Saxelby

The not unlovely village of Saxelby is situated about a mile north of industrial Asfordby, and on a stream which empties into the River Wreake. It has a good selection of ironstone houses and farmhouses, but to the east of the church the settlement has retreated, leaving a series of earthworks to mark its former presence. This wintry shot of the 13th-century ironstone church looks from the south east at the dominant 15th-century tower and its recessed crocketed spire. The chancel (right) and the south porch were rebuilt in 1856 by an unknown hand.
An extract from from"Leicestershire Villages Photographic Memories".

A fashionable place to be seen throughout the 19th century was the luxurious Harboro Hotel (right), originally the Lord Harborough Arms and a coaching inn. It was carpeted throughout, which was a huge extravagance for the time.
An extract from from"Melton Mowbray Town and City Memories".

This view looks from the junction of the High Street and South Parade on market day. The sign of the popular White Lion Hotel is just visible in the centre of this photograph and Barclays Bank (now Ladbrokes) is on the far left.
An extract from from"Melton Mowbray Town and City Memories".

MANY MORE people know the name of Loughborough than know the town itself, or even where it is. That name is read, said and rings out across the world. Loughborough is unique. It is a small market town in the East Midlands of England, yet it has a university with an international reputation for excellence in sciences and sports. It is home to the largest bell foundry in the world. For generations, children in every corner of the globe have seen the words ‘Ladybird Books, Loughborough, England’ on the brightly coloured books which helped to shape their lives. Cranes and hoists, some of giant size, designed and built in Loughborough have been employed from the docks of New Jersey to the shipyards of Korea. Turbines, trams and transporters have all been made at the Falcon Works of the strangely named ‘Brush’ Electrical Company. If you visit Loughborough, the evidence for this wealth of industry and knowledge is not easily seen. Far less apparent still is the long and often turbulent past of the town. I approached the writing of this book with some trepidation. There are, already, many books about Loughborough from the seriously academic to the purely anecdotal. The difficulty in the end was not what to include, but what to leave out. The choices, and the faults, are the writer’s, but, if your favourite place or story is missing, there will hopefully still be much to enjoy. Many famous and noble families were involved in Loughborough’s past - De Spensers and Beaumonts, Herricks and Hastingses and, most poignant of all, Lady Jane Grey, litter the past of Loughborough. Many of them came to a sad and savage end. The town lies next to the wild landscape of Charnwood Forest, is surrounded by ancient hunting parks and was, for centuries, ‘owned’ by one family. It may appear a quiet place to the casual observer, but Loughborough hides a fascinating story just under that placid surface.
An extract from from"Loughborough - A History & Celebration".

Towards the north-west lies the mound of Beacon Hill. The earliest origins of Loughborough may be here. No one can truly say when man first settled in this area, but there was certainly an Iron Age settlement at Beacon Hill c400 BC. Even today, when the bracken on the Beacon dies down in the autumn, the terraces tilled by farmers of long ago can still be seen. Iron Age smiths forged tools and weapons here. Corn was ground in stone ‘querns’ made from the rock to be found at nearby Quorndon, a name meaning ‘hill of the querns’. Industry, technology, commerce and agriculture all came early to this area and found a home here. The oldest rocks in Britain have been found locally. The very name Charnwood comes from ‘caern’, the Celtic for ‘rock’. The river valley of the Soar lies to the south of Loughborough. Water, and waterpower, have played important roles in the founding and development of Loughborough. Northwards the ground rises a little towards Burleigh. Did the Romans ever find their way to this corner of Leicestershire? As yet, there are clues but no conclusive evidence of Roman occupation. When the Romans left Britain, the Saxons arrived. They were experts at ‘reading’ the landscape to discover the best places to settle. That skill was essential because the survival of the whole group depended on it. The first essentials were water and a place which could be defended against enemies. The Saxons found both at Loughborough. Gravel deposits meant the existence of clean, fresh water. Rising ground gave a lookout and a natural fortress. The alarm could be sounded from Toot Hill if enemies were sighted.
An extract from from"Loughborough - A History & Celebration".