Desford is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. It is located approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of the centre of Leicester and about 7 miles north-east of Hinckley. The village sits on a hill roughly 400 feet above sea level, and the parish includes the hamlets of Botcheston and Newtown Unthank, as well as a scattered settlement at Lindridge. The population at the 2021 census was 4,592.
Etymology and Early History
The name "Desford" is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, though the name itself is older. It is generally interpreted as meaning "Deor's Ford," suggesting an Anglo-Saxon origin, though an alternative suggestion is that it means "ford frequented with wild animals."
Manors and Historic Buildings
At Lindridge, about 1 mile (2 km) north of the village, there is a rectangular moat enclosing an area of roughly 115 by 127 yards. In the 19th century, when the moat was temporarily drained, six early 14th-century pottery vessels were found, suggesting a manor house once stood on the island. The moat is a scheduled monument.
In 1261, the manor of Desford was held by Simon de Montfort until his death at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. His lands, including Desford, were then granted by Henry III to his son, Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster.
The Old Hall (or Old Manor House) on Desford High Street dates from about 1600 and is a Grade II* listed building. It is built of brick in English bond with stone quoins and a timber frame, with a two-storeyed jettied porch and an early 18th-century service wing.
Churches
The Church of England parish church of St. Martin has a Norman font, though the present building appears to date from the late 13th century. The west tower and spire are Perpendicular Gothic in style and are later additions. The architect Stockdale Harrison of Leicester restored the church in 1884. The tower contains a ring of six bells, all cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1912. St. Martin's is a Grade II* listed building. The first rector was recorded in 1246 as Brian de Walton.
Desford also has a free church, built in 1866, which is a member of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. A Strict Baptist chapel was built in the High Street in 1790, though only its graveyard remains.
Economic History
Until the 1700s, most residents were engaged in agriculture, farming arable strips in four open fields. Desford's common lands—about 1,000 acres of open fields—were enclosed by Act of Parliament in 1759.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the cottage industry of framework knitting developed in the village, with the first reference dating to 1704. This continued into the 19th century, with over a hundred framework knitters recorded in the 1851 Census.
Coal mining became a large-scale industry in west Leicestershire during the 19th century. An unsuccessful attempt was made to sink a coal mine at Lindridge in 1875, which failed due to constant flooding. The nearest coal mine, Desford Pit, about two miles away, employed many local people until it closed in 1984.
The Leicester and Swannington Railway was built through the parish in 1832, initially to haul coal from the coalfields to Leicester. Desford railway station was built at Newtown Unthank. The Midland Railway took over the line in 1845 and extended it to Burton-upon-Trent by 1848. British Railways withdrew passenger services in 1964, and the line now carries only goods traffic.
Caterpillar Inc. is currently a significant employer in the parish.
Aerodrome
South of the village, Reid and Sigrist created Desford Aerodrome, first mentioned in "The Bystander" in 1929. By 1936 it operated as a flying training school, primarily using De Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes. Leicester Aero Club used the aerodrome until it moved to nearby Ratcliffe. During World War II, the aerodrome served as an RAF training centre. Reid and Sigrist developed the R.S.3 Desford as a trainer aircraft for post-war use. The aerodrome has since been redeveloped as an industrial site where Caterpillar Inc. has a large factory.
Amenities
The parish has three public houses: the Blue Bell and Lancaster Arms in Desford, and the Greyhound in Botcheston. Desford has a community primary school, a secondary school (Bosworth Academy), a public library, a sports club, and Tropical Birdland, a visitor attraction exhibiting many bird species. The village also has shops, a post office, and takeaway restaurants.
Sport in Desford was established as an independent organisation by Desford Parish Council in 1988 and became a registered charity in 2003. The parish council maintains several open spaces, including the Pickard Recreation Area and the Kirkby Road Recreation Area.
