LE67 (Coalville) area guide
LE67
Coalville
LE67 encompasses a cluster of towns and villages west of Leicester, most notably Coalville but also Ibstock, Markfield and Ellistown. Leicester is approximately 100 miles northwest of London, in the East Midlands on the River Soar. Trains depart every 30 minutes from London St. Pancras International on the Midland Main Line and arrive in Leicester in one and a half hours. The postcode district is well connected by roads. Markfield is about 100 miles north of London on the M1. The A50 takes you from Leicester to Markfield where it turns into the A511 en route to Coalville. South of Coalville on the A447 is Ibstock.
The LE67 postcode district lies within or includes part of the following towns, counties, localities, electoral wards and stations: Appleby, Bagworth, Bardon, Bardon Business Park, Bardon Hill, Breedon, Coalville, Coleorton, Copt Oak, Donington Le Heath, Ellistown, Forest Bradgate, Greenhill, Griffydam, Heather, Hugglescote, Ibstock, Ibstock and Heather, Leicestershire, Markfield, Markfield, Stanton and Fieldhead, Newbold Coleorton, Newton Burgoland, Normanton Le Heath, Ratby, Bagworth and Thornton, Ravenstone, Ravenstone and Packington, Shepshed West, Sinope, Snibston, Stanton under Bardon, Swannington, Swepstone, Thornton, Thringstone, Ulverscroft, Valley, Whitwick.
Leicester has at different times been run by the Celts, the Romans and the Danes. It became an industrial centre when it was linked to London and other cities via canals and railways. Hosiery, footwear and engineering industry predominated the area in the 20th century but are all now in decline. Since World War II, immigrants from all over the world have settled in Leicester, including those with Polish, Irish, Indian, African and Caribbean roots.
The history of postcode district LE67 is dominated by coal-mining since medieval times. The collieries of Ellistown used to transport their coal via pony trains before canals and railways became standard practice. The village’s collieries and brickworks closed down in the 20th century. In 1835, Mount St. Bernard Abbey on Oaks Road in Coalville was the first catholic abbey founded in England since the reformation. An underground fire at the old Whitwick colliery in Coalville claimed the lives of 35 men in 1898. A Clock Tower has been constructed as a war memorial to the town’s citizens who died in both world wars.
The housing market in LE67 is marked by high liquidity and new build activity, which often go hand-in-hand. House prices in the postcode district are above that of Leicester as a whole but below national averages. Over 70 percent of all homes are either detached or semi-detached with flats being a rarity in the area. LE67 has a low unemployment rate. When compared with national averages, the percentage of the postcode district’s 53,000 residents who are students or educated to a degree level is small. Lavender Walk is one of the more expensive streets to live on in the area.
Being a rural area, local amenities are not as abundant as they are in towns or cities. From Coalville, buses run to surrounding towns and the East Midlands Airport from the Ashby Road depot. The nearest railway station is in Loughborough. The city of Leicester has a large student population, thanks to two universities and numerous colleges. The University of Leicester and De Montfort University enroll a combined 40,000 students. Stephenson College on Thornborough Road in Coalville and Ibstock Community College on Central Avenue offer additional options for further education. Ellistown Community Primary School on Whitehill Road is the only school in Ellistown.
Although nearly all of the collieries have closed down, their legacies remain through the parks formed on their sites, Coleorton Wood and Bagworth Heath Country Park around Coalville. Sence Valley Forest Park in Ibstock has man-made lakes and many planted trees. Whitwick Colliery in Coalville was converted into a business park. Coalville’s Belvoir Road is home to the Halfway House, The Engine and Snibstone New Inn pubs. Passion night at the Holland Emporium club has achieved nationwide fame beyond any of the area’s other attractions.
The rest of the attractions in the postcode district are nature-oriented. The Altar Stones picnic site and Billa Barra Hill in Markfield offer an escape from civilization. The Thornton Reservoir and nearby National Forest provide outlets for outdoor activity. Donington le Heath Manor House and Snibston Discovery Park are popular with tourists.