflected in the names of a number of other settlements in the area, such as Heather and Donington le Heath. There are, however, signs of significant earlier land usage in the parish. Near to the boundary with Heather and Ravenstone an Iron Age settlement has been discovered. Equally, the newly discovered Roman road from Leicester to Chester has been discovered running through the centre of Normanton. Just over the parish boundary in the southern Ravenstone area there was a small Roman town. A track called the Swepstone Way can be traced running from the Iron Age settlement all the way to Tamworth. The Salt Way which ran through Measham can also be traced to Normanton. It is not totally implausible to suggest that a road/track ran through the centre from Ancaster to Wall. If this is correct it would suggest that this track was of Roman origin. However, this is very much a speculative road at the moment. The settlement is not mentioned in the Domesday Book and the first mention we have is in 1209. Much of the land in the early Middle Ages to the north was known to be woodland or heathland. Coal mining formed part of the economy of the area from a very early period and mines have been found at the abandoned village of Alton to the north of Normanton. To the east of the village was the Long Moor open cast coal mine managed by UK Coal. Over a three-year period from 2007 to 2010 this extracted 725,000 tons of coal. Following restoration, the 188 acres (76 ha) mine site has been acquired by the Woodland Trust. With adjoining agricultural land this will become the Flagship Diamond Wood, a 186 hectares (460 acres) new woodland to celebrate the 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Newton Burgoland Marshes is an 8.7-hectare (21-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Newton Burgoland in Leicestershire.This site is in two areas, with the northern one having wet grassland and species rich marsh, while the southern one is well-drained grassland. Herbs in the marsh include ragged robin, marsh marigold, meadow thistle and southern marsh orchid.The site is private land with no public access.

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood (initially known as the Flagship Diamond Wood) is a woodland in Leicestershire, UK created in 2012. Covering 186 hectares (460 acres), it is the centrepiece of a wide-ranging Jubilee Project by the Woodland Trust to mark the 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The site incorporates a former opencast coal mine which now has a newly created lake, as well as former arable land and 7 hectares (17 acres) of existing ancient woodland and old hedgerows. Situated between the villages of Normanton le Heath, Heather and Ravenstone, and close to Coalville and Ashby de la Zouch, it is in the middle of the National Forest.

Heather Preceptory (pronounced: ; He-ther) was a preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller, established in the village of Heather, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

Heather ( HEE-dhər) is a village west of Ibstock in North West Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 949 at the 2001 census reducing to 920 at the 2011 census. In the Domesday Book of 1086, its name is recorded as Hadre, meaning "the heathland".There was an Iron Age settlement immediately north west of the village. As part of an open cast coal mining application, this was excavated in 1990. It identified a settlement from the late 2nd century BC through to early second century A.D.

Heather St John's Football Club is a football club based in the village of Heather, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the Midland League Division One and play at St John's Park.

Snarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England.It lies on the edge of the National Forest and is 5 miles (8 km) from the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It has a population of approximately 300 people and 120 households,[1] increasing to a population of 312 in 128 households at the 2011 census.The village is surrounded by farmland and open countryside. It is positioned at the foot of a slight hill that gently rises to a height of 115 metres. Other topographical features include the River Mease and the terminus for the Ashby Canal. Both of these waterways are sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). Based on the 2011 census data, it is the centre of population density for the island of Great Britain.

Packington is a village and civil parish in the district of North West Leicestershire. It is situated close to the A42 road and the towns of Ashby de la Zouch and Measham. The population of Packington according to the 2001 UK census is 738, reducing slightly to 734 at the 2011 census. Nearby villages include Normanton le Heath and Heather. Packington has a public house called the 'Bull and Lion' (reputedly the only one in Britain) and a local shop called 'Daybreak Services'. It is part of the National Forest and the Gilwiskaw brook runs through the village.

Heather and Ibstock railway station is a disused railway station on the former Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway. It served the village of Heather and town of Ibstock. It was originally named Heather, but with the industrial expansion of nearby Ibstock the request to have it renamed to include that town was accepted in 1894. It closed to passengers in 1931 but closed to parcel traffic in 1951. Goods continued to pass through until 1954 when the line was closed from Hugglescote to Shackerstone. The site has since been demolished and is now part of a housing estate which now occupies the entire former station site.

Shackerstone railway station is a preserved railway station and heritage museum in Leicestershire, Central England. It is the terminus and the headquarters of the heritage Battlefield Line Railway, with the Shackerstone Railwayana Museum, tea room, shop, loco shed and main rolling stock located here. The Ashby Canal is nearby.

Snarestone railway station is a disused railway station that formerly served the village of Snarestone, North West Leicestershire from 1873 to 1931. The station was on the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway. The station building has since been demolished but the station master's house and goods shed survive as private dwellings. Platforms are also evident but inaccessible.