Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Civil Parish in Leicestershire North West Leicestershire

England

Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a civil parish and small market town located in the North West of Leicestershire, England. It lies within the National Forest and is situated on the A42 motorway, approximately 15 miles from Leicester city.

The town is historically significant and has a rich heritage dating back to Roman times. It is best known for its medieval castle, Ashby Castle, which was built in the 12th century and played a major role in the Wars of the Roses. The castle is now a popular tourist attraction and offers visitors the chance to explore its ruins and learn about its fascinating history.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch has a population of around 13,000 people and is a vibrant community with a range of amenities and services. The town center is characterized by its charming cobbled streets, traditional buildings, and a variety of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. It also has a thriving market, which has been held in the town since the 12th century.

The town is well-served by transport links, with regular bus services connecting it to nearby towns and villages. The closest railway station is in Burton upon Trent, approximately 8 miles away.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch is surrounded by beautiful countryside, offering residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, and horse riding. The town also has a number of parks and green spaces, including the popular Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail and the Ivanhoe Trail.

Overall, Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a picturesque and historic town with a strong sense of community and a wealth of attractions and amenities.

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Ashby-de-la-Zouch Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.750286/-1.479206 or Grid Reference SK3517. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Station Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Showing the Royal Hotel on the right, featuring a partly repaired portico.

Oliver Mills

A depot off North Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

A public footpath runs through this region and passes just left of the yellow tanker.

Oliver Mills

Fields around the Money Hill region, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Taken from a public footpath parallel to Nottingham Road; the rest of this land is private but will be soon developed for housing. The hedgerows on the right enclose a small farm track which extends to approximately the centre point of this distinct region.

Oliver Mills

An empty field in the Money Hill region, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Taken slightly off the public footpath. A very rich, serene landscape, which will almost entirely be engulfed with typical modern houses in the next decade. This will eventually extend as far as the A511 bypass road, whose wooded embankments are clearly visible in the horizon to the right.

Oliver Mills

The footpath through the "Woodcock Way" housing estate, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

The accommodation of the public footpath has been provided quite well in this estate, with its original trajectory preserved and kept visually clear. The new development, viewed on maps, appears as a severe and widely unnatural spike over the existing boundaries of Nottingham Road's housing; perhaps making it more acceptable to continue development of this land in the future than it otherwise would be.

Oliver Mills

A field in the Money Hill region, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Taken from the public footpath at the end of Featherbed Lane. All of this land is expected to be developed for housing soon. The small copse of trees on the left is marked on many maps to feature a "Lawn Barn" and a spring. It is legally inaccessible due to there being no public footpaths or open access areas between here and there, although from this position there is no physical impedance to access.

Oliver Mills

Wind turbine at Hall Farm

There was a flour windmill here in the 19th century. Now there is a modern wind turbine generating electricity.

Ian Calderwood

Station Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Taken from a pedestrian crossing island in the centre of the road, during a brief period of no traffic; despite the various road diversions and congestion relating to the Christmas food festival. Looking towards Our Lady of Lourdes Church, the old Vicarage, and the Station Road fuel station. The first of my submitted Geographs to be taken on a mirrorless Nikon Z50, finally unlocking the potential of my vintage Olympus OM-mount lenses.

Oliver Mills

Bath Street and a diversion, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Showing a road diversion during the Christmas food festival. This diversion system is also adopted during the Ashby Statutes fair, and two-way traffic through Market Street is diverted in a one-way clockwise fashion through North and South Streets. The system works so well it seems that the Medieval La Zouch family had diversion routes in mind when building Ashby's road system, c.600-800 years ago! Also visible at the end of the street is the former Shellbrook toy shop, now with the conversion to a wealth management agency (with apartments behind and above) completed.

Oliver Mills

Pass Courtyard, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

A shopping courtyard developed by Mr. Pass in about 1997, just adjacent to his traditional electricals shop (T. Pass and Son). When it comes to Christmas lights for his courtyard, only traditional incandescent lamps will do!

Oliver Mills

Ashby Museum, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Originally opened on North Street in 1991. The blue frontage was replaced in the last few weeks, with the old structure long beyond the end of its serviceable life. Despite some problems with the flat roof too, the Museum remains open as normal. Visible on the left is the "Peter White Brick Collection", as well as a display of antique vacuum cleaners and other domestic appliances.

Oliver Mills

The thinnest house in Ashby (probably)

A recent extension on an already slim terrace of houses, eventually meeting the Market Street at number 85 but accessed from North Street. The house is in the shape of a truncated wedge, forming a very strange roof profile from some viewpoints. From what I remember seeing on the plans, the narrowest extremity (about 2 metres wide) is used for a winder staircase, which is quite a sensible use of this awkward space.

Oliver Mills

Houses to be demolished, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Numbers 3 and 5, Nottingham Road (the semi-detached block on the right) will be demolished to make way for an access road to the planned "Money Hill" housing development. The two properties were sold (presumably to the developers) in September 2020 for the impressive sum of £580,000 each.

Oliver Mills

Prestop Park Solar Farm

A solar farm of 15.8 MW capacity, previously pictured in neighbouring grid-square: SK3316 : Prestop Park Solar Farm.

Ian Calderwood

A town house on Wilfred Place, Ashby

Supposedly the start of a residential crescent which did not extend beyond this first unit. This house has since been divided into two properties.

Oliver Mills

Ashby Water Tower and Wilfred Gardens

Also showing some of the Cemetery grounds ahead of the Tower.

Oliver Mills

Allotments, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Showing the Water Tower and the Cemetery grounds at the top of the slope.

Oliver Mills

A new housing estate off Moira Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

Recently built by Ashberry Homes; the name given to the development, generically nostalgic as per usual, is "Broadleaf". The main road running through the estate, unusually connecting directly to a separate estate by a different developer, is named "Bishop Hall Road". In the foreground is a reedbed-style balancing pool, one of the more attractive features of contemporary housing developments.

Oliver Mills

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Ashby-de-la-Zouch is located at Grid Ref: SK3517 (Lat: 52.750286, Lng: -1.479206)

Administrative County: Leicestershire

District: North West Leicestershire

Police Authority: Leicestershire