Birstall shops
Birstall is a rather romantic village, and one could easily fall in love with its attractive and traditional demeanour.
A magnificent cedar tree stands proud in Roman Road - the emblem of the village depicted in its sign - and this gloriously green feel is a strong characteristic throughout the prosperous area.
The tranquility of water is another prominent natural feature, as the Grand Union Canal runs through the bottom end of the village.
Peaceful it certainly can be, but it's not remote; Birstall is bisected by the main A6 which is just three miles out of Leicester on the northern outskirts, and it lies only eight miles south of Loughborough.
In fact, Birstall is thriving: when its villagers - around 12,000 of them in all - organise an event or activity, they really go to town on it.
Rather than have a simple village fete, they hold a two-day gala each July with an outdoor concert and a fireworks spectacular on the village playing field.
And the cricket club, recently named club of the year by Wisden, is just one of many popular local organisations within this busy community.
Then there's Birstall’s twinning association, which is known as being among the county's most active, with regular exchanges taking place between the village and its Belgian partner town, Rixensart.
Birstall Village sign
The local health centre has been extended, and the village boasts a library, three churches, two primary schools, a high school, and Longslade College for senior students.
Nearby towns and villages are great for shopping, such as neighbouring Beaumont Leys, Thurmaston and Fosse Shopping Park at the cusp of the M1 and M69 motorway junctions.
Estate agents would tell you that this is very much a commuter village, very handy for the Troon and Watermead business parks on the northern fringes of the city, as well as for Loughborough and Syston.
Around 85 per cent of residents own cars to take advantage of this. Indeed, for those who live here, it’s the convenience of work and play within easy reach, combined with the pleasure of a close knit community, which makes Birstall such a great place to reside.
Property in Birstall
Birstall has a reputation for being a sought-after part of Leicestershire, and the village boasts quite a cross section of property.
There are many leafy, tree-lined cul-de-sacs and peaceful streets where houses are generously built in spacious plots.
Its most prominent property type by far is semi-detached, accounting for 67 per cent of the village’s stock, followed by detached at 24 per cent, which doesn’t leave room for much else.
The rental market is confined to smaller, newer homes, particularly in the Hallam Fields estate, and older terraces around the centre. Over 90 per cent of residents own their home.
Here's a brief look at the different areas of Birstall:
1. North West
What's there? Hallam Fields is a large and expanding new homes development in the north west of the village. It is actually set to be a new community in its own right and will take ten years to complete.
Its central hub will offer a host of amenities, including shops and other facilities, in addition to a new primary school, a number of public open spaces and sports pitches all within walking distance of every home on the development.
A footbridge over the A6 will offer safe and easy access into the existing community of Birstall, while a new park and ride service will run into the heart of Leicester city.
Hallam Fields offers a vast selection of property, from one- to three-bedroom apartments to three- and four-bed mews style homes and five-bedroom detached houses.
The first phase properties to the front overlook the green and many have feature façade and ornate decorative ironwork, and the eclectic mix of house styles reveals a development with real character.
There is also a large, older housing estate in the north west of Birstall, towards Beaumont Leys, known unofficially as the Gates Estate because many of the road names end in the word 'gate'.
Buyers: Properties here suit just about every type of buyer.
2. North East
What's there? A number of tree and flower named avenues, such as Lime Tree Avenue, Acacia Avenue, Rose Tree Avenue, have attractive and substantial semi-detached properties, in what is considered a popular residential area.
Either side in terms of size, there are also a few bungalows, terraced town houses and substantial detached homes dotted throughout.
Further north, in and around Myrtle Avenue, a number of ex-council houses are now favourable, good sized family homes.
Buyers: Families, young and old.
3. Centre of Birstall
What’s there? Generally, a moderately priced property mix. Wanlip Lane, which runs into the centre from the east of the village, and the avenues around it including Lambourne Road, feature everything from two-bedroom town houses to 1970s semi-detached properties.
A few terraced houses can be found around the village centre, in streets near to the main shopping area in Sibson Road, some of which require a bit of work – but this is reflected in the price. Sibson Road itself is dominated by semi-detached homes of varying prices.
To the west of Birstall, in the middle of the area, attractive streets such as Oakfield Avenue and Walnut Avenue feature slightly more expensive homes, many detached and substantial, but there is still a good mix of terraced and semi-detached, also.
Buyers: Predominantly families, particularly in the western side, and first-timers, too, in the east.
4. South East
What’s there? The most popular area of Birstall is opposite the park, around and along the south end of Loughborough Road, including Curzon Avenue.
It consists primarily of substantial, attractive detached period property from the turn of the century; this is clearly an affluent district, and people aspire to live here.
Acorn Close, Birstall Road, Mill Close by the river Soar, Roman Road and Front Street are some of the most expensive and interesting streets in Birstall.
Here you'll find everything from detached bungalows with annexes, fancy apartments with turret bay windows in original mansion houses, and thatched cottages.
A number of these streets form part of Birstall’s conservation area; watery and pleasantly green views keep residents smiling.
Buyers: Professionals and wealthy, established families.
5. South West
What's there? West of Loughborough Road, including Tempest Road, is home to a number of unique and grand detached homes.
The tree-lined streets boast some of the most expensive property in Birstall, including Park Road and Cliff Road, where magnificent homes with acreage enjoy close proximity to the village golf course and surrounding green views.
Buyers: Professionals and wealthy, established families.
Living here
Transport:
Road: Birstall is on the A6 Leicester to Loughborough Road, one mile north of the Redhill Island which separates the village from the city.
Loughborough is eight miles away, and there's easy access to the M1 around nine miles away via the A46 western bypass.
Train: The nearest main line railway stations are in Syston, Leicester and Loughborough, providing easy access to London and Birmingham.
Birstall also has an unusual rail link via the old Great Central Line which runs steam trains to Rothley, Quorn and Loughborough.
Bus: There are frequent buses to Loughborough and to the centre of Leicester, as well as to the Beaumont Leys shopping centre.
In view of the village's expanding population and proximity to the city, a park and ride scheme is being planned.
Air: East Midlands Airport is about half-an-hour's drive away, depending on the traffic.
Shopping:
Apart from a couple of supermarkets, all of Birstall's shops are small, locally owned businesses.
The shopping centre is compact and convenient, centred around Sibson Road. You can buy everything from seafood to spectacles, and there is a choice of bank or building society branches, plus Post Office facilities.
One of the largest businesses is a garden centre which stocks horticultural items and much more besides, and Birstall is also well provided with hairdressers.
For shoppers who want to venture further afield, Beaumont Leys is one option - others nearby are the new retail park at Thurmaston, and Syston with its variety of long-established outlets.
Leisure:
Birstall has a very wide range of community groups ranging from a local history society to an art group which stages an annual exhibition.
The village hall is a hive of activity providing a venue for events as varied as slimming classes, a baby health clinic and charity barn dances.
For children, several of Birstall's sports clubs, such as tennis and cricket, have junior sections, and there are thriving youth organisations such as the Scouts, Guides and Girls' Brigade.
For more choice, the bright lights of Leicester are just a short journey away.
Sports:
Birstall has clubs catering for a very wide selection of sports. The golf club stages a 100-hole challenge each June and the ladies' section of the bowling club marked their golden jubilee by winning three county titles.
The cricket club is based on the School Lane playing field which recently gained a new sports pavilion. Other sports available locally range from tennis and football to taekwondo and boxing.
There's a swimming pool next to Longslade College and another one nearby at Thurmaston.
The Soar Valley Leisure Centre, just four miles away at Mountsorrel, opened in 2004 with comprehensive facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall and all-weather outdoor pitch.
It has a fully equipped gym and you can play various sports including football, volleyball and table tennis.
Open Spaces:
Birstall has several open spaces including parks at School Lane, Meadow Lane and Harrowgate Drive.
There's a thriving allotment site near the Redhill Island, and the Methodist Church organises an annual open gardens event in June.
Birstall is surrounded by footpaths and cycling routes. To the north lies Charnwood Forest, and to the south is Watermead Country Park which has lakes and lagoons and is superb for cycling, walking, picnicking and bird-watching.