Coordinates: 52°35′55″N 1°04′35″W / 52.5987°N 1.0763°W
| Oadby | |
  Oadby
 Oadby shown within Leicestershire |
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| Population | 22,729 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Oadby and Wigston |
| Shire county | Leicestershire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEICESTER |
| Postcode district | LE2 |
| Dialling code | 0116 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| European Parliament | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Harborough |
| List of places: UK • England • Leicestershire | |
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road.
The town is most famous for Leicester Racecourse, situated on the border between Oadby and Leicester, and the University of Leicester Botanic Garden. It is also the home of the Beauchamp College, and halls of residence for the University of Leicester.
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History
Angles, Danes and Normans
There has been a habitation in Oadby since an Anglian settlement in the year 550[citation needed] In 1760, on Brocks Hill, evidence of an Anglian burial ground was discovered[citation needed] The Middle Angles came under the rule of the kings of Mercia and were later conquered by the Danish invaders. Oadby is one of seventy Danish settlements in Leicestershire ending with "-by"[citation needed], which means village or settlement. Its name probably came from Old Norse Auðarbýr = "Auði's settlement". Danish rule continued until 920, when King Alfred the Great won his battles against the Danes: the Oadby area is supposed to be the site of at least one of these battles.
In 1086, Oadby's name was recorded as Aldebi. The name then changed to Oladebi, Outherby, Onderby[citation needed] and, finally, Oadby. When King Harold was defeated, William the Conqueror gave Oadby to Hugh de Grandmesnil, Governor of Leicestershire, who founded the parish church of Oadby on the site of the present St Peter's Church.
Modern times
In January 1817, Oadby was the scene of a mass riot. 400 people were involved and haystacks were set ablaze. The Leicester Cavalry and a regiment of dragoons were called out to quell the riot and three were imprisoned.[1]
Oadby remained a small settlement until the late nineteenth century when it became a fashionable suburb for the factory-owners of Leicester's shoe and stocking manufacturers. Many substantial houses were built, some of which are now used by the University of Leicester. Leicester's trams terminated at the edge of the city, as the A6 entered Oadby. (The old tram shed can still be seen on the West side of the A6 by the City of Leicester sign, though it has a different function now, being used as vehicular storage for a Leicester grammar school.)
Stoughton Road in Oadby contains 2 sets of houses of historical interest. Some of the Framework Knitters Homes date back to 1909, while the North Memorial Homes, financed by Sir Jonathan North (former Mayor of Leicester) were built in 1927 and opened in the same year by the Prince of Wales [2]. As well as a series of houses, the North Memorial Homes site also houses the North Memorial Hall, built in a neo-Georgian style, which has been leased to Oadby Evangelical Free Church since 1974.
Expansion of Oadby took place rapidly in the twentieth century and is still continuing in 2007. Many residential developments have been constructed so that the population in 2001 reached 22,729.[3]
21st century Oadby
Oadby today is a predominantly residential area. The success of Beauchamp College makes Oadby an attractive location for families with children. As is increasingly the case throughout Leicestershire, Oadby has an ethnically diverse population. In 2001 approximately 11 percent of the population identified themselves as Hindu and 6 percent as Muslim.[4]
Major employers in Oadby are the schools, Asda, Sainsbury's and the shops in the centre of the town. Invicta Plastics remains in Oadby, where they once manufactured the popular Mastermind Game. The red noses for the bi-annual Red Nose Day appeal of the Comic Relief charity are also made by Invicta Plastics in Oadby. There is an Industrial Estate with a variety of types of business.
Sport and culture
The local football club Oadby Town F.C. play in the Midland Football Alliance league. Leicester Tigers, the premiership rugby union club, train at their new centre in Oval Park on the Wigston Road, Oadby.
Current famous residents include recent child prodigy Yagnesh Jadavji, named in a BBC documentary by Robert Winston, as being the youngest British citizen to create a MENSA accepted brain teaser. John Deacon, bass player of the influential rock group Queen, was born and grew up in Oadby.
References
- ^ Edmund Burke 1817 (Ed.) The Annual Register (p5)
- ^ Oadby and Wigston Council forward plans
- ^ 2001 UK Census
- ^ 2001 UK Census stated religion data
External links
- Borough Website
- Pride of the Borough Group Website
- Oadby Civic Society Website
- Oadby RALLY Community Action Group Website
- Oadby Pictures
- More Oadby Pictures
- Oadby 3rd Picture Album
- Botanic Garden Pictures
- More Botanic Garden Pictures
- Botanic Garden 3rd Picture Album
- Oadby Community Website
Religious Organisations in Oadby
- Oadby Evangelical Free Church
- Churches Together in Oadby
- Oadby Parish Website
- Oadby Trinity Methodist Church Website
- Oadby Baptist Church Website
- Church of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic)
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