Leicestershire VCH Trust

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, Nottinghamshire - BDP, 1963-67 Image © David Noton

💥12 months ago Britain's last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, shut down after 50 years powering the national grid. We can now confirm that C20's listing application for Ratcliffe's 8 cooling towers has been rejected by DCMS, while their demolition has been approved.

This is good news. There's a huge amount of very useful information in there but the Record Commission version takes a while to understand. With the outreach activities too this is a very welcome project

Loughborough Variety Local history of the market & university town of Loughborough in Leicestershire presented by an accredited Leicestershire Tour Guide.

It's amazing to think that there are different products from Loughborough to be found all over the world! lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2021/04/loug...

‘The holiday resort of the people’: Exploring the History of the ‘Community at the Crossroads’ - On History In this blogpost, Dr Pamela Fisher, County Editor of the  Victoria County History (VCH) project in Leicestershire, describes a project on a tiny midland settlement and shows how VCH research engages w...

#ICYMI - a neglected (day we say actually forgotten?) history of inland industrial tourism in rural #Leicestershire.

This work, the result of community collaboration with @leicsvcht.bsky.social takes in the little crossroads community of #Nanpantan, its farms, pubs and attractions before WW1. 🗃️

https://www.englishlocalhistory.org/wp/2025/09/23/from-nation-to-local-re-discovering-englands-places-through-a-history-of-england-in-25-poems/

Come & hear me speak in Leicester on Fri 28 November, 2025. 'From Nation to Local: Re-Discovering England's Places through #AHistoryOfEnglandIn25Poems'. Thanks to my friends at the Centre for Regional and Local History + the Centre for Urban History for the invitation. All welcome! Link in AltText.

A tiny snapshot of a tiny community that had - as it happens - forgotten this element of its past.

Working with @leicsvcht.bsky.social, the people of Nanpantan, have rediscovered its heritage as a place of leisure for the growing town of Loughborough and its labouring people. #LocalHistory 🗃️

‘The holiday resort of the people’: Exploring the History of the ‘Community at the Crossroads’ - On History In this blogpost, Dr Pamela Fisher, County Editor of the  Victoria County History (VCH) project in Leicestershire, describes a project on a tiny midland settlement and shows how VCH research engages w...

What were holidays like before statutory holiday entitlements and modern transport enabled workers in the middle of the country to get to the seaside? Our recent work at Nanpantan (towards our forthcoming Loughborough history) threw light on this. Find out more at blog.history.ac.uk/2025/09/the-...

hope your talks/walks went well!

Oooh, how exciting. Sometimes if you use plain text I find it gets through a spam filter, or perhaps it's the number of addresses, which I've 'resolved' before through 4 identical emails each to 1/4 of the list. May not work, but worth a try.

Heritage Open Days in Loughborough 2025 Following on from the success of last year's co-ordinated approach to Heritage Open Days, groups have again got together to offer a varied programme.

There are lots of things happening in Loughborough, the home of my #OnePlaceStudy for Heritage Open Days 2025 #HODs2025 Most are listed on my blogpost, but pop over to the Heritage Open Days website to find events just outside Loughborough. lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2025/08/heri...

Thanks for this comment, hence he says 'the 11th month, vulgarly January'. The only thing that's clear from the religious preamble is that he had strong religious views. Trying to 'pigeon-hole' him into a clear denomination is unlikely to be possible (as with many people in all periods).

Thanks, Emily

Indeed the dating is Quaker-style. I'm enjoying the @materialwills.bsky.social regular blogs.

Thank you for that idea, I'm trying to puzzle out his faith. There is a long and very personal religious clause beginning 'In the name, fear and authority of Jehovah, Lord God Almighty, whose creature I am ...' and stating his belief in free grace.

Loughborough 1678 and an unusual request in a will - That my Body be buried in my Garden (and it may have been, as there's no burial in the parish registers)

St Etheldreda, abbess, holding her abbey of Ely and St Chad, bishop, holding Lichfield cathedral. This church closed in 2007, with building purchased and converted by, and now home to, Elim church and Open Heaven church.

St Peter's (Anglican) church Loughborough, built 1910-12, was high church, with many images of saints in windows, not all well known, e.g. St Polycarp (of Byzantium, bishop of Smyrna, now Izmir, modern Turkey). I especially like the windows showing (1/2)

🟠 Copper is one of the only metals that can be found in its pure form in nature.

⚖️ Known as 'native copper', it is notably heavier than other rocks of a similar size.

📍 This specimen is from New Cliffe Hill Quarry, Charnwood Forest.

#ICYMI - a reminder that we are currently recruiting for a fixed term post focusing on architecture and the built environment. There's still plenty of time to apply! #HistoryJobs

🌳 An ancient oak from Bradgate Park is on the shortlist for Woodland Trust Tree of the Year - and your vote could make it the winner!

🌐 Read more and vote now: www.charnwoodforest.org/charnwood-fo...

even has a pub named after him (10 miles from Thurcaston)

Pleased to hear that Charnwood Forest will be applying for UNESCO Geopark status this year. Some of the rocks contain fossils of some of the oldest living creatures we know about (that lived 560 million years ago). Other rocks have trees almost growing out of them or resting on them

Better still, it can be fun!

An unusual map. Mountsorrel's 'geology' sounded particularly loud this morning, perhaps because the noise of quarrying carried further on the very strong wind.

An exhibition for those old enough to remember 'July fortnight' or young enough not to know what it was.

A view down Granby Street from the station end. In the foreground is a keep left bollard and the various cars line the streets.

Our City Explorers are gathering this Sunday (29 June) to explore Granby Street. Meet outside the Merchant of Venice cafe at 2pm. It's at the station end of the street.

🔥 Visit our Old Man of Beacon Hill geosite, and learn how geological processes have shaped this unusual rocky outcrop.

🌐 Plan your visit on our website: www.charnwoodforest.org/location/old...

A wooden panelling section engraved with 1604 Here the word of the Lord.

Sound or place? Or both, the word heard here?
Goadby Marwood church (Leic), part of a former pulpit tester.

Bells, Trains and More! Loughborough has so much to offer both the local people and visitors! Today's guest post is by the Bellfoundry Trust who have a new offering!

What do you get if you cross a unique bellfoundry with a unique double-track steam railway?The most exciting day out!! Taylors have teamed up with the GCR in a special offer for anyone wishing to visit both attractions! #Loughborough #OnePlaceStudy lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2025/06/bell...

An informative read. Many thanks for drawing attention to our piece on Enclosure of the Open Fields.