Fleckney
| Fleckney | |
| Leicestershire | |
|---|---|
 The Duck Pond, Fleckney | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP651933 |
| Location: | 52°32’7"N, 1°2’39"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 4,894 (2011) |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Harborough |
Fleckney is a village in Leicestershire.
The village appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and remained a small farming community until the 19th century, which saw development of industry: initially bricks and later hosiery. The historic village centre is a hub of amenities for the mostly rural local area.
Facilities
Much of the surrounding area is composed of small agricultural communities with few amenities, leading Fleckney to be defined by the local council as a rural centre, benefiting from two general practitioner surgeries, a public library, two public houses, primary school, several food shops and a post office.[1] The local newspaper, The Fleckney Communicata, is offered free to local residents.
Much of the adult population commutes, although there is a significant industrial estate in the south of the village. More than 21% of the village population is 0–15 years old, making Fleckney one of the youngest villages in Harborough District. The village has a local primary school, while older pupils attend school at Kibworth High School. Leicester Grammar School, an independent secondary school, moved to the neighbouring village of Great Glen in 2007.
History and geography
Mentioned as Flechenie in the Domesday Book as the location of just three households,[2] the old factory buildings at the edge of the village are the remains of the 19th century brickworks and later hosiery factories. Some of the decorative bricks in the Barlow shed of St Pancras railway station were produced in Fleckney. After the Second World War, successive developments of new housing were constructed radiating north and south from the historic village centre towards the parish boundaries. Due to severe storms in 2012, the village church suffered roof damage. This was repaired with the donation of local builder Ben Antill's life savings, among others.
The village occupies a generally flat area among gently rolling hills in Leicestershire. The Grand Union Canal traverses the eastern edge of the parish from north to south through the Kibworth Locks and the Saddington Tunnel.
Additionally a short distance to the east of the village is the Mill Field Wood, planted in the year 2000 as a millennium project: the location is often known locally as the Millennium Wood in recognition of this. The 18.9-acre site was acquired by the Woodland Trust and the planting of the trees was carried out by the villagers of Fleckney and its surrounding villages. The major trees that were planted included oak, ash, silver birch and field maple and also included some shrubs such as hazel and blackthorn. All the plants are native to the area.
The pond located in the centre of the village was originally a clay pit, a relic of 19th brickmaking. Abandoned, the pit has since flooded, becoming an ideal habitat for ducks. The pond drains in to Fleckney Brook, a tributary of the River Sence which is in turn a tributary of the River Soar.
To the east is the larger village of Kibworth and adjoining Smeeton Westerby; to the south and separated by a narrow tract of agricultural land is the hilltop village of Saddington; while to the north and east are the parishes of Newton Harcourt, Kilby, Wistow and Arnesby.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Fleckney) |