, often known until
1888 as ''Sheepshed'', (also Sheepshead) is a
Town in
Leicestershire ,
England with a population of around 13,000 people. It is in the
Charnwood borough.
The town originally grew as a centre for the
Wool trade. However, since the construction of the
M1 Motorway nearby, it has become a
Dormitory Town for
Loughborough ,
Leicester and
Nottingham . It was officially a
Village until recently, and claimed to be Britain's largest and also claimed to have the highest number of pubs per head of population in the country. Now, however, it is home to only 15 public houses.
The main sports team in the town (and the borough) is
Shepshed Dynamo F.C. , who play in the
Unibond League Division One.
The town is twinned with the
Paris ian suburb of
Domont .
Hind Leys Community College (the only sixth-form college in the town), includes students not only from Shepshed, but also from local towns and villages such as
Loughborough ,
Belton ,
Castle Donington ,
Diseworth ,
Long Whatton , and
Tonge .
There has been much controversy about the origin of the name of the town. The earliest form is Scepeshefde Regis as mentioned in the
Domesday Book , which means "Hill where sheep graze", but since then there have been many changes until the present form, Shepshed, was adopted in
1888 .
Very little evidence of settlement on the site of Shepshed appears before the Domesday Book. 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 the 14th Century.
The older part of the Town is found in the vicinity of St Botolph's
Parish Church , which has stood on its present site since the 11th Century and is the westernmost parish church in England to bear the name of
Saint Botolph .
The church's original patronage came from Leicester Abbey, however between 1699 and 1856 the patrons were the Phillips family of Garendon Hall. This family has been Lords of the Manor since its purchase by
Ambrose Phillips in
1683 . Garendon Hall (now demolished) was built on the site of Garendon Abbey, a prominent
Cistercian House which was built in 1133 and survived its dissolution by
Henry VIII in
1536 .
The 18th Century saw the enclosure of the common lands around Shepshed. There had been enclosures in the 15th and 16th Century, but towards the end of the 18th Century the last remaining common land, approximately 2000 acres (8 km&
2), was enclosed and divided among the principle commoners of the village. Much destruction was caused in the town when in
1753 , 85 bays of buildings were destroyed by 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 Navigation Canal was opened in
1798 . However, their success was only short lived. By
1804 the canal had proved an uneconomic venture and was closed. The
Charnwood Forest Railway was opened in
1881 , but regular passenger services ceased in
1931 . However, the goods service did not close until
1963 .
