121-622: Newbold-on-Avon (usually shortened to just Newbold ) is a suburb of Rugby in Warwickshire , England, located around 1½ miles north-west of the town centre, it is adjacent to the River Avon from which the suffix is derived. Newbold was historically a village in its own right, but was incorporated into Rugby in 1932. The name is derived from the Saxon Niowebold ('New house'). The ancient parish of Newbold-on-Avon contained
242-465: A Leicester Urban Area (LUA); broadly the immediate Leicester conurbation , although without administrative status. The LUA contains the unitary authority area and several towns, villages and suburbs outside the city's administrative boundaries. Suburbs and districts of Leicester (ancient villages now incorporated into the city are shown in bold) Leicester experiences a maritime climate with mild to warm summers and cool winters, rain spread throughout
363-603: A line to Leamington in 1851, by which time there were more than sixty trains a day passing through Rugby railway station via the five converging lines. A line to Northampton opened in 1881, and finally the Great Central Main Line opened in 1899. Rugby was transformed into a railway town , and the influx of railway workers and their families rapidly expanded the population. Rugby's population grew to nearly 8,000 by 1861. reaching nearly 17,000 by 1901. By which time around 1 in 5 Rugbeians were employed by
484-651: A nature reserve , known as Newbold Quarry Park . Another park named Newbold Centenary Park opened in 2016 off Parkfield Road: built on the site of former allotments , it was so named to mark the centenary of the First World War . The main secondary school in Newbold is the Avon Valley School , which was formerly known as Newbold Grange High School until the early-1990s. Newbold is home to Newbold-on-Avon RFC . Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby
605-506: A wider pattern that led to the expulsion of the Jewish population from England in 1290. During the 14th century, the earls of Leicester and Lancaster enhanced the prestige of the town. Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and of Leicester founded a hospital for the poor and infirm in the area to the south of the castle now known as The Newarke (the "new work"). Henry's son, the great Henry of Grosmont , 4th Earl of Lancaster and of Leicester, who
726-823: A 50% ethnic minority population, making it the first city in Britain not to have a white British majority. This prediction was based on the growth of the ethnic minority populations between 1991 (Census 1991 28% ethnic minority) and 2001 (Census 2001 – 36% ethnic minority). However, Professor Ludi Simpson at the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences said in September 2007 that the CRE had "made unsubstantiated claims and ignored government statistics" and that Leicester's immigrant and minority communities disperse to other places. The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group
847-563: A bishopric again until the Church of St Martin became Leicester Cathedral in 1927. The settlement was recorded under the name Ligeraceaster in the early 10th century. Following the Norman conquest , Leicester was recorded by William 's Domesday Book as Ledecestre . It was noted as a city ( civitas ) but lost this status in the 11th century owing to power struggles between the Church and
968-682: A corruption of the original " Corieltauvians ". The Corieltauvians are believed to have ruled over roughly the area of the East Midlands . It is believed that the Romans arrived in the Leicester area around AD 47, during their conquest of southern Britain . The Corieltauvian settlement lay near a bridge on the Fosse Way , a Roman road between the legionary camps at Isca ( Exeter ) and Lindum ( Lincoln ). It remains unclear whether
1089-513: A ford across the larger channel. The later Roman name was a latinate form of the Brittonic word for "ramparts" (cf. Gaelic rath and the nearby villages of Ratby and Ratcliffe ), suggesting the site was an oppidum . The plural form of the name suggests it was initially composed of several villages. The Celtic tribe holding the area was later recorded as the " Coritanians " but an inscription recovered in 1983 showed this to have been
1210-565: A hill north of the River Avon on the B4112 road, and contains some old buildings, including some red brick 18th-century houses and some timber-framed buildings from the 17th century. The church of St Botolph in the old village dates from the 15th century, and is grade I listed and stands on the site of an earlier church. Newbold grew considerably during the 20th century, with a number of modern housing and industrial estates having been built to
1331-759: A hill overlooking the Avon, made it an ideal location for a defended Dobunni watch settlement. During the Roman period the Roman town of Tripontium was established on the Watling Street Roman road around 3.4 miles (5.5 km) north-east of what is now Rugby, this was later abandoned when the Romans left Britain. The small settlement at Rugby was taken over by the Anglo-Saxons around 560 AD, and it
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#17327717842471452-455: A king Leir of Britain as an eponymous founder in his Historia Regum Britanniae (12th century). Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back at least two millennia. The native Iron Age settlement encountered by the Romans at the site seems to have developed in the 2nd or 1st centuries BC . Little is known about this settlement or the condition of
1573-400: A marker of anti-Asian sentiment throughout Britain as a whole, although the attitudes that resulted in the initial advertisement were changed significantly in subsequent decades, not least because the immigrants included the owners of many of "Uganda's most successful businesses." Forty years later, Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby expressed his regret for the behaviour of the council at
1694-403: A market town in 1255. In 1567, Rugby School was founded as a grammar school for local boys but, by the 18th century, it had gained a national reputation and eventually became a public school . The school is the birthplace of rugby football which, according to legend, was invented in 1823 by a Rugby schoolboy named William Webb Ellis . Rugby remained a small and fairly unimportant town until
1815-672: A population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England, and the 13th most populous in the United Kingdom . A 2023 report ranked Leicester 16th out of the 50 largest UK cities on a range of economic measures, and the first of seven East Midlands cities. The city lies on the River Soar and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast of Birmingham and 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Coventry . Nottingham and Derby lie around 21 miles (34 km) to
1936-696: A professional theatre, the Macready Theatre , and the amateur Rugby Theatre , both in the town centre. A nine-screen cinema run by Cineworld is located at a retail park north of the town centre. The Rugby Art Gallery, Museum and Library which opened in 2000, hosts various temporary art exhibitions. The main collection, which is not on permanent display, is the nationally-renowned Rugby Collection of 20th Century and Contemporary British Art, which comprises 170 artworks by artists including L. S. Lowry , Stanley Spencer , Paula Rego and Graham Sutherland . The museum displays Roman artefacts excavated from
2057-404: A short time, their product range expanded, and a wide array of electrical equipment came to be produced by BTH at Rugby. Both firms started producing turbines in 1904, and were in competition until both were united as part of GEC in 1969. Another name associated with Rugby was Lodge Plugs , manufacturer of spark plugs , who set up a factory in the town in 1916. For most of the 20th century,
2178-440: A silent 'H', and berg being a name for a hill fortification, with the 'g' being pronounced as an 'ee' sound. By the 13th century the name of the town was commonly spelt as Rokeby (or Rookby ) before gradually evolving into the modern form by the 18th century. In 1140, the first recorded mention was made of St Andrew's Church , which was originally a chapel of ease to the mother church at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore , until Rugby
2299-479: Is a market town in eastern Warwickshire , England, close to the River Avon . At the 2021 census , its population was 78,117, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby , which had a population of 114,400 in 2021. Rugby is situated on the eastern edge of Warwickshire, near to the borders with Leicestershire and Northamptonshire . It
2420-477: Is a forum, set up in 2001 by the editor of the Leicester Mercury , to co-ordinate community relations with members representing the council, police, schools, community and faith groups, and the media. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many social and economic challenges across the country and across the world. Leicester has been particularly badly affected in the United Kingdom; from July 2020 during
2541-691: Is at the intersection of two railway lines: the Midland Main Line and the Birmingham to London Stansted Airport line. It is also at the confluence of the M1 / M69 motorways and the A6 / A46 trunk routes. Leicester Cathedral is home to the tomb of King Richard III who was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, Leicester
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#17327717842472662-622: Is commemorated in Rugby by a modern sculpture near the town hall dating from 2005, made by Stephen Broadbent . Holography was invented in Rugby in 1947, by the Hungarian born inventor Dennis Gabor , also while working at BTH. For this he later received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. In the 19th century, Rugby became famous for its once important railway junction which was
2783-404: Is held in the town centre several days a week. In recent years several out-of-town retail centres have opened and expanded to the north of the town, including: Elliott's Field Retail Park, Junction 1 Retail Park and Technology Drive. Most of Rugby sits around 400 feet (120 m) above sea level on an irregular shaped plateau which is situated between the valleys of the River Avon and Swift to
2904-422: Is most famous for the invention of rugby football , which is played throughout the world. The invention of the game is credited to William Webb Ellis , a Rugby School pupil who, according to legend, broke the existing rules of football by picking up the ball and running with it at a match played in 1823. Although there is little evidence to support this story, the school is credited with codifying and popularising
3025-776: Is now Lawrence Sheriff Street. These centred on what is now the Clock Tower, which was built in 1887 on the site of an ancient cross. These streets still form the core of the town centre. In the Victorian and Edwardian eras several more shopping streets were added in order to cater for the growing town, including Albert Street and Regent Street, the latter of which was built in 1905, and was intended to be Rugby's main shopping street, although it never achieved this goal. The town centre has an indoor shopping centre called Rugby Central Shopping Centre which opened in 1979 (previously named The Clock Tower shopping centre). A street market
3146-559: Is recorded as Ledecestre . The first element of the name is the name of a people, the Ligore (whose name appears in Ligera ceastre in the genitive plural form); their name came in turn from the river Ligor (now the River Soar ), the origin of whose name is uncertain but thought to be from Brittonic (possibly cognate with the name of the Loire ). The second element of the name
3267-676: Is the Old English word ceaster ("(Roman) fort, fortification, town", itself borrowed from Latin castrum ). A list of British cities in the ninth-century History of the Britons includes one Cair Lerion ; Leicester has been proposed as the place to which this refers (and the Welsh name for Leicester is Caerlŷr ). But this identification is not certain. Based on the Welsh name (given as Kaerleir ), Geoffrey of Monmouth proposed
3388-530: Is the home to football club Leicester City and rugby club Leicester Tigers . The name of Leicester comes from Old English . It is first recorded in Latinised form in the early ninth century as Legorensis civitatis and in Old English itself in an Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 924 as Ligera ceastre (and, in various spellings, frequently thereafter). In the Domesday Book of 1086, it
3509-487: Is the most easterly town within the West Midlands region , with the nearby county borders also marking the regional boundary with the East Midlands . It is 83 miles (134 km) north of London , 30 miles (48 km) east-south-east of Birmingham , 11.5 miles (18.5 km) east of Coventry , 18 miles (29 km) north-west of Northampton and 19 miles (31 km) south-south-west of Leicester . Rugby became
3630-558: The 2005 general election Jeremy Wright regained the seat for the Conservatives. Following the recommendations of the Boundary Commission for England , Warwickshire was allocated a sixth parliamentary seat. In the 2010 general election, the existing Rugby and Kenilworth constituency was abolished and split in two. A new Rugby constituency was created, and a new constituency of Kenilworth and Southam formed to
3751-656: The Air Training Corps . Leicester was bombed on 19 November 1940. Although only three bombs hit the city, 108 people were killed in Highfields. The years after World War II , particularly from the 1960s onwards, brought many social and economic challenges. Mass housebuilding continued across Leicester for some 30 years after 1945. Existing housing estates such as Braunstone were expanded, while several completely new estates – of both private and council tenure – were built. The last major development of this era
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3872-670: The English Civil War , one of the earliest armed confrontations of the conflict took place at the nearby village of Kilsby in August 1642. That same year, King Charles I passed through Rugby on his way to Nottingham , and 120 Cavalier Horse Troops reportedly stayed at the town, however the townsfolk were sympathetic to the Parliamentarian cause, and they were disarmed by the Cavalier soldiers. Later, in 1645, Rugby
3993-525: The English Civil War . In 1645, King Charles I of England and Prince Rupert decided to attack the (then) town to draw the New Model Army away from the Royalist (colloquially called Cavaliers ) headquarters of Oxford . Royalist guns were set up on Raw Dykes and, after an unsatisfactory response to a demand for surrender, the assault began at 3pm on 30 May 1645 by a Royalist battery opposite
4114-611: The Gunpowder Plot of 1605: On the eve of the plot, the plotters stayed at the 'Lion Inn' (now a private residence called 'Guy Fawkes House') in nearby Dunchurch , convened by Sir Everard Digby , awaiting news of Guy Fawkes 's attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament. If he had been successful they planned to kidnap the King's daughter Princess Elizabeth from Coombe Abbey in the countryside between Rugby and Coventry. During
4235-582: The House of Lords in June 1628 who however supported Fleetwood but asked for proceedings made by the Crown against the rioters to be dropped. Compensation made to the legal residents of the forest was reasonably generous by comparison with other forests. The Corporation of Leicester received 40 acres (16 ha) for relief of the poor. Leicester was a Parliamentarian (colloquially called Roundhead ) stronghold during
4356-581: The Jewry Wall ; recovered artifacts are displayed at the adjacent museum . Knowledge of the town following the Roman withdrawal from Britain is limited. It seems to have been continually occupied after Roman protection ceased through the 5th and 6th centuries, although with a significantly reduced population. Its memory was preserved as the Cair Lerion of the History of the Britons . Following
4477-591: The Labour Party in 1950. From 1950 until 1983 Rugby was a Labour-Conservative marginal, with the Labour Party holding it for the majority of that period. In 1983 Rugby was joined with Kenilworth to become part of the parliamentary constituency of Rugby and Kenilworth . Between 1983 and 1997 Jim Pawsey was the Conservative Member of Parliament, losing in 1997 to Labour's Andy King . At
4598-514: The River Soar at this time, although roundhouses from this era have been excavated and seem to have clustered along roughly 8 hectares (20 acres) of the east bank of the Soar above its confluence with the Trent . This area of the Soar was split into two channels: a main stream to the east and a narrower channel on the west, with a presumably marshy island between. The settlement seems to have controlled
4719-705: The Saxon invasion of Britain , Leicester was occupied by the Middle Angles and subsequently administered by the kingdom of Mercia . It was elevated to a bishopric in either 679 or 680; this see survived until the 9th century, when Leicester was captured by Danish Vikings . Their settlement became one of the Five Burghs of the Danelaw , although this position was short-lived. The Saxon bishop, meanwhile, fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester did not become
4840-805: The West Midlands Ambulance Service . The local hospital in Rugby is the Hospital of St. Cross which is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust . A more extensive range of health services are provided at the University Hospital Coventry , some ten miles away. The largest general purpose venue in Rugby is the Benn Hall which opened in 1961 as part of the town hall complex, Rugby has two theatres ,
4961-509: The aristocracy and did not become a legal city again until 1919. Geoffrey of Monmouth composed his History of the Kings of Britain around the year 1136, naming a King Leir as an eponymous founder figure. According to Geoffrey's narrative, Cordelia had buried her father beneath the river in a chamber dedicated to Janus and his feast day was an annual celebration. When Simon de Montfort became Earl of Leicester in 1231, he gave
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5082-484: The directly elected Mayor of Leicester role came into effect after the inaugural election. This post exists in addition to that of Lord Mayor which goes back to the Middle Ages and is these days a ceremonial role. The first mayor of Leicester was a Norman knight, Peter fitz Roger ("Peter, son of Roger") in 1251. Following the restoration of city status in 1919 this title was elevated to "Lord Mayor." In 1987
5203-466: The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII . However, in September 2012, an archaeological investigation of the car park revealed a skeleton which DNA testing helped verify to be related to two descendants of Richard III's sister. It was concluded that the skeleton was that of Richard III because of the DNA evidence and the shape of the spine. In 2015 Richard III was reburied in pride of place near
5324-564: The 1960s and 1970s: the Great Central and the Leicester and Swannington both closed and the northward extension of the M1 motorway linked Leicester into England's growing motorway network. With the loss of much of the city's industry during the 1970s and 1980s, some of the old industrial jobs were replaced by new jobs in the service sector, particularly in retail. The opening of the Haymarket Shopping Centre in 1971
5445-691: The 19th century also witnessed the creation of many other institutions, including the town council, the Royal Infirmary , and the Leicester Constabulary. It also benefited from general acceptance (and the Public Health Acts ) that municipal organisations had a responsibility to provide for the town's water supply, drainage, and sanitation. In 1853, backed with a guarantee of dividends by the Corporation of Leicester
5566-496: The 19th century, but grew most notably when it annexed Belgrave , Aylestone , North Evington , Knighton , and Stoneygate in 1892. In 1900, the Great Central Railway provided another link to London, but the rapid population growth of the previous decades had already begun to slow by the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901. World War I and the subsequent epidemics had further impacts. Nonetheless, Leicester
5687-406: The 2011 census, and 62,580 at the 2001 census. In terms of ethnicity in 2021: In terms of religion, 52.9% of Rugby residents identified as Christian , 38.6% said they had no religion , 4.0% were Hindu , 2.3% were Muslim , 1.2% were Sikh , 0.4% were Buddhists , and 0.6% were from another religion. From 1885 until 1983 Rugby was a constituency in itself, a status it regained in 2010. Rugby
5808-645: The Crown of Thorns, given to the Duke by the King of France. The church (described by Leland in the C16th as "not large but exceeding fair") also became, effectively, a Lancastrian mausoleum. Duke Henry's daughter Blanche of Lancaster married John of Gaunt and their son Henry Bolingbroke became King Henry IV when he deposed King Richard II. The Church of the Annunciation was the burial place of Duke Henry, who had earlier had his father re-interred here. Later it became
5929-402: The Danelaw . Leicester became an important town during the Middle Ages , and then an important industrial and commercial centre in the Victorian age , eventually gaining city status in 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of the British Commonwealth has seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of the Midlands . Leicester
6050-427: The English interior. Temperatures are mild for the latitude and winter nights average above freezing. Summers are highly variable depending on wind patterns, with an all-time record of 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) in spite of the mild averages. Annual rainfall is moderate, but frequent drizzle results in about 125 precipitation days per year. At the 2021 census , there were 78,125 residents in Rugby, up from 70,628 on
6171-405: The English throne for nine days in June 1553, was born at Bradgate Park near Leicester around 1536. Queen Elizabeth I 's intimate and former suitor, Robert Dudley , was given the Earldom of Leicester . After the Union of the Crowns , Anne of Denmark , Prince Henry , and Princess Elizabeth travelled to Leicester on 24 June 1603, after the courtier and usher Thomas Conway was assured that
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#17327717842476292-412: The Labour Party's John Slinger won the seat from the Conservatives. Rugby is administered by two local authorities : Rugby Borough Council which covers Rugby and its surrounding countryside, and Warwickshire County Council . The two authorities are responsible for different aspects of local government. Rugby is an unparished area and so does not have its own town council . The Borough of Rugby
6413-418: The Leicester Waterworks Company built a reservoir at Thornton for the supply of water to the town. This guarantee was made possible by the Public Health Act 1847 and an amending local Act of Parliament of 1851. In 1866 another amending Act enabled the Corporation of Leicester to take shares in the company to enable another reservoir at Cropston, completed in 1870. The Corporation of Leicester was later able to buy
6534-422: The Newarke. The town – which only had approximately 2,000 defenders opposed to the Royalist Army of approximately 10,000 combatants – was sacked on 31 May 1645, and hundreds of people were killed by Rupert's cavalry. One witness said, "they fired upon our men out of their windows, from the tops of houses, and threw tiles upon their heads. Finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many shots fired at us out of
6655-402: The Olympic Games. Rugby is a birthplace of the jet engine . In April 1937 Frank Whittle built and tested the world's first prototype jet engine at the British Thomson-Houston (BTH) works in Rugby, and during 1936–41 based himself at Brownsover Hall on the outskirts, where he designed and developed early prototype engines. Much of his work was carried out at nearby Lutterworth . Whittle
6776-438: The Romans fortified and garrisoned the location, but it slowly developed from around the year 50 onwards as the tribal capital of the Corieltauvians under the name Ratae Corieltauvorum . In the 2nd century, it received a forum and bathhouse . In 2013, the discovery of a Roman cemetery found just outside the old city walls and dating back to AD 300 was announced. The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at
6897-419: The abandoned tunnel can be seen next to the churchyard, it is now bricked up but with two holes to allow for bats to enter. There is a canalside pub at Newbold, the Barley Mow (a second one The Boat having now closed). There is also another pub called the Newbold Crown closer to the centre of the village. There are some former limestone quarries in the Newbold area. One of them has been converted into
7018-416: The burial place of Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster (second wife of John of Gaunt) and of Mary de Bohun , first wife of Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) and mother of King Henry V (she did not become queen because she died before Bolingbroke became king). John of Gaunt died at Leicester Castle in 1399. When his son became king, the Earldom of Leicester and the Duchy of Lancaster became royal titles (and
7139-497: The cathedral. A second major extension to the boundaries following the changes in 1892 took place in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder of Evington , Humberstone , Beaumont Leys , and part of Braunstone . A third major revision of the boundaries took place in 1966, with the net addition to the city of just over 450 acres (182 ha). The boundary has remained unchanged since that time. Leicester's diversified economic base and lack of dependence on primary industries meant it
7260-415: The city a grant to expel the Jewish population "in my time or in the time of any of my heirs to the end of the world". He justified his action as being "for the good of my soul, and for the souls of my ancestors and successors". Leicester's Jews were allowed to move to the eastern suburbs, which were controlled by de Montfort's great-aunt and rival, Margaret, Countess of Winchester, after she took advice from
7381-428: The critically acclaimed band Spiritualized and Kember continued performing under the names Sonic Boom/Spectrum . Other notable musical acts to emerge from Rugby include the 1970s pop band Jigsaw which was formed by musicians from Rugby and Coventry, the 2000s singer-songwriter James Morrison , and more recently Emily Burns . There are two large urban parks in the town centre, one is Caldecott Park alongside
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#17327717842477502-483: The early 1970s. In 1972, Idi Amin announced that the entire Asian community in Uganda had 90 days to leave the country. Shortly thereafter, Leicester City Council launched a campaign aimed at dissuading Ugandan Asians from migrating to the city. The adverts did not have their intended effect, instead making more migrants aware of the possibility of settling in Leicester. Nearly a quarter of initial Ugandan refugees (around 5000 to 6000) settled in Leicester, and by
7623-430: The east of the old village at the foot of the hill, around the Avon valley. The Oxford Canal runs immediately to the north of Newbold, here it runs through the 250-metre-long Newbold Tunnel. This tunnel was built in 1829 as part of a scheme to straighten out the winding canal, and it replaced an older tunnel which dated from 1777 on the original route, which ran at a right-angle to the newer tunnel. The southern portal of
7744-406: The end of the 1970s around another quarter of the initially dispersed refugees had made their way to Leicester. Officially, the adverts were taken out for fear that immigrants to Leicester would place pressure on city services and at least one person who was a city councillor at the time says he believes they were placed for racist reasons. The initial advertisement was widely condemned, and taken as
7865-399: The first batch of Howitzer shells by a British company which was not making ammunition before the war. After the war, the city received a royal visit; the king and queen received a march-past in Victoria Park of thousands of serving and demobilised soldiers. Following the end of the war, a memorial arch—the Arch of Remembrance —was built in Victoria Park and unveiled in 1925. The arch, one of
7986-422: The grocer to Queen Elizabeth I . Sheriff had intended Rugby School to be a free grammar school for local boys, but by the 18th century it had acquired a national reputation and gradually became a mostly fee-paying private school, with most of its pupils coming from outside Rugby. The Lawrence Sheriff School was eventually founded in 1878 to continue Sheriff's original intentions. Until the 19th century, Rugby
8107-401: The growth in the city of trade unionism and particularly the co-operative movement . The Co-op became an important employer and landowner; when Leicester played host to the Jarrow March on its way to London in 1936, the Co-op provided the marchers with a change of boots. In 1938, Leicester was selected as the base for Squadron 1F, the first A.D.C.C (Air Defence Cadet Corp), the predecessor of
8228-481: The high altar in Leicester Cathedral . On 4 November 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason and taken from Yorkshire. On his way south to face dubious justice at the Tower of London , he fell ill. The group escorting him was concerned enough to stop at Leicester to rest at Leicester Abbey. There, Wolsey's condition quickly worsened. He died on 29 November 1530 and was buried at Leicester Abbey , now Abbey Park . Lady Jane Grey , who claimed
8349-460: The imposition of the first local lockdown which saw all non-essential retail closed again and businesses such as public houses, restaurants and hairdressers unable to reopen. Businesses such as these in areas such as Glenfield and that part of Braunstone Town which outside of the formal city council area, have since been allowed to reopen following a more tightly defined lockdown area from 18 July 2020. The Office for National Statistics has defined
8470-428: The largest First World War memorials in the UK, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens , who also designed the Cenotaph in London and is a grade I listed building . A set of gates and lodges, again by Lutyens, were added in the 1930s, leading to the memorial from the University Road and London Road entrances to Victoria Park. In 1927, Leicester again became a cathedral city on the consecration of St Martin's Church as
8591-429: The late 18th and early 19th century due to the growing national reputation of Rugby School, which had moved from its original location at a (now long vanished) schoolhouse north of St Andrew's Church, to its present location south of the town centre by 1750. By the time of the first national census in 1801, Rugby had a population of 1,487 with 278 houses. By 1831 this had increased further to 2,501 in 415 houses. This growth
8712-578: The latter remains so). At the end of the War of the Roses , King Richard III was buried in Leicester's Greyfriars Church a Franciscan Friary and Church which was demolished after its dissolution in 1538. The site of that church is now covered by King Richard III Visitor Centre (until 2012 by more modern buildings and a car park). There was a legend his corpse had been cast into the river , while some historians argued his tomb and remains were destroyed during
8833-540: The laws of primogeniture , naming the town Rugby. The settlement of Rugby, Tennessee still exists. Rugby School is said to have been a major inspiration behind the revival of the Olympic Games : the French educator, and father of the modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin , visited Rugby School several times in the late 19th century, and cited the school as one of his major inspirations behind his decision to revive
8954-470: The mid-19th century, when a major railway junction was established there, which spurred the development of industry and the rapid growth of population. Early Iron Age settlement existed in the Rugby area: The River Avon formed a natural barrier between the Dobunni and Corieltauvi tribes, and it is likely that defended frontier settlements were set up on each side of the Avon valley. Rugby's position on
9075-737: The middle of the 19th century, the railway junction at Rugby had become one of the most important in the country: The first railway arrived in 1838 when one of the earliest inter-city main lines, the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was constructed around the town. In 1840 the Midland Counties Railway made a junction with the L&;BR at Rugby, which was followed by a junction with the Trent Valley Railway in 1847. A line to Peterborough opened in 1850, followed by
9196-402: The motorway network, Rugby has become a major centre for logistics , becoming, in some definitions, part of the area known as the golden logistics triangle . In the 21st century, Rugby's urban area has undergone further expansion with large new developments at Cawston and the large new development of Houlton on the site of the former Rugby Radio Station to the east of the town. Rugby
9317-413: The nature of the 'castle' is unknown, and it was possibly little more than a fortified manor house . In any event, the 'castle' may have been short lived: It has been speculated that it was constructed early in the reign of King Stephen (1135–1154) during the period of civil war known as The Anarchy , and then, as a so-called adulterine castle , built without Royal approval, demolished in around 1157 on
9438-464: The nearby Romano-British town of Tripontium , as well as an exhibition of the social history of Rugby. The building also houses the town's library. The Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum also in the town centre also hosts rugby memorabilia. The poet Rupert Brooke was born and grew up in Rugby, and is commemorated in the town by a statue in Regent Place. In the 1960s, Clifton Hall at Rugby
9559-421: The nearby settlements of Harborough Parva, Cosford , Long Lawford and Little Lawford . The latter three became separate civil parishes in the 19th century, while Harborough Parva was transferred to Harborough Magna parish in 1931. In 1931 the parish had a population of 696. On 1 April 1932 the parish was abolished and merged with Rugby and Harborough Magna. The older part of the village of Newbold sits on
9680-589: The north and northwest respectively, whilst Peterborough is located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of the National Forest . Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times, it was the site of the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum , which was later captured by the Anglo-Saxons , and then by the Vikings who made it one of the Five Boroughs of
9801-596: The north, and the Rains Brook and River Leam to the south. During its modern growth, Rugby spread north across the Avon valley and enveloped the villages of Brownsover and Newbold, which are to the north of the Avon valley. The county boundary between Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire to the east of Rugby is defined by the A5 road (the former Watling Street ) around 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Rugby town centre. The three counties meet at Dow Bridge ;
9922-468: The number of buildings designed by William Butterfield in the 19th century, including much of Rugby School and the extension of St Andrew's Church . The main shopping area in Rugby has traditionally been in the streets around the Clock Tower, two of which – High Street and Sheep Street – were pedestrianised in the 1980s. Until the 19th century, Rugby's urban area consisted of only Market Place, High Street, Sheep Street, Church Street, North Street and what
10043-430: The orders of King Henry II . The earthworks for the castle were still clearly visible as late as the 19th century, but have since been built over. According to one theory, the stones from the castle were later used to construct the west tower of St Andrew's Church, which bears strong resemblance to a castle, and was probably intended for use in a defensive as well as a religious role. The Rugby area has associations with
10164-400: The partially constructed Houlton housing development. The spread of Rugby has nearly reached the villages of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore , Cawston , Dunchurch and Long Lawford . The town centre is mostly Victorian and early 20th century, however a few much older buildings survive, along with some more modern developments. Rugby was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as 'Butterfieldtown' due to
10285-535: The point where the A5 road crosses the River Avon, forming a tripoint . To the south-east of Rugby the county boundary with Northamptonshire is defined by the Rains Brook. Rugby is the easternmost town within Warwickshire (and the entire West Midlands region ) Suburbs and districts of Rugby include: Places adjoining or adjacent to Rugby, but not part of the town itself: Rugby has an oceanic climate typical of
10406-968: The proportion employed in trade, commerce, building, and the city's new factories and workshops rose steadily. Hosiery , textiles, and footwear became the major industrial employers: manufacturers such as N. Corah & Sons and the Cooperative Boot and Shoe Company were opening some of the largest manufacturing premises in Europe. They were joined, in the latter part of the century, by engineering firms such as Kent Street's Taylor and Hubbard (crane makers and founders ), Vulcan Road's William Gimson & Company (steam boilers and founders), and Martin Street's Richards & Company (steel works and founders). The politics of Victorian Leicester were lively and very often bitter. Years of consistent economic growth meant living standards generally increased, but Leicester
10527-513: The railways. The arrival of the railways had the effect of transforming Rugby from a rural backwater, into a substantial industrial town. In the later half of the 19th century, local industries began to develop: Large-scale cement production began in the town in 1862 when the Rugby Lias Lime & Cement Company Ltd was founded to take advantage of the locally available deposits of Blue Lias limestone . A factory producing corsets
10648-435: The scholar and cleric Robert Grosseteste , at that time Archdeacon of Leicester . There is evidence that Jews remained there until 1253, and perhaps enforcement of the banishment within the city was not rigorously enforced. De Montfort however issued a second edict for the expulsion of Leicester's Jews in 1253, after Grosseteste's death. De Montfort's many acts of anti-Jewish persecution in Leicester and elsewhere were part of
10769-433: The setting for Charles Dickens 's story Mugby Junction . The modern town of Rugby is an amalgamation of the original town with the former settlements of Bilton , Hillmorton , Brownsover and Newbold-on-Avon which were incorporated into Rugby in 1932 when the town became a borough , all except Brownsover still have their former village centres. Rugby also includes the areas of New Bilton , Overslade , Hillside and
10890-465: The south of Rugby, and as a result the town regained its pre-1983 status of returning its own member of parliament, albeit with the addition of the Bulkington Ward from Nuneaton . Jeremy Wright chose to stand for Kenilworth and Southam in the 2010 general election and was successful. Mark Pawsey , son of former Rugby MP Jim Pawsey , was elected for Rugby in 2010. In the 2024 general election
11011-535: The sport. In 1845, three Rugby School pupils produced the first written rules of the "Rugby style of game". Rugby School is one of England's oldest and most prestigious public schools , and was the setting of Thomas Hughes 's semi-autobiographical masterpiece Tom Brown's Schooldays , published in 1857. Hughes later set up a colony in America for the younger sons of the English gentry, who could not inherit under
11132-516: The time. In the 1990s, a group of Dutch citizens of Somali origin settled in the city. Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union a significant number of East European migrants have settled in the city. While some wards in the northeast of the city are more than 70% South Asian, wards in the west and south are all over 70% white. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) had estimated that by 2011 Leicester would have approximately
11253-580: The town hall, and on the edge of the town centre is the Whitehall Recreation Ground . Leicester Leicester ( / ˈ l ɛ s t ər / LES -tər ) is a city , unitary authority area, unparished area and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 373,399 in 2022. The greater Leicester urban area had
11374-586: The town to the national network by 1840. A direct link to London St Pancras was established by the Midland Railway in the 1860s. These developments encouraged and accompanied a process of industrialisation which intensified throughout the reign of Queen Victoria . Factories began to appear, particularly along the canal and river, and districts such as Frog Island and Woodgate were the locations of numerous large mills. Between 1861 and 1901, Leicester's population increased from 68,100 to 211,600 and
11495-471: The town was free from infection or plague. Prince Charles, later King Charles I , travelled to London with his guardian Alexander Seton . The royal party stayed at Leicester for three days in August 1604 at the townhouse of William Skipwith . The Corporation of Leicester opposed the efforts of Charles I to disafforest the nearby Leicester Forest , believing them to be likely to throw many of its residents into poverty and need of relief. Sir Miles Fleetwood
11616-429: The town with infrastructure such as paved roads, street lighting, clean drinking water and sewerage. Such districts were converted into urban districts in 1894. Rugby's status was upgraded to that of a municipal borough in 1932, and its boundaries were expanded to incorporate the formerly separate villages of Bilton (including New Bilton ), Hillmorton , Brownsover and Newbold-on-Avon which have become suburbs of
11737-615: The town. In 1974 the municipal borough was merged with the Rugby Rural District to form the present Borough of Rugby . In the postwar years, Rugby became a major junction of the motorway network, with the M1 and M6 , and M45 merging close to the town. The railways went into decline during the same period, with several of the railway lines into Rugby closed. Since the 1980s, the engineering industries have gone into steady decline, with many former industrial sites redeveloped for housing and retail. Due to its proximity to
11858-572: The various engineering works dominated employment in Rugby; at their height in the 1960s, BTH alone employed around 22,000 people. Rugby expanded rapidly in the early decades of the 20th century as workers moved in. By the 1940s, the population of Rugby had grown to over 40,000, and then to over 50,000 by the 1960s. The parish of Rugby was made a local board district in 1849, which was the town's first modern form of local government; previously it had been governed by its vestry and manorial court . The local board's main responsibilities were to provide
11979-470: The waterworks and build another reservoir at Swithland, completed in the 1890s. Leicester became a county borough in 1889, although it was abolished in 1974 as part of the Local Government Act , and was reformed as a non-metropolitan district and city. The city regained its unitary status, being administered separately from Leicestershire, in 1997. The borough had been expanding throughout
12100-617: The windows, I caused my men to attack it, and resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did. Breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there without distinction". It was reported that 120 houses had been destroyed and that 140 wagons of plunder were sent to the Royalist stronghold of Newark . Following the Parliamentarian victory over the Royalist Army at the Battle of Naseby on 14 June 1645, Leicester
12221-526: The world. Many Polish servicemen were prevented from returning to their homeland after the war by the communist regime, and they established a small community in Leicester. Economic migrants from the Irish Republic continued to arrive throughout the post war period. Immigrants from the Indian sub-continent began to arrive in the 1960s, their numbers boosted by Asians arriving from Kenya and Uganda in
12342-423: The year should attain a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The lowest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) during January 1963. Typically, 54.9 air frosts will be recorded during the course of the year. Rainfall averages 684.4 mm per year, with 1 mm or more falling on 120.8 days. All averages refer to the period 1971–2000. On 5 May 2011,
12463-411: The year, and low sunshine levels. The nearest official Weather Station was Newtown Linford, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Leicester city centre and just outside the edge of the urban area. However, observations stopped there in 2003. The current nearest weather station is Market Bosworth, about 10 miles (16 km) west of the city centre. The highest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford
12584-402: Was 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) during August 1990, although a temperature of 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) was achieved at Leicester University during August 2003. However, the highest temperature since records began in Leicester is 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) on 15 July 1868. More typically the highest temperature would reach 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) – the average annual maximum. 11.3 days of
12705-491: Was Beaumont Leys in the north of the city, which was developed in the 1970s as a mix of private and council housing. There was a steady decline in Leicester's traditional manufacturing industries and, in the city centre, working factories and light industrial premises have now been almost entirely replaced. Many former factories, including some on Frog Island and at Donisthorpe Mill , have been badly damaged by fire. Rail and barge were finally eclipsed by automotive transport in
12826-463: Was a small and relatively unimportant settlement, with only its school giving it any notability. Its growth was slow, due in part to the nearby markets at Dunchurch and Hillmorton which were better positioned in terms of road traffic. In 1663 Rugby was recorded as containing 160 houses with a population of around 650. By 1730 this had increased to 183 houses, with a population of around 900. Rugby's importance and population increased more rapidly during
12947-523: Was a stronghold of Radicalism . Thomas Cooper , the Chartist , kept a shop in Church Gate. There were serious Chartist riots in the town in 1842 and again six years later. The Leicester Secular Society was founded in 1851 but secularist speakers such as George Holyoake were often denied the use of speaking halls. It was not until 1881 that Leicester Secular Hall was opened. The second half of
13068-439: Was created in its current form in 1974, with the first elections held in 1973, since then, Rugby Borough Council has spent the majority of its time under no overall control , alternating with periods of Conservative control. (see Rugby Borough Council elections ) since 2023 it has been under no overall control. Rugby is covered by Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service . Ambulance services are covered by
13189-418: Was driven by parents who wished to send their boys to Rugby School, but were unable to afford the boarding fees and so took up residence in Rugby, this in turn attracted domestic staff and tradesmen to the town to service the needs of the newcomers. Rugby's growth into a significant town was prompted by the arrival of the railways , as its location made it an ideal meeting place for various railway lines, by
13310-400: Was established as a parish in its own right in 1221, at which point it was elevated to the status of parish church . In 1255, the lord of the manor Henry de Rokeby obtained a charter to hold a weekly market in Rugby, which soon developed into a small country market town . In the 12th century, Rugby was mentioned as having a castle at the location of what is now Regent Place. However,
13431-520: Was finally recognised as a legal city once more in 1919 in recognition of its contribution to the British war effort. Recruitment to the armed forces was lower in Leicester than in other English cities, partly because of the low level of unemployment and the need for many of its industries, such as clothing and footwear manufacturing, to supply the army. As the war progressed, many of Leicester's factories were given over to arms production; Leicester produced
13552-604: Was followed by a number of new shopping centres in the city, including St Martin's Shopping Centre in 1984 and the Shire Shopping Centre in 1992. The Shires was subsequently expanded in September 2008 and rebranded as Highcross. By the 1990s, as well, Leicester's central position and good transport links had established it as a distribution centre; the southwestern area of the city has also attracted new service and manufacturing businesses. Since World War II Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across
13673-553: Was historically one of the Midlands' most marginal seats. From 1885 until 1924 Rugby was a marginal seat which changed hands between the Conservative and Liberal parties. From 1924 until 1942, the prominent Conservative David Margesson was Rugby's MP, his resignation triggered the 1942 Rugby by-election which was won by an independent trade unionist William Brown , who retained the seat until losing it to James Johnson of
13794-468: Was made first Duke of Lancaster, enlarged and enhanced his father's foundation, and built the collegiate Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of The Newarke. This church (a little of which survives in the basement of the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University) was destroyed during the reign of King Edward VI. It became an important pilgrimage site because it housed a thorn said to be from
13915-525: Was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rocheberie ; there are several theories about the origin of the name; one is that it is derived from an old Celtic name droche-brig meaning 'wild hilltop'. Another theory is that Rocheberie was a phonetic translation of the Old English name Hrocaberg meaning 'Hroca's hill fortification'; Hroca being an Anglo-Saxon man's name pronounced with
14036-520: Was much better placed than many other cities to weather the tariff wars of the 1920s and Great Depression of the 1930s. The Bureau of Statistics of the newly formed League of Nations identified Leicester in 1936 as the second-richest city in Europe and it became an attractive destination for refugees fleeing persecution and political turmoil in continental Europe . Firms such as Corah and Liberty Shoes used their reputation for producing high-quality products to expand their businesses. These years witnessed
14157-581: Was opened in 1882, employing local women, this survived until 1992, by which time it was making swimwear. In the 1890s and 1900s heavy engineering and electrical industries began to set up in Rugby, attracted by its central location and good transport links, causing the town to rapidly grow into a major industrial centre: Willans and Robinson were the first engineering firm to arrive in 1897, building steam engines to drive electrical generators, they were followed by British Thomson-Houston (BTH) in 1902, who manufactured electrical motors and generators. Within
14278-476: Was owned by the music manager Reginald Calvert and became a centre of the Midlands rock music scene, with a number of Midlands bands such as The Fortunes , and the local band Pinkerton's Assorted Colours starting their careers there. In the 1980s the influential rock band Spacemen 3 was formed in Rugby by the local musicians Jason Pierce and Pete Kember . Following its demise in 1991, both musicians went on to form successful subsequent projects; Pierce formed
14399-523: Was recovered by Parliament on 18 June 1645. The construction of the Grand Union Canal in the 1790s linked Leicester to London and Birmingham . The first railway station in Leicester opened in 1832, in the form of the Leicester and Swannington Railway which provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries. The Midland Counties Railway (running from Derby to Rugby ) linked
14520-482: Was sent to commission the disafforestation and division of lands being used in common. Riots destroyed enclosures in spring 1627 and 1628, following a pattern of anti-enclosure disturbances found elsewhere including the Western Rising. Petitions challenging the enclosures were presented by the Corporation of Leicester and borough residents to the King and Privy Council . They were unsuccessful so petitioned
14641-460: Was strongly Parliamentarian, and Oliver Cromwell and two regiments of Roundhead soldiers stayed at Rugby in April that year, two months before the decisive Battle of Naseby , some 12 miles (19 km) to the east, in nearby Northamptonshire . Rugby School was founded in 1567 with money left in the will of Lawrence Sheriff , a locally born man, who had moved to London and made his fortune as
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