Donington le Heath
Donington le Heath is a village on the River Sence just over 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the centre of Coalville in North West Leicestershire. Donington is contiguous with the village of Hugglescote immediately to the east. The population of the village is included in the civil parish of Hugglescote and Donington le Heath.
Donington le Heath and Hugglescote and were part of the parish of Ibstock until 1878, when they were formed into a separate civil parish. In 1936 the parish was absorbed by the then urban district of Coalville. The civil parish of Hugglescote and Donington le Heath was reinstated by an order made in May 2010, and the new parish council held its first meeting in May 2011.[1]
History
[edit]The village's name means 'farm/settlement of Dunna'.[2]
As early as 1220[citation needed] both Donington le Heath and Hugglescote were dependent chapelries of the parish of Ibstock. By the 18th century however, these buildings were practically ruinous. Saint Peter's Donington was demolished in about 1770 and has never been replaced.
Farmland in the township was enclosed in 1774.[3] In 1945 this estate was sold by Brigadier C. L. O. Tayleur.[4]
In 1831 the chief landed proprietors were Osgathorpe Hospital and Wigston's Hospital, Leicester. The lord of the manor was the Marquess of Hastings and the royalties were owned by the Earl of Stamford and Warrington. At the time of the Domesday Survey Turchil held the manor from Nigel Albini. Nigel gave lands here to Bec Abbey. In 1469 King Edward IV gave the manor to William Hastings, Lord Hastings.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/The_Old_Manor_House_-_geograph.org.uk_-_773969_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-The_Old_Manor_House_-_geograph.org.uk_-_773969_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Donington le Heath Manor House, built around 1280, is one of the oldest surviving houses in England. The building stands on Anglo-Saxon foundations, suggesting that an even earlier structure occupied the site: it has a hall facing south and two wings on the north side and a moat. There are some alterations made in the 17th century, including some of the windows and the ground floor entrance.[6][7]
The house is a Grade II* listed building[8] and next to it is a medieval barn that is also listed.[9] Leicestershire County Council renovated the house and barn, making the house a public museum[10] and the barn its tea room.[9]
Amenities
[edit]Donington le Heath has a public house, The Donington Arms (formerly The Corner Pin), on The Green beside the River Sence.
References
[edit]- ^ "Hugglescote and Donington le Heath Parish Council". Leicestershire Parish Councils. 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "An ingrossed bill for dividing, allotting and inclosing the Open Fields, Wastes and Commonable Places of Hucklescote, and Donnington on the Heath, in the parish of Ibstock, in the County of Leicester (14 Geo. 3 c. 25)". Journals of the House of Commons. 34: 567. 1774. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ Warner; Sheppard; Wade (1945). Particulars of the Hugglescote and Donington estate (with map). Leicester. p. not cited.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)[clarification needed] - ^ Curtis, John (1831). A Topographical History of the County of Leicester. Ashby-de-la-Zouch: W. Hextall. p. 54
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (1984) [1960]. Leicestershire and Rutland. The Buildings of England (2nd ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 146. ISBN 0-300-09618-6.
- ^ The Official Guide to North West Leicestershire, undated publication
- ^ Historic England. "The Manor House (1074361)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Barn Adjoining the Manor House (1178160)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "Donington le Heath Manor House". Museums in Leicestershire. Leicestershire County Council. 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
External links
[edit] Media related to Donington le Heath at Wikimedia Commons