ZOOMING THROUGH ZOUCH (ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH)

Just to the north of Coalville is Whitwick, once home to a colliery.

The LNWR once had a station here.

There's a pub in Whitwick called the Three Horseshoes, but it's better known as Polly's.

To the west is Swannington (one can follow the route here), where we find the Robin Hood.

The Kings Arms at Coleorton was a Hook Norton pub when photographed in 2004. It's now a free house.

Onwards now to Ashby-de-la-Zouch. This is Market Street (Creative Commons License).

The remains of the castle (Creative Commons License).

A postcard of St Helens parish church.

Midland Red ran most of the bus services in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

In 2002, Dunn-Line and MacPhersons provided transport in the town.

Just off the town centre is the Plough.

The White Hart is an old coaching inn.

There's also the Bowling Green, dating back to the 17th Century.

At nearby Woodville was the depot of Viking Coaches, home to two ex West Riding Daimler Fleetlines.

We're now heading towards Swadlincote. Seen in Bretby Cutting, near the town, is car 5 of the Burton & Ashby tramway.

Midland Red was once the dominant operator in Swadlincote.

Many routes were operated by Stevensons in 1994.

Here's Granville Colliery, Swadlincote. 

At nearby Cadley Hill Colliery, steam survived until the 1970s.

There was also a Sentinel diesel.

Church Gresley is just outside Swadlincote. Here, we find the Rising Sun.

The Burton & Ashby tramway had a branch running through Church Gresley and which terminated at Gastle Gresley. Some "special" cars are seen here at the terminus.

And that's where I'll terminate this post. Next time, onwards to the west.


 

OF QUARRIES AND COAL

We leave Melton Mownray behind and, for a couple of miles, head north to a place called Ab Kettleby. The village is dominated by its church, dedicated to St James the Greater (Creative Commons License).

 Ab Kettleby was served by a local independent bus company, Paul James.

The village pub is called the Sugar Loaf.

We now turn in a south-westerly direction, to Asfordby (you can follow there route on this map). Paul James' buses also served this village.

The Horseshoes is Asfordby is no longer a pub, sadly.

Thankfully, the Crown is still seeing pints being pulled.

Next stop, Frisby-on-the-Wreake, where there was a small signal box on the Leicester to Peterborough line, controlling a level crossing.

The Bell Inn at Frisby-on-the-Wreake is now owned by the local community.

The Blue Lion at nearby Thrussington closed its doors in 2024.

En route to Syston, we pass this large house at Queniborough.

Syston is the location of a significant junction on the Midland Railway. Here's a view in 1924.

A view of Melton Road in Syston, just after WW2.

Wreake Valley Travel kept their buses in a yard at Syston.

Further west, we pass the preserved Great Central Railway station at Rothley.

Just to the south, we see Butler-Henderson on the GCR near Thurcaston.

We now come to Cropston, where we find the Bradgate Arms.

A former Bass pub, the Reservoir at Cropston has since been renamed as the Badger's Sett.

The Bull's Head at Markfield is, I'm told, the oldest pub in the village.

Markfield was in an area known for quarrying. Here is the Cliffe Hill Granite Co Ltd, Cliffe Hill Quarry, Markfield c1910.

Bardon Mill station, ex Midland Railway (Ben Brooksbank - Creative Commons License).

Following that line brings us to Coalville, in the heart of the Leicestershire coalfield. A GBRf class 66 is seen here in 2016. The pub here has since closed (Creative Commons License).

Mantle Lane signal box controls the raiway in Coalville. 46203 is seen here on special duties.

Here are a couple of postcards of Coalville, showing past and present.

Coalville's clock tower is impressive (Creative Commons License).

Midland Red, later Midland Fox, ran Coalville's buses.

The last pint of this post will be in the Snibstone New Inn in Coalville.

We'll still be going west in the next post.