Hinckley

Hinckley has a history going back to Anglo-Saxon times; the name Hinckley is Anglo Saxon: "Hinck" is someone's name and "ley" is a meadow.[2] By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086,[3] Hinckley was quite a large village, and grew over the following 200 years into a small market town—a market was first recorded there in 1311. There is evidence of an Anglo Saxon church – the remnants of an Anglo Saxon sun-dial being visible on the diagonal buttress on the south-east corner of the chancel.[4]

In 2000, archaeologists from Northampton Archaeology discovered evidence of Iron Age and Romano-British settlement[5] on land near Coventry Road and Watling Street.

17th century

In the 17th century, the town developed a hosiery industry, producing stockings and similar items. Hinckley played a prominent part in the English Civil War.[6] Its proximity to several rival strongholds—the royalist garrisons at Caldicote, Ashby de la Zouch and Leicester, those of the Parliamentarians at Tamworth and Coventry, and the presence of parties of troops or brigands occupying several fortified houses in nearby Warwickshire—ensured frequent visits by the warring parties. The local townsfolk were forced to decide whether to declare their allegiances openly or attempt to remain neutral—with the risk of having to pay levies, ransoms, and fines to both sides. In March 1644, Hinckley was occupied by a group of Royalist troops, though they were soon driven out by a force of Parliamentarians, who took many prisoners.

The Civil War years were a particularly unsettled time for the clergy in and around Hinckley. Parsons with parliamentary leanings like Thomas Cleveland, the vicar of Hinckley, suffered sequestration by the Leicester County Committee, like some of his "malignant" neighbours accused of visiting royalist garrisons or preaching against Parliament.

The town was visited by both parliamentary and royalists troops from the rival garrisons, particularly parliamentary troops from Tamworth, Coventry and Astley Castle in Warwickshire. Troops from Coventry garrison were particularly active in the town, taking horses and "free quarter" and availing themselves of 'dyett and Beere', and taking some of the inhabitants hostage for ransom. Royalist troops raided the town to threaten those with parliamentary sympathies. The notorious Lord Hastings of Ashby de la Zouch is recorded to have "coursed about the country as far as Dunton and Lutterworth and took near upon a hundred of the clergymen and others, and carried them prisoners … threatening to hang all them that should take the Parliament's Covenant". Parliamentary newssheets record that on the night of 4 March 1644, Hastings's men brought in "26 honest countrymen from several towns" intending to take them to Ashby de la Zouch, along with a huge herd of cattle, oxen and horses from the country people and a minister named Mr Warner. These prisoners were herded into Hinckley church and asked "in a jeering manner, 'Where are the Round-heads your brethren at Leicester? Why come they not to redeem you?'"

This inscription is part of a window in St Mary's church, Hinckley

The Parliamentarians responded in a memorable "Skirmish or Great Victory for Parliament". Colonel Grey with 120 foot-soldiers and 30 troopers from Bagworth House rushed to Hinckley and re-took the town, routed the Royalists, rescued the cattle and released their imprisoned countrymen. No doubt the inhabitants of the town were as relieved as any when Ashby finally surrendered, as Vicars records, "a great mercy and mighty preservation of the peace and tranquility of all those adjacent parts about it."

Map of Hinckley and its surroundings dated 1786

Modern

A 1961 1 inch = 1 mile series map, covering the Hinkley, Nuneaton, part of Bedworth, Atherstone, Arsley, Burton Hastings, Hartshill and Wovley

The hosiery industry remained important for much of the 20th-century, and by 1939 the Hinckley and District Hosiery Union alone had 6,000 members.[9]

The area was subject to new housing developments in the 1950s, 1960s and 1990s.

West Hinckley, Forest View, Hollycroft, Middlefield, Saxon Paddock, Stoneygate and Wykin Estate are suburbs of Hinckley. The village of Burbage to the south is conjoined to Hinckley, separated by the railway line;c onjoined Burbage is the village of Sketchley.

Hinckley became an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894, covering the ancient parish of Hinckley. In 1934, under a County Review Order, Hinckley urban district expanded to include the ancient parishes of Barwell, Burbage and Earl Shilton and most of Stoke Golding. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 the Hinckley urban district was abolished, becoming an unparished area in the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth. Since then, the civil parishes of Barwell, Burbage, Earl Shilton and Stoke Golding have been re-established. The core urban area remained unparished.

The canalside pub, The Lime Kilns, nr. Hinckley stands at the point where the Ashby Canal is crossed by the A5

The framework knitters' cottages, Hinckley

• The site of the Battle of Bosworth,[10] administered by Leicestershire County Council, includes an interpretation centre at Ambion Hill, where Richard III encamped the night before the battle. St James's Church at Dadlington is the place where many of the dead were buried and where a chantry was founded on their behalf
• Hinckley Museum is in a range of 17th-century[11] timber-framed framework knitters' cottages
• Stoke Golding has one of the most beautiful medieval churches in Leicestershire, with an exquisitely carved arcade and very fine 13th-century window tracery

St Mary's Church

• St Mary's Church, the Church of England parish church of the Assumption of Saint Mary the Virgin,[12] in the centre of Hinckley, is 13th-century. There is a local folk tale that a tombstone in the churchyard marking the grave of Richard Smith, a young saddler murdered in the Market Place in 1727, "bleeds" every 12 April, the anniversary of his death.[13] The church is open daily, Monday – Saturday, 10.00 to 4.00 pm, and Sunday during services.
• The Great Meeting of 1722,[14] hidden away behind old hosiery factories, is a notable early example of nonconformist architecture with a galleried interior
• Britannia (Burbage) Scout HQ: the home of 1st Britannia Scout Group is a specially designed and built scout hall
• Park Hollycroft Park was donated by the notable local Atkins family to the people of Hinckley in 1934, the park has two tennis courts, a bowling green, golf course, band stand and gardens. The park is the base for some of the town's biggest events including the Proms and Worldfest music events.Due to the high standards achieved within Hollycroft Park it has been awarded with Green Flag status for both 2010/1 and 2011/2
• Brodick Park in the west of Hinckley was recently the subject of controversy between local people and the Council which had wanted to sell the park for housing, however following a recent change in administration, this sale has been cancelled. The park has now been planted with trees to make a nature reserve.[15]
• The Ashby Canal, the longest contour canal in England, passes through the town[16]
• Hinckley has two former quarries, quite close to one another, called the Little Pit and Big Pit. The Little Pit is now designated a Site of Ecological Interest (SINC),[17] and has been transformed by a local community group into an angling club[18] to preserve the area of water and surrounding wildlife. It is opposite the Asda superstore entrance and is fenced off from the public. The Big Pit remains the subject of controversy between local residents and developers. It is on Ashby Road, between the cemetery and a parade of shops. It too is fenced off from public access.[19]
• Shopping Centres: Hinckley's biggest shopping centre, Britannia Centre on Castle Street, has more than 12 stores and stalls. Hansom Court on Stockwell Head (named after the inventor of the Hansom Cab)has a number of stores. There is also The Crescent, an outdoor shopping area, containing a bus station, a supermarket & a cinema, among other stores.[20]

The Triumph Motorcycle Factory at Hinckley

Hinckley is a traditional centre of the hosiery industry. The first framework knitting machine was brought here by Joseph Iliffe in the 17th century and by the 19th century Hinckley was responsible for a large proportion of Britain's hosiery production. Since the Second World War the hosiery industry has steadily shrunk in size although several textile firms remain in the area.[21] Hinckley & District Museum, which is housed in a range of former framework knitters' cottages, tells the story of the hosiery industry and contains some examples of framework knitting machines.

Ultima Sports Ltd, a manufacturer of sports cars is based in Hinckley as is Paynes Garages Ltd,[22] one of the oldest family-owned Ford Motor Dealerships in the UK. Established by JA Payne in 1907, the firm became Ford Dealers in 1922. The business remains family owned with Nigel Payne, grandson of the founder, one of the current Directors.

The town's central location and good links to the UK motorway network have made it a popular location for distribution warehouses. Hammonds Furniture, a family owned nationwide fitted furniture company, was established in the town in 1926 by Thomas Hammonds, and currently employs over 850 people in its two Hinckley factories.

Hinckley has housed the Triumph Motorcycles Ltd facility since 1990.[23][24] Founded in 1902 Triumph is one of the oldest motorcycle producers still in activity. In the summer of 2017 there are plans for the reopening of a visitors centre and cafe, namely 1902, opening six days a week.[25]

Hinckley is home to a well-established creative and technology community with designers, illustrators, artists and photographers taking up residence in the town, particularly in converted buildings such as the renovated Atkins Building (formerly Atkins Hosiery, also home to the Hinckley Times newspaper) and Graphic House on Druid Street, also a former factory converted to modern office and studio use.

The town is equidistant (19 km/12 miles) from Coventry and Leicester and 8 km (5.0 mi) to the east of Nuneaton. The small town of Ibstock is 18 km (11 mi) to the north on the A447.

The local radio station, Fosse Radio, 107.9 fm serves the town and the surrounding area. The main local newspaper is the weekly Hinckley Times, which has its own website.[29] The daily Leicester Mercury no longer publishes a Hinckley edition. The free (advertising-funded) Hinckley Herald & Journal is distributed to most houses. Hinckley has its own community website and online news resource.[30] take5 community news is a full colour gloss community magazine distributed free to homes and businesses.[31] Hinckley also has its own hospital radio station Castle Mead Radio,[32] which serves the patients and staff of Hinckley's two main hospitals.

There is a 400-seat theatre located near the centre of the town in Stockwell Head (Concordia Theatre), which holds regular productions. Further, the local council holds an annual 'Proms in The Park' event.[33]

Hinckley Photographed was set up in 2012 and is an ongoing visual documentary about Hinckley, using photographs, videos and stories about the people and the place Hinckley for people to learn more about the residents of Hinckley and the changing landscape. The documentary has an extensive presence on social media at https://www.facebook.com/HinckleyPhotographed/ and is widely supported by the arts.

Hinckley Past & Present setup in February 2014 for the local people of Hinckley to find out more about local history, current events, finding old friends, colleagues, photos, etc. New people to the area as well as people who have left the area find the friendly group very useful. The group has an extensive website at www.hinckleypastpresent.org and a popular Facebook Group.

Hinckley remembers the contribution of Simon de Montfort to participatory democracy. Montfort's banner described as the 'Arms of Honour of Hinckley', per pale indented argent and gules, shown in the stained glass image[34] in Chartres Cathedral, is used by the town of Hinckley in the town coat of arms, various local sports teams and other organisations. Combined with his personal Coat of Arms, it also forms part of the club crest for the town's football club Hinckley A.F.C.[35]

The town has had six notable football clubs over the years –

• Hinckley Town – formed in the 19th century, dissolved in 1906, reformed in 1972 and merged with Hinckley Athletic in 1997 to form Hinckley United
• Hinckley Athletic – formed in 1906 as Hinckley United, changed name to Hinckley Athletic after World War II, merged with Hinckley Town in 1997 to form Hinckley United
• Hinckley F.C. – formed in 1967 as Downes Sports, changed name to Hinckley Downes in 2007, and again to Hinckley in 2010, before dissolving in 2011
• Hinckley United – formed in 1997 as result of a merger between Hinckley Athletic and Hinckley Town, dissolved in 2014
• Hinckley A.F.C. – formed in 2014

Hinckley Rugby Club,[36] was formed in 1893 and has been based at the Leicester Road Sports ground since 1968. The club has played in league rugby since 1987. The first team currently play in National 2 North (level 4).[37]

Hinckley Ladies' Netball Club is based at the Leicester Road Sports Ground and has four senior teams in the Coventry and Warwickshire Netball League. Hinckley Gymnastics Club, established in 1971, is based at Clarendon Park.[38]

Hinckley Basketball Club was founded in 1974, and included staff, ex-students and students of John Cleveland College. The team folded after the 2012–13 season, because of player shortage. The Club, reformed in 2014, plays home games at Green Towers club on Richmond Road.[39][40] The two club teams are the Hinckley 69ers in Division 2, and Hinckley Hail in Division 4, of the Leicestershire men's league.

Hollycroft Park, in the centre of Hinckley, contains two tennis courts, a golf pitch'n'putt and a lawn bowls green with pavilion. Greentowers, a self-funded charity, is a youth club at Richmond Park which contains a climbing wall, skate park, astro turf pitch, and a BMX track.

On 8 May 2014, the Hinkley to Bedford second stage of The Women's Tour Great Britain cycle race, departed from Hinckley.[41]

The main primary schools in the area are Battling Brook CP, Richmond, Hinckley parks, St. Peter's Catholic, St. Mary's Church of England, Westfield Infant/Junior and Sketchley Hill Primary School (in Burbage ). The high (secondary) schools include Redmoor, St Martin's Catholic Voluntary Academy (in Stoke Golding) and Hastings (in Burbage)— all feeder schools for Hinckley Academy, the two schools in the town for Years 10 and 11. The school also operates a sixth form. North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, a Further Education college, is also in the town. The only other major college in the area is William Bradford (Earl Shilton). Within Hinckley there is also Dorothy Goodman Special School that caters for both juniors and seniors with disabilities, with units integrated within other local schools.

• French organist and composer Louis Vierne[42] gave a recital and stayed one night in Hinkley while on a tour of England, and later wrote a carillon piece for organ called "The Bells of Hinckley", inspired by a carillon of bells he heard there. It is the last movement of his fourth suite of Vingt-quatre pièces de fantaisie.
• The town is mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 2 (Act 5, Scene 1):[43]

Davy: Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must need be had: and, sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?

• Hinckley is mentioned in the Monty Python sketch "Olympic Hide and Seek Final" as the home town of one of the competitors.[44]
• Supercar manufacturer Ultima Sports are based in Hinckley. They claim to have set the fastest roadcar lap around the famous Top Gear test track with their GTR720 model, although it has never appeared on the programme.
• The actress Lauren Samuels trained at Hinckley's Speech and Drama Studio, and appeared in the BBC show Over the Rainbow.[45]

• Martine Croxall, television presenter BBC News Channel
• Davey Graham, influential guitarist and folk singer, was born in Hinckley
• Graeme Hawley, actor who plays John Stape in Coronation Street, lived in Hinckley
• Paul Hines, BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars driver, former British and European Champion
• Joseph Nutt, surveyor of highways
• Phil Oakey, singer with The Human League, born in Hinckley
• Manu Tuilagi, Rugby player for Leicester Tigers and England national rugby union team, attended John Cleveland College in Hinckley[46]
• John Cleveland, poet was educated at Hinckley Grammar School. John Cleveland College is named in his honour.
• Dr Edmund Percival, research chemist

Hinckley was known to its residents for many years as "Tin 'At" (tin hat). It is reputed that, many years ago, one of the itinerant sheep drovers bragged that he could drink a hat full of ale. The local landlord put this man to the test by getting the local blacksmith to make a tin hat, which he then filled with ale. Thereafter, the town became known as "Tin 'At". Another explanation is that the people of Hinckley used to place buckets on water pumps to keep them clean and prevent the spread of illness, the bucket obviously being the "Tin 'At". A tin hat can be seen on top of the flag pole which sits on the roof of the Coral branch at the corner of Castle Street and Market Place. There is also a pub called The Tin Hat and a fair held annually during December in the town centre called The Tin Hat Fair.[47]

Hinckley is twinned with Le Grand-Quevilly, France,[48][49] and joined with Herford, Germany in the early 1970s.[50] Hinckley is also twinned with Midland, Ohio, United States.

• Media related to Hinckley, Leicestershire at Wikimedia Commons
• Hinckley Past & Present – Hinckley Past and Present