Local time Friday 4:03 AM | ||
 | ||
Weather 13°C, Wind S at 14 km/h, 75% Humidity | ||
Thorpe Arnold is a small farming village in the English county of Leicestershire.
Contents
Map of Thorpe Arnold, Melton Mowbray, UK
Geography
Thorpe Arnold is situated on the top of a hill to the north-east of the town of Melton Mowbray.
Nearby major cities include Leicester, Birmingham, and Sheffield.
In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Thorpe Arnold as follows:
"THORPE-ARNOLD, a parish in Melton-Mowbray district, Leicester; 1¾ mile NE of Melton-Mowbray r. station. Post town, Melton-Mowbray. Acres, 1,742. Real property, £2,811. Pop., 124. Houses, 25. The manor belongs to the Duke of Rutland. The living is a vicarage, united with Brentingby, in the diocese of Peterborough. Value, £400. Patron, the Duke of Rutland. The church is old."
History
The first recorded mention of Thorpe (Torp) goes back to 1086 when it appeared in the Domesday Book, among numerous English manors of Hugh de Grandmesnil, sheriff of the county of Leicester and Governor of Hampshire, richly rewarded by William the Conqueror for his part in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
From the 12th century, Thorp is known as Thorp Arnold by the name of its new owners, vassals of Earl of Leicester, whose family name for a long time was Erna(u)ld (Arnold) de Bosco (Bois).
First Barons de Bosco, Arnold I and his son Arnold II, took an active part in political life of England and Normandy. Arnold II supported Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, and was rewarded by the earl with a grant of numerous manors in Leicestershire (including Thorpe Arnold, Brentingby, Evington, Humberstone and Elmesthorpe) and Warwickshire (Clifton-on-Dunsmoor and Shrewley).
In the 17th century, Thorp Arnold was owned by sir Martin Lister, English politician, whose stepdaughter Frances Thornhurst lately became the mother of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough.
Administration
Administratively, Thorp Arnold forms part of the civil parish of Waltham and Thorpe Arnold that, in turn, form part of the Borough of Melton.. The population is included in the civil parish of Scalford.
Sport
Thorpe Arnold has its own cricket club. The earliest photograph of the club dates back to 1902. The present site of the club chosen in 1922.
In 1931, the club entered the Melton & District League. In 1938, the first set of club rules appeared. In 1947, Thorpe Arnold Cricket Club formed its very first junior team.
Nowadays the club still takes an active part in competitions in various leagues across the County.