Glenfield, Leicestershire

infobox UK place
country= England
official_name= Glenfield
latitude= 52.64907
longitude= -1.20622
population= c.10,000
shire_district= Blaby (district)
shire_county= Leicestershire
region= East Midlands
constituency_westminster=
post_town= LEICESTER
postcode_area= LE
postcode_district= LE3
dial_code= 0116
os_grid_reference= SK538060
london_distance=

Glenfield is a satellite town and suburb of Leicester, England. It is part of the Blaby district, constituting a civil parish, and has a population of about 10,000. The parish is formally named Glenfields, dating from the merger of the ancient Glenfield parish with Glenfield Frith.

The village is directly to the west of Leicester and is just off junction 21A of the M1 motorway. It is the site of the headquarters of Leicestershire County Council, and of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. It also gives its name to Glenfield Hospital, although it is actually across the city border in Leicester.

The heart of the community is around the Square, with St Peter's Church (CofE), the church hall, the ruins of the former church, and the post office on Church Street, the Methodist Church and Hall and the public library (offering generous Internet access) just inside Station Road, and Park House (parish council), the Memorial Hall, Scout Hut, playground, Glenfield Primary School and the nursery school all located just inside Stamford Street. The Hall County Primary School is located on Glenfield Frith Drive. Situated close to the Hall school is Faire Road commonly known for the row of shops situated there.

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History

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book but the village was greatly enlarged in the 1920s-50s, when the Faire Estate was built. In the 80s and 90s another large estate was built on former farm land behind Ellis Park.

Glenfield was the site of the first station from Leicester West Bridge on the Leicester and Swannington Railway opened on 17 July 1832 as the world's third steam railway. Just before reaching the station the line passed through Glenfield Tunnel, which at 1 mile 36 yards long was at the time the world's longest railway tunnel and was built by Robert Stephenson. The Glenfield end of the tunnel can still be seen.

Parish facilities

Glenfield has its own village newspaper, The Glenfield Gazette, and the parish council own several areas of recreational land, including Ellis Park, Station Park and the Playing Fields. Near to the Brant is the "Millennium Green", which is managed by a local trust. The Gynsills Nature Area can be found at the junction of Gynsill Lane and Stelle Way. A small area of mature trees and a pond, once part of the Gynsills Estate parkland, now an area promoting biodiversity and nature conservation.

The area known as "The Square" was once more of a road and contained many more shops, mostly owned by the Stockley family. These were knocked down in the fifties and sixties to accommodate the roundabout and the maisonnetes were built in placen of the grocers, postoffice and butchers shop.

Notable residents

Stamford Street was the home of painter Brian Organ. Salcombe Drive was the home of the pundit Graham Barnfield. Scott, cartoonist for Leicester Mercury and others lives in Glenfield. Leicester Road was the home of Alderman Bertram Powell, [http://www.leicester.gov.uk/about-leicester/lordmayorcivic/roll-of-mayors/1928-2000-roll-of-lord-mayors/1950---1959-lord-mayors/1959-bertram-powell- Lord Mayor of Leicester 1959,] from the late 1930s to his death in 1969.

hopping

On Station Road there is a large Co-Op superstore with petrol station, Glenfield Kitchens, Numark Chemists Glenfield Television, and a few other small shops. There are also shops around the Square, Stamford Street and Faire Road.The Square has a butchers shop, M C Tuff & Son, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/27/nstores127.xml a rarity in the early 21st century] when the trend is towards the use of large supermarkets.

Food and drink

There are a variety of pubs, take-aways, restaurants and hotels in the Glenfield area. In the village centre, The Nag's Head serves pub food. The Forge (formerly the Griffin) serves pub food and a large selection of traditional real ales. The Railway Inn (near to the site of the former Glenfield Station) is also a popular pub which also serves food. There are Chinese and fish and chip takeaways in the village. On Dominion Road, there is The Dominion pub, with Fish and Fry and Troodos Taverna (Cypriot) restaurant directly opposite. Near County Hall is The Gynsills, a large pub and hotel. Heading out towards Groby is The Brant Inn, a traditional English hotel and pub serving food.

Commercial

Although Glenfield is mainly residential there are a few businesses located in the area, notably the [http://www.widdowson-group.com Widdowson Group] and others located on the Mill Lane Industrial Estate.

Transport

Glenfield is only 3 miles away from Leicester, and 1 1/2 miles from the Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre. The M1 can be easily accessed at Junction 21a to the South of the village (Southbound only), which makes Fosse Park accessible. The M1 North can be reached in minutes along the A50 towards Markfield, Groby and Coalville.

The A46 leads around the north of Leicester, with access to Anstey and then the A6 to Loughborough.

The village is also served by First bus Service 94 from The Square to Leicester City Centre.

Glenfield was once served by the Glenfield railway station with trains into Leicester Central.