Sovereign state United Kingdom Region East Midlands Admin. HQ Hinckley Area 297.3 km² | Constituent country England Administrative county Leicestershire Area rank 139th | |
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Points of interest Twycross Zoo, Tropical Birdland - Leicestershire, Market Bosworth Country P, Thornton Reservoir, Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Destinations Hinckley, Market Bosworth, Twycross, Groby, Earl Shilton | ||
Hinckley and Bosworth is a local government district with borough status in south-western Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Its only towns are Hinckley, Earl Shilton and Market Bosworth. Villages include Barwell, Burbage, Stoke Golding, Groby, Shackerstone and Twycross. The population of the Borough at the 2011 census was 105,078.
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Map of Hinckley and Bosworth, UK
As of the 2015 local election, the council is controlled by the Conservative Party.
The district is broadly coterminous to the Bosworth parliamentary constituency, which is represented in Parliament by David Tredinnick (Conservative).
The Borough was formed in 1974 by the merger of the Hinckley Urban District and the Market Bosworth Rural District less Ibstock. It was originally to be known as Bosworth, but the council changed its name on 20 November 1973, before it came into its powers. It was granted borough status in 1974.
Geography
There are a number of geographical features which shape the landscape of Hinckley & Bosworth.
Two large neighbouring urban areas lie to the south of the borough: Hinckley and Burbage and Barwell and Earl Shilton. A narrow green wedge separates the two conurbations, which is increasingly being occupied by leisure facilities such as the Marston's Stadium and a new leisure centre. To the east of the wedge lies Burbage Common and Woods, a large popular green recreational area.
The west of the borough is largely flat in nature, dominated by the River Sence flood plain. This area of the borough is largely rural, consisting of a number of very small villages and hamlets.
At the northern and eastern edges of the borough lie several settlements (including Bagworth, Desford, Groby, Markfield, Ratby and Thornton) which largely relate to Leicester; in particular the most northern villages have little to do with the main administrative centre of Hinckley. The northern area of the borough also forms part of Charnwood Forest, an area which it is hoped can be enhanced to provide an attractive natural resource.
Places of interest
Railways
Three railways remain in existence across the borough, including two owned by Network Rail the third being the preserved Battlefield Line.
The only railway station on the National Rail network is Hinckley railway station on the South Leicestershire Line opened by the LNWR between 1862 and 1864. Currently there are direct services to Birmingham New Street and Leicester only with additional services to/from Cambridge and Stansted Airport in the peak.
An earlier railway which remains is the former Leicester and Swannington Railway which opened in 1832 and only carries goods and special passenger services only.
Parishes
Energy report
In May 2006, a report commissioned by British Gas showed that housing in Hinckley and Bosworth produced the 10th highest average carbon emissions in the country at 7,209 kg of carbon dioxide per dwelling.