Bouskell Park, Blaby
In a thoroughly modern society, there is something rather heart warming about a village such as Countesthorpe with its half-timbered houses and period pride.
Granted, there are only a few remaining architectural gems nowadays, but those that are left are not to be sniffed at.
There's a particularly fine 15th century property in The Square which can't fail to draw the eye, while a second half-timbered beauty which was once a Yeoman Farm House can be found in Main Street.
And, standing solidly in Peatling Road, is a 17th century Leicestershire Mud House - now how individually impressive is that?
The rather odd name of Countesthorpe comes from the ancient village being part of a marriage dowry for William the Conqueror's niece, Countess Judith; 'thorpe', meaning hamlet, was added to the end of her title, and became the village name.
Like many of its neighbours, Countesthorpe’s centre is a network of old, narrow streets which expand into ribbon developments and further housing estates dating from the 1960s and 70s.
Surrounded by agricultural fields and open countryside, this thriving village enjoys rural peace and quiet while benefiting from amenities including local shops and businesses, churches, schools, health centre, library, and a number of pubs.
Community spirit and village pride is instantly recognisable among its 6,300 or so residents: there are local clubs for everyone in this close-knit, family-orientated place which also boasts a great number of voluntary organisations.
Countesthorpe is handily placed for access to town and city, being just three miles from Junction 21 of the M1 and M69, while the vast Fosse Park shopping centre and several business parks are just a few minutes’ drive away.
Owning a car here is fairly essential, however, and statistics show that 88 per cent of the village’s residents have at least one vehicle.
But, as long as you can drive, this village really is a convenient rural retreat, and it’s not hard to understand why people love to live here - and why they invariably stay.
Property in Countesthorpe
Countesthorpe's housing stock is made up of 50 per cent semi-detached property, and nearly 40 per cent detached, which doesn’t leave a lot of space for much else.
Residential growth in the village was slow until the mid-1960s when several large housing estates began to spring up - hence most of the village's property is relatively modern.
That said, however, there hasn’t really been any new development for over a decade, aside from the odd house here and there.
Countesthorpe is a respectable residential area, where around 90 per cent of residents own their homes, and happily stay on the local property ladder.
Areas of Countesthorpe
1. West Countesthorpe
What’s there? Sought-after residential district with distinguished homes including the Wheatlands housing area.
This attractive location of leafy streets, including Winchester Road, Linden Avenue and Westfield Avenue, features a variety of semi-detached and detached properties.
Homes are highly sought-after in this quiet area, many of which were built around the 1920s and 30s onwards, including a number of distinctive and individual character properties.
Slightly north of the school, you come to a residential district known as Wheatlands which is full of modern three- and four-bedroom detached properties, in streets such as Leysland Avenue, Scalborough Close, The Woodlands and Wheatlands Drive.
Buyers: A mix of families, professionals and wealthy residents.
Families are particularly drawn to Wheatlands as the property is modern and there are schools within walking distance.
2. South West Countesthorpe
What’s there? Some of the district's most luxurious properties.
Willoughby Road has a selection of monster homes built at the turn of the century; a number are worth more than £1million.
These properties typically boast everything from substantial acreage and long drives to landscaped gardens and swimming pools.
Large and varied - think elegant, red-brick Edwardian homes with slate roofs, feature stonework and a host of internal original features.
Buyers: Wealthy professionals.
3. East Countesthorpe
What’s there? A good selection of family houses.
Rosebank Road lies just on the eastern edge of the village and backs onto open fields.
Properties here include two- and three-bedroom semi-detached homes and townhouses, plus the odd detached residence. Green and open views command slightly higher house prices.
Buyers: First-time buyers and families.
4. Village Centre & Middle of Countesthorpe
What’s there? The core of family housing is in the middle of Countesthorpe while the village centre boasts some individual homes in leafy surrounds.
Running from north to south down the middle of Countesthorpe is a heavily developed area of housing which forms the core of family homes; the majority of stock comprises two- and three-bedroom townhouses and semi-detached properties.
Cosby Road and Station Road feature traditional family homes as well as some individual character properties.
There are also a number of attractive and substantial ex-housing association homes to the south, which is a popular district with quite reasonable prices.
In the central village area, Green Lane is particularly favoured because of its individual character properties, as is Main Street with its quaint semi-detached cottages.
This street leads to Peatling Road, towards the south east of the village, where barn conversions and country style homes stand proud.
Buyers: First-time buyers and young families are attracted to the dense residential area; Greenfield Primary School is in Gwendoline Drive.
The village centre properties appeal to wealthy families and professionals.
Around Countesthorpe: Blaby
Blaby Precinct
One of the villages close to Countesthorpe is Blaby, and on the day I went to visit, its bright lights were shining.
This quaint and typically traditional Leicestershire village was bustling, and the neat row of independent shops at its heart was most appealing to someone like me, who loves to purchase the distinctive and individual.
Everything from jewellery to clothes, the cutest pets, plus a regular bunch of convenience stores, banks, hairdressers, a Waitrose supermarket and a post office were all available.
It just so happened to be the local farmer’s market day in the village, and I was more than happy to purchase half a dozen sausages, a carton of free-range eggs, and the tastiest strawberry preserve I have ever experienced.
Not only that, but Fosse Park, a major out-of-town shopping complex, situated on the cusp of the M1 and M69 motorways, is also just a few miles away.
A friendly man at the market told me I would be a fool to come to Blaby and not visit Bouskell Park, so I took him at his word and headed south to a most attractive area of parkland which is set on the remains of a medieval village.
My questions were quite competently answered by the informative panels around the park, while the restored 19th century ice house gave me an interesting insight into the ways of those fashionable Victorians - they certainly knew how to live back then.
And, according to recent national research, today’s Blabyonians (yep, I made that up!) still do.
Blaby is one of only two places in the entire East Midlands to make it onto a list of the Top 30 authorities with the best quality of life based on various factors including life expectancy, weather, earnings, house prices, health and education.
Its place in the survey didn't surprise me too much, as it certainly does have a great variety of facilities for its small size, including an impressive range of housing stock and nearby employment opportunities.
There's a police station, full-time library, primary schools, four churches and a whole range of medical facilities, including a health centre, doctors and dentists, opticians and chiropodists.
And it has the rural atmosphere of a large village rather than a small town, even though it's the administrative headquarters of one of Leicestershire's district councils.
Property in Blaby
While Blaby is quite a little village of around 10,000 residents, with smaller communities around it, its housing range is relatively extensive, although there hasn't been any major development for a number of years.
There is a fair amount of first-time buyer property here, with pockets of detached homes dotted around the village appealing to those with bigger budgets.
Around 80 per cent of residents own their property and equally, their own transport.
Areas of Blaby
1. Old Blaby and the Village Centre
What’s there? Sought-after period homes and more modern housing.
Just outside the village centre to the north is Old Blaby. This is the most desirable, and the most expensive, section of the village, and is part of Blaby’s conservation area.
Character properties, including homes dating back to the 1800s, can be found in roads such as Northfield Road, Wigston Road, Chapel Street and Baptiste Mews.
It’s a period purchaser’s dream, from two-bedroom cottages and town houses to substantial, individual-looking four- and five-bedroom homes
There's even a traditional public house dating back to 1485, which is believed to be one of the oldest in Britain.
South of the centre, Welford Road is famous in the village for its substantial accommodation, including the range of Victorian detached family homes with attractive walled gardens.
The Queens Road and Fairway estate to the west of the centre was developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Buyers: Wealthy professionals, often with older children, and couples - many of whom have lived here for most of their adult lives - dominate this fairly quiet, desirable location.
Although first-time buyers are also attracted to this area, they may find themselves priced out of the market.
2. North Blaby
What’s there? A good variety of homes to suit many tastes.
Roads such as West Street, New Street, Clark Gardens, and Lime Street are favourites in this sought-after residential sector of Blaby.
Everything from two-bedroom bungalows to 1950s, 60s and 70s semi-detached homes to handsome four-bedroom detached properties sit side by side here, and date from a time when space and privacy were paramount.
Renovated and extended homes with garages and substantial gardens are the norm, with touches of Victorian and Edwardian style architecture scattered throughout the area.
Buyers: First-time buyers, families and older folks.
3. South Blaby
What’s there? Established family homes.
The Southway area of Blaby boasts a plethora of three-bedroom semi-detached and detached houses in a quiet, popular area of the village.
Southway itself features a range of modern looking family homes with garages and back gardens built around the 1960s/70s, while Leamington Drive, a cul-de-sac location with surrounding fields, offers a number of substantial, detached homes.
Much of the property here has been extended and refurbished, including homes in Waverley Road where attractive four-bedroom semi-detached houses are spaciously placed and private.
Coming out of the village, along Winchester Road to the south, leading into Countesthorpe, are a number of 1930s semi-detached properties.
Buyers: Double income, older first-time buyers, and families due to the proximity of two local primaries (Stokes Church of England Primary and Thistly Meadow Primary).
Living in Countesthorpe and Blaby
Transport:
Road: Countesthorpe and Blaby are just off the A426 Leicester to Rugby Road, and the M1/M69 junction is just a few minutes’ drive away. The A50 is also close.
Bus: There are frequent buses to the centre of Leicester, passing through South Wigston, Countesthorpe, Blaby, Glen Parva and Aylestone en route.
There are also regular services to Fosse Shopping Park and to Lutterworth.
Train: There is no railway station in Countesthorpe or Blaby but Narborough and South Wigston stations are only a few miles away, and are on the Leicester - Hinckley - Birmingham line.
Air: East Midlands and Birmingham Airports are within an hour’s travelling time of both villages.
Shopping:
Countesthorpe has shops to fulfil most everyday needs and a bit more, such as home improvements, hairdressers and a garden centre.
For larger purchases, Blaby has a distinct shopping centre with dozens of small shops selling everything from musical instruments to hand-made jewellery. It also has a long-established Waitrose and a new Aldi store.
A monthly Farmers' Market selling locally produced food and craft items is held in the Blaby Social Centre car park.
Fosse Shopping Park has a great selection of high street stores and is only a short drive from both villages.
Eating and Drinking:
Countesthorpe has four pubs, plus restaurants and takeaways offering Chinese, Indian and fish and chip menus, and a sandwich bar has recently opened. From time to time, there is live music and karaoke to accompany your pub meal.
It's a similar story in Blaby: there are several pubs in the village which appeal to different age groups, and some of them serve food.
The most famous is the centuries-old Baker's Arms which is located in a pretty, thatched building and is believed to be the oldest licensed hostelry in the county.
Restaurants and takeaways in Blaby offer a choice of Chinese, Indian, Italian and English food.
Entertainment and Community:
Countesthorpe Community College has a 200-seat theatre where concerts and drama performances are staged.
There’s also a modern village hall which provides a convenient venue for community events and local groups; a thriving network of organisations exists, ranging from youth clubs to the WI, a village Heritage Group and U3A - the University of the Third Age.
The Scouts organise one of the village’s biggest events of the year, the summer gala in June, while the local arts group holds an annual craft fair.
Blaby Social Centre is the major meeting place in the village and hosts a range of events such as art exhibitions, theatrical productions, and private functions like birthday parties.
There is a thriving network of local organisations from a bridge club to a drama group, and the village also has a drop-in centre for senior citizens and a Royal British Legion Club.
There's an annual fun day hosted by the Blaby Scouts, a Lions Club Gala day each June, and the Christmas celebrations combine switching on the festive lights with a funfair in the main street.
Sports and Leisure:
Countesthorpe has a bowling club, and cricket and football clubs which include youth sides.
There is a nine-hole golf course close by at Blaby where horse riding facilities are also available.
The closest leisure centre is in nearby Enderby which is one of the biggest in the county. Facilities include a large swimming pool, a fitness centre and squash courts.
A local cycling route takes in the neighbouring villages of Whetstone and Cosby.
Parks and Open Spaces:
The Paddocks in Main Street is the biggest green area in Countesthorpe and is close to the centre.
There are also recreation grounds at opposite ends of the village - Dale Acre and Leysland Park, both of which have children’s play areas, and Countesthorpe is only a few minutes away from attractive countryside.
Bouskell Park in Blaby's Welford Road is a traditional Victorian park with walks and grassed areas built on the remains of a medieval village.
Interpretative panels around the park provide information on the settlement, and the park features a Victorian ice house and a pond.
The village also has two recreation grounds with children's play areas on each.
Both villages are close to open countryside, and The Woodland Trust's Millennium Wood is a nearby facility which will literally grow in importance as time goes by.