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Leicestershire  England

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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Leicestershire like this:

Leicestershire, inland co. of England, bounded N. by Notts, E. by Lincolnshire and Rutland, SE. by Northamptonshire, SW. by Warwickshire, and NW. by Derbyshire; greatest length, about 44 miles; greatest breadth, about40 miles; area, 511,907 ac., pop. 321,258. Low undulating hills cover the surface of the county, the highest elevation being Bardon Hill (902 ft.), in the Charnwood range. ...


Charnwood Forest, in the NW., is now nearly destitute of trees. The principal rivers are tributaries of the Trent, which flows in the NW. of the county; these are the Soar, Wreak, Anker, Devon, and Mease. The Avon and Welland flow in the S. Two canals, the Union and the Grand Union, are connected with the Grand Junction Canal. Much of the soil is loamy, and the richest districts are kept in pasture, upon which are reared the varieties of sheep and cattle for which the county is famous. Dairy farms are numerous, especially in the vicinity of Melton Mowbray where the well-known Stilton cheese is largely produced. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Leicestershire consists mostly of the new reel sandstone formation. The coal measures have a total area of about 15 square miles, the most productive mines being in the neighbourhood of Ashby de la Zouch. Hosiery is the Leading mfr., the wool employed being that of Leicestershire sheep. The county has 6 hundreds, 332 pars, and 8 parts, and the parliamentary and municipal bor. of Leicester (2 members). It is almost entirely in the diocese of Peterborough. For Parliamentary purposes the county is divided into 4 divisions - Eastern, or Melton; Mid, or Loughborough; Western, or Bosworth; and Southern, or Harborough, 1 member for each division.

Leicestershire through time

Leicestershire is now part of Leicestershire county. Click here for graphs and data of how Leicestershire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Leicestershire itself, go to Units and Statistics.

Leicestershire -- but you should check this covers the area you are interested in.

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Leicestershire | Map and description for the county, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17492

Date accessed: 19th March 2024


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