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.