Newtown Linford

Newtown Linford is a linear village in Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 1,000 at the 2001 census, including Ulverscroft and increasing to 1,103 at the 2011 census.It is located in a valley in the Charnwood Forest area, and has four access roads. The first is from Anstey, then there are roads which lead to the A50 at Groby and at Markfield (the former passing Groby Pool). There is another road that leads out to the North, which splits towards Ulverscroft, or Loughborough, Woodhouse, Woodhouse Eaves, Swithland etc.HistoryThe village's name originates from the relocation of people when the Ferrers family of Groby turned Bradgate into a deer park. The people who lived within the estate were moved to the "New Town" - or hamlet as it would have been then, at the ford of the river Lin (once located at the junction of Markfield Lane and Main Street). The village was first documented in 1293 and was previously known as "Lyndynford". The villagers were all tenants of the Ferrers family, and later the Grey family.The village is famous for Bradgate Park, a large country park which was home to Lady Jane Grey, Queen for nine days. Bradgate Park is a popular destination for days out in Leicestershire, home to several herds of deer, and children are often seen paddling in the shallow river Lin, which runs through it. There are a few shops (mainly aimed at the day-trippers who come to Bradgate Park) but the garden centre which used to dominate the centre of the village closed in 2004 and has been built on for housing. All of the properties in the village belonged to the Grey Estate until 1925 when it was sold off. Much of the village was designated a conservation area in 1972, and there are 32 listed buildings in the village which include the old style red telephone box.