About Appleby Magna
The parish of Appleby Magna 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 England.
We have three pubs, one post office/village shop, a village primary school (in a very special building), a beautiful church, and a wealth of lovely buildings in the centre of the village, which is a conservation area. The most historic private building is the Moat House, surrounded by a moat, trees and fields that gives a green heart to the centre of the village. The house, the moat and its fields on either side are designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument
A stream runs through the village on its way to the River Mease. The stream has a tendancy to flood now and then, so the lane running alongside has acquired the appropriate name of Duck Lake.
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.
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.
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.
We are lucky that the main roads pass round Appleby Magna, but the busy A444 goes through Appleby Parva. 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.
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.