Billesdon
| Billesdon | |
|---|---|
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|
 Billesdon
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| Billesdon shown within Leicestershire | |
| Population | 901 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SK718028 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEICESTER |
| Postcode district | LE7 |
| Dialling code | 0116 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| EU Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Billesdon is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, with a population of 745 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 901 at the 2011 census. It is just off the A47, nine miles east of Leicester. The Billesdon bypass opened in October 1986. Nearby places include Houghton on the Hill (the next village towards Leicester), and Skeffington (the next village east towards Uppingham), Tilton on the Hill, and Gaulby. The Billesdon Brook flows through the village.
Billesdon was formerly the seat of Billesdon Rural District, which was merged into the Harborough district in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972.
An earthwork just below the crest on the south side of Life Hill may be a promontory fort.
Domesday Book enumerated 25 people here in 1086. The number of households grew substantially between 1563 and 1670, from 38 to 134. In 1851 the village had 1,085 residents. Bricks and stockings were once manufactured here. By the 20th century Billesdon had reverted to an agricultural village. The population declined to 543 by 1931. The population of the parish in 2011 was 901.
Two fairs, annually on 23 April and 25 July, and a weekly Friday market, were granted in 1618. The market was held on the green, where Front Street meets the main road, and the base and shaft of the former market cross can still be seen. The market and one fair had been discontinued by the end of the 18th century, but one annual fair remained, and was noted for the sale of brass, pewter and toys. Cattle fairs were held from 1846 until the early years of the 20th century.
The fields were inclosed in 1764. Land tax records of the 18th and 19th centuries give the impression of a village of smaller landholders.
The Quorn and Fernie hunts had stables in the village.
There was a parish workhouse in the village by 1776. Billesdon became the centre of a new poor law union in 1835, and a new workhouse at the west of the village, with an entrance from Coplow Lane opened in 1846. The building became a military hospital in the First World War.
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Wikipedia