89-471: Shepshed (often known until 1888 as Sheepshed , also Sheepshead – a name derived from the village being heavily involved in the wool industry) is a market town and civil parish in the Charnwood Borough of Leicestershire , England with a population of 14,875 at the 2021 census. It is the second biggest settlement in the borough, after the town of Loughborough . The town originally grew as
178-418: A village or city . In Britain, small rural towns with a hinterland of villages are still commonly called market towns, as sometimes reflected in their names (e.g. Downham Market , Market Rasen , or Market Drayton ). Modern markets are often in special halls , but this is a relatively recent development. Historically the markets were open-air, held in what is usually called (regardless of its actual shape)
267-475: A centre for the wool trade. There has been controversy about the origin of the name of the town. The earliest form is Scepeshefde Regis as mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which means "(King's) hill where sheep graze", but since then there have been many changes until the present form, Shepshed, was adopted in 1888. The addition of the suffix 'Regis' signifies that there was once a royal lodge in
356-494: A charter, but were accorded market town status through custom and practice if they had been in existence prior to 1199. From an early stage, kings and administrators understood that a successful market town attracted people, generated revenue and would pay for the town's defences. In around the 12th century, European kings began granting charters to villages allowing them to hold markets on specific days. Framlingham in Suffolk
445-440: A community space on the upper floor. The oldest surviving structures date from the mid-17th century. In Scotland, borough markets were held weekly from an early stage. A King's market was held at Roxburgh on a specific day from about the year 1171; a Thursday market was held at Glasgow , a Saturday market at Arbroath , and a Sunday market at Brechin . In Scotland, market towns were often distinguished by their mercat cross :
534-514: A crossing-place on the River Thames up-river from Runnymede , where it formed an oxbow lake in the stream. Early patronage included Thomas Furnyvale, lord of Hallamshire , who established a Fair and Market in 1232. Travelers were able to meet and trade wares in relative safety for a week of "fayres" at a location inside the town walls. The reign of Henry III witnessed a spike in established market fairs. The defeat of de Montfort increased
623-407: A dead-end at SK458186 and on towards Loughborough . The footpath along the trackbed leads all the way to Thorpe Hill where a community centre has been constructed over the trackbed. After the community centre the trackbed is followable again down to Loughborough Fire Station, which again has been built on the trackbed, from here the route of the line is difficult to follow, but the footpath follows
712-491: A full list, see this table at Danish Misplaced Pages ). The last town to gain market rights ( Danish : købstadsprivilegier ) was Skjern in 1958. At the municipal reform of 1970 , market towns were merged with neighboring parishes, and the market towns lost their special status and privileges, though many still advertise themselves using the moniker of købstad and hold public markets on their historic market squares . The medieval right to hold markets ( German : Marktrecht )
801-559: A good deal is known about the economic value of markets in local economies, the cultural role of market-towns has received scant scholarly attention. In Denmark, the concept of the market town ( Danish : købstad ) emerged during the Iron Age. It is not known which was the first Danish market town, but Hedeby (part of modern-day Schleswig-Holstein ) and Ribe were among the first. As of 1801, there were 74 market towns in Denmark (for
890-591: A group of villages or an earlier urban settlement in decline, or be created as a new urban centre. Frequently, they had limited privileges compared to free royal cities . Their long-lasting feudal subordination to landowners or the church is also a crucial difference. The successors of these settlements usually have a distinguishable townscape. The absence of fortification walls, sparsely populated agglomerations, and their tight bonds with agricultural life allowed these towns to remain more vertical compared to civitates. The street-level urban structure varies depending on
979-421: A large district of forest. However, succeeding centuries provide an abundance of historical material. The prosperity of medieval Shepshed was based on the wool industry and "Well Yard" on Forest Street may well be a corruption of "Wool Yard", where Bradford wool merchants congregated to buy from local inhabitants. In addition, there is considerable evidence to suggest that a weekly market was held, at least until
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#17327869024111068-455: A local shopfront such as a bakery or alehouse, while others were casual traders who set up a stall or carried their wares around in baskets on market days. Market trade supplied for the needs of local consumers whether they were visitors or local residents. Braudel and Reynold have made a systematic study of European market towns between the 13th and 15th century. Their investigation shows that in regional districts markets were held once or twice
1157-468: A market town at Bergen in the 11th century, and it soon became the residence of many wealthy families. Import and export was to be conducted only through market towns, to allow oversight of commerce and to simplify the imposition of excise taxes and customs duties . This practice served to encourage growth in areas which had strategic significance, providing a local economic base for the construction of fortifications and sufficient population to defend
1246-489: A number of ammunition dumps, the army ambulance train was kept at Loughborough, rubber was stored at Shepshed and the USA Post Office was based at Coalville East. After the war excursion trains ran on the line until 1951 and Loughborough goods yard closed on 31 October 1955. On 14 April 1957 "The Charnwood Forester" was the last train to run through to Loughborough. The last excursion on the line occurred in 1962 when
1335-473: A number of market towns in Saxony throughout the 11th century and did much to develop peaceful markets by granting a special 'peace' to merchants and a special and permanent 'peace' to market-places. With the rise of the territories, the ability to designate market towns was passed to the princes and dukes, as the basis of German town law . The local ordinance status of a market town ( Marktgemeinde or Markt )
1424-464: A passenger could leave Euston at 5:35, change at Nuneaton and Shackerstone and be in Whitwick at 8:32. The line was never successful and went into a decline after World War I . The LMS withdrew passenger services on 13 April 1931. During World War II the line enabled large amounts of road stone from quarries to be conveyed to new aerodromes throughout the country. Additionally, the line served
1513-604: A place where the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by a ruling authority (either royal, noble, or ecclesiastical). As in the rest of the UK, the area in which the cross was situated was almost always central: either in a square; or in a broad, main street. Towns which still have regular markets include: Inverurie , St Andrews , Selkirk , Wigtown , Kelso , and Cupar . Not all still possess their mercat cross (market cross). Dutch painters of Antwerp took great interest in market places and market towns as subject matter from
1602-412: A relationship with customers and may have offered added value services, such as credit terms to reliable customers. The economy was characterised by local trading in which goods were traded across relatively short distances. Braudel reports that, in 1600, grain moved just 5–10 miles (8.0–16.1 km); cattle 40–70 miles (64–113 km); wool and woollen cloth 20–40 miles (32–64 km). However, following
1691-571: A single-track railway from Nuneaton Junction near on the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway to Loughborough. The intention was to link it to the Midland Main Line , but this never happened and the terminus was at Loughborough Derby Road. A ceremony marking the beginning of work was held on a very rainy day, 31 August 1881. The first turf was cut by Lady Packe (wife of Hussey Packe) of Prestwold Hall . Squire de Lisle of Garendon Hall wheeled
1780-428: A small seaport or a market town prior to export. This encouraged local merchants to ensure trading went through them, which was so effective in limiting unsupervised sales ( smuggling ) that customs revenues increased from less than 30% of the total tax revenues in 1600 to more than 50% of the total taxes by 1700. Norwegian "market towns" died out and were replaced by free markets during the 19th century. After 1952, both
1869-543: A visit of Queen Elizabeth I though it is at present unclear if the Queen ever came to Shepshed itself, but if she did, it would have been the farthest north that she travelled in the country. The older part of the town is still centred on the church. The church's original patronage came from Leicester Abbey . Between 1699 and 1856, however, the patrons were the Phillips family of Garendon Hall . This family has been Lords of
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#17327869024111958-419: A week while daily markets were common in larger cities. Over time, permanent shops began opening daily and gradually supplanted the periodic markets, while peddlers or itinerant sellers continued to fill in any gaps in distribution. The physical market was characterised by transactional exchange and bartering systems were commonplace. Shops had higher overhead costs, but were able to offer regular trading hours and
2047-576: Is a notable example of a market situated near a fortified building. Additionally, markets were located where transport was easiest, such as at a crossroads or close to a river ford , for example, Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. When local railway lines were first built, market towns were given priority to ease the transport of goods. For instance, in Calderdale , West Yorkshire , several market towns close together were designated to take advantage of
2136-481: Is located close to junction 23 of the M1 motorway . The nearest railway station is Loughborough railway station , and East Midlands Airport is seven miles away. Shepshed is serviced by Arriva Midlands services 16/16A and 126/127 with frequent buses into Loughborough and Coalville , and Diamond East Midlands' route 129 between Loughborough and Ashby. Skylink Nottingham-Coalville operated by trentbarton also links
2225-756: Is no single register of modern entitlements to hold markets and fairs, although historical charters up to 1516 are listed in the Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales . William Stow's 1722 Remarks on London includes "A List of all the Market Towns in England and Wales; with the Days of the Week whereon kept". Market houses were a common feature across the island of Ireland . These often arcaded buildings performed marketplace functions, frequently with
2314-503: Is now under someone's garden, who has carried out many alterations. At the other side of the garden however, the trackbed still retains its original ballast and is in remarkably good condition for a short distance, passing through an area known as 'Happy Valley', until the growth of vegetation starts again. It is still clear where it went, but less easy to follow due to vegetation. The line still has ballast here. For reference, we are now passing under Whitwick's "Dumps Road" bridge. The trackbed
2403-512: Is perpetuated through the law of Austria , the German state of Bavaria , and the Italian province of South Tyrol . Nevertheless, the title has no further legal significance, as it does not grant any privileges. In Hungarian, the word for market town "mezőváros" means literally "pasture town" and implies that it was unfortified town: they were architecturally distinguishable from other towns by
2492-620: Is reflected in the prefix Markt of the names of many towns in Austria and Germany , for example, Markt Berolzheim or Marktbergel . Other terms used for market towns were Flecken in northern Germany, or Freiheit and Wigbold in Westphalia . Market rights were designated as long ago as during the Carolingian Empire . Around 800, Charlemagne granted the title of a market town to Esslingen am Neckar . Conrad created
2581-495: Is still obvious here, yet it becomes less clear as we pass through Thringstone . Alterations to the surroundings make it hard to tell. The trackbed can be readily picked up near Grace Dieu Wood, which will take you across the aforementioned viaduct, and past Grace Dieu Priory to the edge of a missing bridge at the side of the A512. The bridge here was demolished in 1967. Across this gap, the trackbed continues on private land, where it
2670-457: Is used for farm access, though it is still an obvious railway trackbed. West of Shepshed the trackbed has been converted to a footpath, popular with dog walkers and boys practicing their skills on mountain bicycles . The footpath starts at Charnwood Road in Shepshed ( SK475187 ) and finishes in a dead-end about 2 km to the west ( SK454187 ). In places along the way, derelict remains of
2759-536: The Charnwood Forest Canal can be identified Through Shepshed the trackbed has been obliterated, but to the east it is distinguishable again and passes behind a lorry park before the M1 motorway cuts across the path of the line. After the motorway, the trackbed ran through the southern edge of Garendon Park , after which the line has again been converted to a footpath and cycleway near Old Ashby Road, with
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2848-510: The Yiddish term shtetl . Miasteczkos had a special administrative status other than that of town or city. From the time of the Norman conquest, the right to award a charter was generally seen to be a royal prerogative. However, the granting of charters was not systematically recorded until 1199. Once a charter was granted, it gave local lords the right to take tolls and also afforded
2937-419: The koopman, which described a new, emergent class of trader who dealt in goods or credit on a large scale. Paintings of every day market scenes may have been an affectionate attempt to record familiar scenes and document a world that was in danger of being lost. Paintings and drawings of market towns and market scenes Bibliography Charnwood Forest Railway The Charnwood Forest Railway
3026-513: The market square or market place , sometimes centred on a market cross ( mercat cross in Scotland). They were and are typically open one or two days a week. In the modern era, the rise of permanent retail establishments reduced the need for periodic markets. The primary purpose of a market town is the provision of goods and services to the surrounding locality. Although market towns were known in antiquity, their number increased rapidly from
3115-659: The "small seaport" and the "market town" were relegated to simple town status. Miasteczko ( lit. ' small town ' ) was a historical type of urban settlement similar to a market town in the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . After the partitions of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th-century, these settlements became widespread in the Austrian , German and Russian Empires. The vast majority of miasteczkos had significant or even predominant Jewish populations ; these are known in English under
3204-733: The 12th century. Market towns across Europe flourished with an improved economy, a more urbanised society and the widespread introduction of a cash-based economy. Domesday Book of 1086 lists 50 markets in England. Some 2,000 new markets were established between 1200 and 1349. The burgeoning of market towns occurred across Europe around the same time. Initially, market towns most often grew up close to fortified places, such as castles or monasteries, not only to enjoy their protection, but also because large manorial households and monasteries generated demand for goods and services. Historians term these early market towns "prescriptive market towns" in that they may not have enjoyed any official sanction such as
3293-630: The 14th century. The 11th century Parish church of St Botolph (the westernmost parish church in England to bear the name) and its land the Oakley Wood was originally given to Odo of Bayeux , half-brother of William the Conqueror , after the Norman conquest in 1066. The ownership of the estate reverted to the Crown a number of times including in 1534. A wood carving exists in the church depicting
3382-426: The 16th century. Pieter Aertsen was known as the "great painter of the market" Painters' interest in markets was due, at least in part, to the changing nature of the market system at that time. With the rise of the merchant guilds, the public began to distinguish between two types of merchant, the meerseniers which referred to local merchants including bakers, grocers, sellers of dairy products and stall-holders, and
3471-431: The 20th century, the special rights granted to market towns mostly involved a greater autonomy in fiscal matters and control over town planning, schooling and social care. Unlike rural municipalities, the market towns were not considered part of the counties . The last town to be granted market rights was Ólafsvík in 1983 and from that point there were 24 market towns until a municipal reform in 1986 essentially abolished
3560-516: The European age of discovery, goods were imported from afar – calico cloth from India, porcelain, silk and tea from China, spices from India and South-East Asia and tobacco, sugar, rum and coffee from the New World. The importance of local markets began to decline in the mid-16th century. Permanent shops which provided more stable trading hours began to supplant the periodic market. In addition,
3649-482: The Manchester Railway Society ran a series of excursions. Pulled by loco '43728', the service ran from Charnwood Junction to Shepshed and back. The remaining goods services closed on 7 October 1963, except for Shepshed quarry traffic which lasted to 12 December 1963. The branch was very picturesque, passing through the north-western corner of Charnwood Forest , which was a mass of bluebells in
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3738-589: The Manor since its purchase by Sir Ambrose Phillips (1637–1691) in 1683. Garendon Hall (demolished 1964) was built on the site of Garendon Abbey , a prominent Cistercian house which was founded in 1133 by Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester and survived until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1536. Garendon Abbey, whose economy was largely based on sheep farming, was one of the most important possessor of granges in Leicestershire. The 18th century saw
3827-470: The area. Very little information about the settlement on the site of Shepshed appears before the Domesday Book but the name is certainly Anglo-Saxon: local history books claim that Shepshed has two of the oldest roads in the country, Ring Fence and Sullington Road, the latter being an ancient British track named after the goddess Solina. Anglo-Saxon Shepshed cannot have been much more than a hamlet in
3916-549: The area. It also served to restrict Hanseatic League merchants from trading in areas other than those designated. Norway included a subordinate category to the market town, the "small seaport" ( Norwegian lossested or ladested ), which was a port or harbor with a monopoly to import and export goods and materials in both the port and a surrounding outlying district. Typically, these were locations for exporting timber, and importing grain and goods. Local farm goods and timber sales were all required to pass through merchants at either
4005-492: The canal had proved an uneconomic venture and was abandoned, though modern roads and footpaths still follow the course it took through Shepshed. The Charnwood Forest Railway (nicknamed the Bluebell Line on account of the proliferation of the flower) was opened in 1883, but regular passenger services ceased in 1931. However, the goods service did not close until 1963. Shepshed railway station no longer stands though part of
4094-607: The coal into Leicester at West Bridge Wharf. Not to be deterred, the thwarted coal owners then promoted a Bill in 1829 which resulted in the construction of the Leicester and Swannington Railway , opened in 1832 — Leicestershire's first railway. Interest then came from London and North Western Railway as a way of getting a foothold in the coal mining area. It was authorised by the Charnwood Forest Railway Act 1874 ( 37 & 38 Vict. c. cxxvii) to lay
4183-660: The company had been placed in receivership; under this supervision, in 1907 three halts were opened, these being Thringstone Halt, Grace Dieu Halt and Snells Nook Halt. These were an attempt to improve the profitability of the line by increasing the customer base. The line was worked by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and was taken over by the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923. Passenger services ceased to operate on 13 April 1931, with freight services ceasing to operate on 12 December 1963. The line
4272-519: The concept. Many of the existing market towns would continue to be named kaupstaður even after the term lost any administrative meaning. In Norway , the medieval market town ( Norwegian : kjøpstad and kaupstad from the Old Norse kaupstaðr ) was a town which had been granted commerce privileges by the king or other authorities. The citizens in the town had a monopoly over the purchase and sale of wares, and operation of other businesses, both in
4361-488: The day when the community congregated in town to attend church. Some of the more ancient markets appear to have been held in churchyards. At the time of the Norman conquest, the majority of the population made their living through agriculture and livestock farming. Most lived on their farms, situated outside towns, and the town itself supported a relatively small population of permanent residents. Farmers and their families brought their surplus produce to informal markets held on
4450-546: The early market towns have continued operations into recent times. For instance, Northampton market received its first charter in 1189 and markets are still held in the square to this day. The National Market Traders Federation , situated in Barnsley , South Yorkshire , has around 32,000 members and close links with market traders' federations throughout Europe. According to the UK National Archives , there
4539-546: The edge of the Hermitage Lake (a former clay quarry), past the modern leisure centre and then under the South Street bridge before passing the Whitwick station building and platform (although unfortunately the platform is unkempt and overgrown). This footpath along the trackbed ends at a T-junction just after Whitwick station, while the line went straight on over another bridge. The trackbed is less clear here, as it
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#17327869024114628-399: The enclosure of the common lands around Shepshed. There had been enclosures in the 15th and 16th centuries, but towards the end of the 18th century the last remaining common land, approximately 2,000 acres (8 km), was enclosed and divided among the principal commoners of the village. Shepshed experienced an 'earthquake' on 30 September 1750. The vicar of St. Botolph's church at the time,
4717-398: The era from which various parts of the city originate. Market towns were characterized as a transition between a village and a city, without a unified, definite city core. A high level of urban planning only marks an era starting from the 17th-18th centuries. This dating is partially related to the modernization and resettlement waves after the liberation of Ottoman Hungary . While Iceland
4806-422: The first barrow load of soil over a plank, but due to the rain he slipped and spilled it all, causing great amusement. The line was 10.25 miles (16.5 km) long with four stations serving Coalville (East), Whitwick, Shepshed and Loughborough (Derby Road). There was a rock face of 20 yards (18 m) through which to go at Thringstone and in order to swing the curve at Grace Dieu a cant of 6 inches (150 mm)
4895-668: The first team currently play in the Midland League Division One with the reserves in the Leicestershire Senior League. Shepshed Cricket Club was formed in 2015 from the merger of the towns 2 existing cricket teams; Shepshed Town and Shepshed Messengers. Shepshed Town was established in 1869 and in recent years has been ranked among the top clubs in Leicestershire. Following the merger, the club will field 4 senior sides as well as Under 15, Under 13 and Under 11 sides. The major Rugby side in
4984-417: The grounds of their church after worship. By the 13th century, however, a movement against Sunday markets gathered momentum, and the market gradually moved to a site in town's centre and was held on a weekday. By the 15th century, towns were legally prohibited from holding markets in church-yards. Archaeological evidence suggests that Colchester is England's oldest recorded market town, dating to at least
5073-515: The halt itself was removed completely when the A512 was realigned and the CFR 3 arched bridge over the old road was demolished. The trackbed remains remarkably intact, although some is now on private land. The most convenient place to start is near Coalville's Morrisons outlet (at grid reference SK428152 ) where the trackbed into Whitwick has been made a public right of way. This footpath meanders along
5162-597: The halts paid on the train but when the huts were provided the guard issued the tickets from the huts. It was also the guard's duty to tend the oil lamps at the platforms. Route of the Charnwood Forest Line continuing from the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway (ANJR): There are very few buildings still in existence which were once used by the railway. However, one still exists in Whitwick , and now serves as
5251-557: The hands of the receiver in 1909 it remained a separate company until the LMS absorbed it in the 1923 grouping . Passengers trains were operated by an LNWR steam railmotor , though 2-4-2 tanks. 0-6-0 freight and 0-6-2 Coal Tanks also worked passenger services as well as freights. The LNWR ran nine passenger trains from Derby Road station in Loughborough with most going through to Shackerstone and two continuing to Nuneaton. In 1922
5340-413: The home of the "Whitwick Historical Group". This is in the old station building near the market place. The goods shed at Loughborough Derby Road stood until 2018, albeit in use with the rest of an industrial estate, when it was demolished to make way for a supermarket. The only other buildings still standing (and this is a tenuous link) are the numerous bridges still carrying road traffic dotted amongst
5429-413: The lack of town walls. Most market towns were chartered in the 14th and 15th centuries and typically developed around 13th-century villages that had preceded them. A boom in the raising of livestock may have been a trigger for the upsurge in the number of market towns during that period. Archaeological studies suggest that the ground plans of such market towns had multiple streets and could also emerge from
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#17327869024115518-404: The legal basis for defining a "town". For instance, Newport, Shropshire , is in the borough of Telford and Wrekin but is separate from Telford . In England, towns with such rights are usually distinguished with the additional status of borough . It is generally accepted that, in these cases, when a town was granted a market, it gained the additional autonomy conferred to separate towns. Many of
5607-536: The line of duty in 2002 and two long-serving firefighters, one of whom died en route to a fire call in 2006. The station operates a Scania pumping appliance and a Command Support Vehicle. Market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages , a market right , which allowed it to host a regular market ; this distinguished it from
5696-467: The local town council . Failing that, the Crown can grant a licence. As the number of charters granted increased, competition between market towns also increased. In response to competitive pressures, towns invested in a reputation for quality produce, efficient market regulation and good amenities for visitors such as covered accommodation. By the thirteenth century, counties with important textile industries were investing in purpose built market halls for
5785-556: The local countryside. One of the best still remains intact within Thringstone woods, near Grace Dieu Priory ruins. This is the Grace Dieu Viaduct, a grand and imposing structure for such a small line. The station buildings at Coalville East have been built upon (housing estate). The same has happened in Shepshed (industrial estate) and Loughborough. There is still a post near the site of Grace Dieu halt. The site of
5874-464: The market. If the travel time exceeded this standard, a new market town could be established in that locale. As a result of the limit, official market towns often petitioned the monarch to close down illegal markets in other towns. These distances are still law in England today. Other markets can be held, provided they are licensed by the holder of the Royal Charter, which tends currently to be
5963-513: The new Iveshead School which educates ages 11-19 from the same areas as the previous Hind Leys Community College. There are four primary schools in the town, and three of these feed into Iveshead; Oxley, St Botolph's (Recently Demolished) and Newcroft. The final primary school, St Winefride's, caters for Roman Catholic pupils until the age of 11, after which most of them transfer to De Lisle College 11–19 school in Loughborough. Newcroft Primary School became Newcroft Primary Academy in 2016. Shepshed
6052-575: The new trains. The designation of Halifax , Sowerby Bridge , Hebden Bridge , and Todmorden is an example of this. A number of studies have pointed to the prevalence of the periodic market in medieval towns and rural areas due to the localised nature of the economy. The marketplace was the commonly accepted location for trade, social interaction, transfer of information and gossip. A broad range of retailers congregated in market towns – peddlers, retailers, hucksters, stallholders, merchants and other types of trader. Some were professional traders who occupied
6141-483: The old line forms a bridleway between the town and Thringstone including the now redundant viaduct at Grace Dieu . The main school was previously Hind Leys Community College which educated pupils from 14 to 19, in the town, and included pupils not only from Shepshed, but also from local towns and villages such as Loughborough , Kegworth , Belton , Castle Donington , Diseworth , Long Whatton and Tonge . This school then combined with Shepshed High School to become
6230-513: The purchasing habits of the monks and other individuals in medieval England, suggests that consumers of the period were relatively discerning. Purchase decisions were based on purchase criteria such as consumers' perceptions of the range, quality, and price of goods. This informed decisions about where to make their purchases. As traditional market towns developed, they featured a wide main street or central market square . These provided room for people to set up stalls and booths on market days. Often
6319-482: The reverend Thomas Heath, recorded in the parish registers: "Sept 30, 1750, this day (Sunday), while I was administering the Sacrament, between the hours of 12 and 1 o’clock, I and the congregation were very terrible of the shock of an earthquake." Much destruction was caused in the town when, on 30 June 1753, 85 bays of buildings were destroyed by fire which had happened at what is now known as Hall Croft, named after
6408-487: The rise of a merchant class led to the import and exports of a broad range of goods, contributing to a reduced reliance on local produce. At the centre of this new global mercantile trade was Antwerp , which by the mid-16th century, was the largest market town in Europe. A good number of local histories of individual market towns can be found. However, more general histories of the rise of market-towns across Europe are much more difficult to locate. Clark points out that while
6497-433: The sale of cloth. Specific market towns cultivated a reputation for high quality local goods. For example, London's Blackwell Hall became a centre for cloth, Bristol became associated with a particular type of cloth known as Bristol red , Stroud was known for producing fine woollen cloth, the town of Worsted became synonymous with a type of yarn; Banbury and Essex were strongly associated with cheeses. A study on
6586-574: The sample testing of markets by Edward I the "lawgiver" , who summoned the Model Parliament in 1295 to perambulate the boundaries of forest and town. Market towns grew up at centres of local activity and were an important feature of rural life and also became important centres of social life, as some place names suggest: Market Drayton , Market Harborough , Market Rasen , Market Deeping , Market Weighton , Chipping Norton , Chipping Ongar , and Chipping Sodbury – chipping
6675-478: The school which had been burnt down in the fire. There were many changes during the 19th century. Shepshed was briefly linked by canal to Loughborough, and to the coalmines of West Leicestershire when the Charnwood Forest Canal was opened in 1798, but success was only short lived. The following year, the dam at Blackbrook Reservoir, to the south of Shepshed, part of the ill-fated canal scheme, collapsed, causing widespread flooding in Shepshed and Loughborough. By 1804
6764-570: The spring resulting in the epithet "The Bluebell Line" in passengers days, although it was not the only line to be so termed. It was also known as the 'Bread and Herring Line' by the drivers and firemen. The halts, opened in 1907, at Thringstone, Grace Dieu and Snells Nook were an attempt to attract passengers and enable effective competition with new omnibus services. All of the halts were merely platforms six feet wide, thirty-three inches high and sixty feet long, and made up of old sleepers. Waiting huts were added later. Originally, passengers boarding at
6853-466: The time of the Roman occupation of Britain's southern regions. Another ancient market town is Cirencester , which held a market in late Roman Britain. The term derived from markets and fairs first established in 13th century after the passage of Magna Carta , and the first laws towards a parlement . The Provisions of Oxford of 1258 were only possible because of the foundation of a town and university at
6942-428: The town and in the surrounding district. Norway developed market towns at a much later period than other parts of Europe. The reasons for this late development are complex but include the sparse population, lack of urbanisation, no real manufacturing industries and no cash economy. The first market town was created in 11th century Norway, to encourage businesses to concentrate around specific towns. King Olaf established
7031-747: The town erected a market cross in the centre of the town, to obtain God's blessing on the trade. Notable examples of market crosses in England are the Chichester Cross , Malmesbury Market Cross and Devizes, Wiltshire. Market towns often featured a market hall , as well, with administrative or civic quarters on the upper floor, above a covered trading area. Market towns with smaller status include Minchinhampton , Nailsworth , and Painswick near Stroud, Gloucestershire . A "market town" may or may not have rights concerning self-government that are usually
7120-539: The town is Shepshed RFC. who train and play on the Hind Leys Campus. Founded in 1985, they won the LRU Division 4 in 2014 and the LRU Division 3 in 2015. Shepshed has a retained fire station , part of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), serving the town from the fire station on Charnwood Road. The station, which opened in 2002, replaced the previous station built on the same site in 1951 and
7209-408: The town some protection from rival markets. When a chartered market was granted for specific market days, a nearby rival market could not open on the same days. Across the boroughs of England, a network of chartered markets sprang up between the 12th and 16th centuries, giving consumers reasonable choice in the markets they preferred to patronise. Until about 1200, markets were often held on Sundays,
7298-640: The village with East Midlands Airport and Nottingham . The town is represented in the Northern Premier League by Shepshed Dynamo F.C. , who play at the Dovecote Stadium. Ingles F.C. (formed in 1972) also have two football teams. The first team ground shares with Shepshed Dynamo at the Dovecote stadium while the reserves are based at Little Haw Lane. The club has progressed rapidly since 2013 with back to back promotions and now
7387-694: Was a branch line in Leicestershire constructed by the Charnwood Forest Company between 1881 and 1883. The branch line ran from Coalville (joined from the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway (ANJR)) to the town of Loughborough . It should not be confused with the much earlier railway that was part of the Charnwood Forest Canal . Stations on the Charnwood Forest Railway were located at Coalville East, Whitwick , Shepshed and Loughborough Derby Road . By 1885,
7476-475: Was a move to join up with the Great Central Railway at Loughborough but nothing came of it and the terminus remained at Loughborough's Derby Road. The Company then came up with two initiatives designed to improve profitability; Cheap-to-run railmotor services, which were introduced between Loughborough and Shackerstone , and on 2 April 1907 three halts were opened for use with them. On leaving
7565-482: Was derived from a Saxon verb meaning "to buy". A major study carried out by the University of London found evidence for least 2,400 markets in English towns by 1516. The English system of charters established that a new market town could not be created within a certain travelling distance of an existing one. This limit was usually a day's worth of travelling (approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)) to and from
7654-417: Was initially opened as a combined police and fire station. The police station was quickly downgraded to an office and then withdrawn completely, leaving Shepshed without a police station for the first time in many decades. LFRS took over the entire building and now operate a training centre alongside the retained station. In front of the station is a memorial to two Shepshed police officers who were murdered in
7743-468: Was known as the ' Bluebell Line' due to the flower growing along much of the length of the line during the spring. According to Hadfield, in 1828 the owners of the disused Charnwood Forest Canal turned down an approach by Leicestershire coal owners for permission to lay rails along the now dry canal bed. The idea was to bring coal by this rail route from Whitwick and Swannington to Loughborough where it could then be transferred on to boats which would bring
7832-535: Was required. The line also had a steep gradient of 1 in 66 between Whitwick and Coalville East. The line opened on 16 April 1883 and was worked by the LNWR which had subscribed a third of the capital in exchange for 50% of the gross receipts. As a result of being unable to pay the interest on debenture stocks and partly due to financial malfeasance by the Secretary, the line went into bankruptcy in 1885. In 1906 there
7921-405: Was under Danish rule, Danish merchants held a monopoly on trade with Iceland until 1786. With the abolishment of the trading monopoly, six market town ( Icelandic kaupstaður ) were founded around the country. All of them, except for Reykjavík , would lose their market rights in 1836. New market towns would be designated by acts from Alþingi in the 19th and 20th century. In the latter half of
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