Ratby

Ratby is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. It is situated to the west of Leicester, and just south of the motorway (Groby is on the other side of the M1). It has a population of about 4,000. The Roman name for Leicester was "Ratae Corieltauvorum". It is possible that Ratby takes its name from Ratae.

Other nearby places include Kirby Muxloe and Glenfield.

History

The oldest known human settlement in Ratby was at the Bury Camp on the edge of Ratby, an Iron Age encampment dating back approximately 3000 years. Later, the Roman army adapted the camp for use as a temporary fort in around 50.

The next oldest structure in Ratby is Ratby Church, built in the medieval period. There are also some cottages dating back several centuries. For most of its history, Ratby was a small agricultural village with a few farms and the open 3-field plan until enclosure in the 18th century.

In the 20th century a War Memorial called the "Angel of Peace" was constructed after the First World War and unveiled in 1920 by the wartime British Army Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Haig.

Facilities

Ratby has a number of facilities that provide its status as a highly sought after area within Leicestershire. Ratby Sports Club is home to the local football and cricket teams which produced England football international Emile Heskey, opposite the Co-op Supermarket provides itself as a focal point of the village. Ratby Primary School is also situated towards the village centre besides the library and two pubs, The Bulls Head and The Plough Inn. Adjacent to the Bulls Head is the village hall which hosts an excellent Taekwondo lession every Tuesday at 7pm amongst other things. Several hairdressers, a post office and village hall are also key amenties for the suburb. There is also a paint-ball ground and a nudist camp located just outside the village. Ratby is only 1 mile from Junction 21a of the M1 motorway and situated 5 miles from the city centre of Leicester, with frequent Arriva bus services supplying the route, except on Sundays when the service only runs once an hour and the buses tend to smell.

External links

* [http://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/ratby/ Ratby Parish Council]
* [http://www.ratbyband.co.uk/ Ratby Brass Band]
* [http://www.ratbyroyals.org.uk/ Ratby Royals Football Club]
* [http://www.bradgateteam.org.uk/ratby.htm Ratby Parish Church] in The Bradgate Team Parish