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Appleby Magna Parish
includes two villages – Appleby Magna (population about 1,050) and Appleby Parva
(population about 50). We are in the county
of Leicestershire, within two miles of the borders of three other counties: Warwickshire,
Derbyshire and Staffordshire - right in the heart of the East Midlands of England. |
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In many ways Appleby is a typical English
parish; three pubs, a church, a
village shop and post office, a butcher, and a primary school (a very special primary school, originally
designed by Sir Christopher Wren). Our
nearest town is the historic Ashby de la Zouch (as featured in Walter Scott’s famous
novel, Ivanhoe). Tamworth, a bigger town, is
eight miles away. As for cities – we are
close to Birmingham (England’s second largest city, just 25 miles), Nottingham,
Leicester and Derby. |
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Appleby is close to the traditional coal
mining villages of north west Leicestershire, but we did not have a mine here. The closest was at Measham, two miles down the
road. Many mine workers lived in
Appleby, but it has always been predominantly an agricultural village. |
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The countryside around Appleby is gently rolling. Appleby Magna nestles in a dip between two hills
– one to the north between Appleby and
Measham, and the other to the south west
towards Austrey, where Appleby Parva overlooks the valley. |
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As you can see from the map, the main roads pass round Appleby
Magna, but the busy A444 goes directly through Appleby Parva. |
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The stream running through Appleby Magna joins the
River Mease. The stream has a tendency to
flood every now and then – the road by the stream is known as Duck Lake. The
picture shows the road after a particularly bad storm. |
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The centre of Appleby is a Conservation
Area, centred around our historic Moat House - actually part of the gate house of the
original medieval building. The house, the moat and its fields on either side are
designated as an Ancient Monument. |
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Appleby is a great place for walking, cycling and horse
riding. We have a good network of footpaths,
and the village lanes are attractive and safe. |
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Because Appleby is such an attractive
village and so close to a main motorway (the M42), it has become a popular place to live. But if you are thinking of moving here, don’t
be fooled by the map – take a look at the amount of traffic on the motorway before
you decide! With more and more houses being
built in the area, getting to and from work by car has become the most stressful part of
the day for many people. |
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There’s a lot going on in Appleby. We are very proud of our village, and we care very
much about our heritage and our environment. Appleby
people welcome visitors who respect our village as much as we do.
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