Lutterworth

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Lutterworth
latitude= 52.45854
longitude= -1.202971
map_type= Leicestershire
civil_parish= Lutterworth
population = 8,293 (2001 [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&containerAreaId=790450 ONS Neighbourhood Statsitics - Harborough District] ] )
shire_district= Harborough
shire_county= Leicestershire
region= East Midlands
constituency_westminster= Blaby
post_town= LUTTERWORTH
postcode_district = LE17
postcode_area= LE
dial_code= 01455
os_grid_reference= SP541848
static_

static_image_caption= "Market Street"
hide_services = yes
website = [http://www.lutterworth.org.uk Lutterworth Town Council]

Lutterworth is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, 11 km (7 miles) north of Rugby, in Warwickshire and 24 km (15 miles) south of Leicester and has a population of approximately 8,300 inhabitants

Transport

Lutterworth lies on the A426 Leicester-Rugby road, adjacent to the M1 motorway at junction 20. It is also located witihn a few miles of the M6 motorway and A5 trunk road. The town once had a station on the Great Central Railway; however, since its closure the nearest railway station is now at Rugby. A southern bypass was opened in 1999, providing a route for traffic from the M1 to the A5 to avoid Lutterworth town centre.

History

The name of Lutterworth is probably derived from the Old Norse name "Lutter's Vordig" meaning Luther's Farm [ [http://lutterworth.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/ Lutterworth Town Council] ] . Lutterworth was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=64 Medieval Lutterworth] - thisislutterworth.com] .

The town was granted its Market Charter in 1214 by King John and continues to hold a market to this day [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=120 Lutterworth markets] - thisislutterworth.com] .

In the 14th century religious reformer Canon John Wyclif was Rector in Lutterworth's Parish Church of St. Mary between 1374 and 1384, and it was here that he is traditionally believed to have produced the first ever translation of the Bible from Latin into English [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=58 John Wycliffe] - thisislutterworth.com] .

Lutterworth's biblical connections continue as it houses the British Isles headquarters of Gideons International [http://www.gideons.org.uk/Contact/index.asp Gideons International] .

In the days of the stagecoach, Lutterworth was an important stopping place on the road from Leicester to Oxford and London, and many former coaching inns remain in the town [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=78 Coaching era] - thisislutterworth.com] . The town also contains some historic Half-timbered buildings, some of which date back to the 16th century.

Altogether three railway stations have borne the name Lutterworth, but only one was actually in the town. The first was "Ullesthorpe & Lutterworth," about 5 km (3 miles) to the north west, on the former Midland Railway (later part of the LMS) line from Rugby to Leicester, closed in January 1962. The second was "Welford & Kilworth", at one time known as "Welford & Lutterworth," some 8 km (5 miles) east on the London and North Western Railway (also later LMS) line from Rugby to Market Harborough and Peterborough, closed in June 1966. The third (the one that was actually "in" Lutterworth), was on the Great Central Railway mentioned above (later part of the LNER), the last main line to be constructed from the north of England to London, opened in March 1899. Detractors of the Great Central will point out that Lutterworth was the only town along its whole route not previously served "directly" by another line, and that the Great Central's presence had no real effect on the town, since it remained at roughly the same size throughout the line's existence, only growing substantially since its closure in May 1969.

The parish church is St Mary's.

Sir Frank Whittle

Lutterworth's other main claim to fame is that Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, developed some of the world's first jet engines at the British Thomson-Houston works in Lutterworth, and in nearby Rugby, during the late 1930s and the 1940s. The engine for the UK's first jet aeroplane the Gloster E.28/39 was produced in Lutterworth [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=134 Lutterworth and the Birth of the Jet Engine] - www.thisislutterworth.com] . A statue of the plane stands in the middle of a roundabout just south of the town as a memorial.

Local economy

Some 4 km (2.5 miles) to the west of the town is a large logistics and distribution centre called Magna Park, which is the main source of employment in the Lutterworth area. Magna Park is built upon the site of the old Bitteswell aerodrome [ [http://www.thisislutterworth.com/cms.cfm?pageid=69 Lutterworth 1945-present] - thisislutterworth.com] . Nearby to Lutterworth is Stanford Hall.

Controversy rages in the town about how to manage the traffic flows emanating from Magna Park and the nearby M1 and A5 trunk roads. Some 3,000 heavy goods vehicles pass through the town every day and pollution levels are amongst the highest in the country. The Town Council has established a task group to try to resolve the issues surrounding the proposed Lutterworth Western Relief Road (or bypass) following extensive publicity in the local press.

There is a Co-op on George Street, and a Morrisons (former Safeway) on Bitteswell Road. There is also a Netto which opened in November 2006, on part of the De Bradelei Mill store. A Subway store recently opened on the High Street.

Education

There are two primary schools in the town; [http://www.johnwycliffe.leics.sch.uk John Wycliffe Primary School] and [http://www.sherrier.leics.sch.uk Sherrier Primary School] , which was featured on the BBC TV children's TV programme Blue Peter on Tuesday 5 February 2008.

The local secondary schools are [http://www.lutterworthhigh.leics.sch.uk Lutterworth High School] (for ages 11-14) on Woodway Road and Lutterworth College (for ages 14-18) on Bitteswell Road, both of which achieve good results in applicable exams.

References

See also

* Bitteswell

External links

* [http://www.lutterworthobserver.co.uk Lutterworth Observer] The Local Newspaper
* [http://www.yourhomepagein.co.uk/Lutterworth Lutterworth Community Website]
* [http://www.lutterworth-online.co.uk Lutterworth Online]
* [http://www.thisislutterworth.com Lutterworth Website]
* [http://www.lutterworth.org.uk Lutterworth Town Council]
* [http://www.gazeley.co.uk/uk/magnapark Magna Park]
* [http://www.radiolutterworth.org Lutterworths Own Radio Station]
* [http://www.lutterworthrfc.com Lutterworth Rugby Club]
* [http://www.lutterworthgc.co.uk Golf Club]
* [http://www.knowhere.co.uk/3206.html Knowhere Guide]
* [http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/community/libraries/county_libraries/harborough_libraries/lutterworth_library.htm Library]