Asfordby Hill
Asfordby Hill is a hamlet on the A6006 road, in the parish of Asfordby (where the population is included), in the Melton District, in the English county of Leicestershire.
Amenities
Asfordby Hill has a primary school which was built in 1909. An excellent garden centre with an alpine themed restaurant and farm shop. At the farm shop you can buy a proper Melton Mowbray pork pie as well as a variety of other pies, including a penguin pie!
Asfordby Hill Steel Works remains open and is owned by St.Gobain. It is a little known fact that a large proportion of the nation's drain covers are made at the foundry. The foundry received a large number of weapons which were handed into Leicestershire Police following an arms amnesty in 1996.
Asfordby Mine was the last coal mine to be built in Britain and is now closed, the winding towers were demolished in 1998.
The former mine site is now part industrial units and part of a rail testing facility with a test track that runs to Nottingham. Virgin's pendolino train was tested on the track and the test track is now used for the new London Underground trains. New business units are being erected on the site of the former mine and the area is once again gaining a reputation as an area for growth and business opportunities.
The 'Stute' is the name for Holwell working men's club which still has a number of sporting connections. Most notably Holwell FC, Holwell rifle club and Holwell Bowls club. All have tasted a high level of success over the years.
There are many fine walks around 'The Hill' and a lot of wildlife can be observed, including Buzzards, Red Kite, foxes and varieties of wild deer.
The former site of Asfordby Hill steel works now boasts rare orchids.
References
Philip's Street Atlas Leicestershire and Rutland (page 58)
External links
Mountain bike trail on site of Asfordby Hill Steel Works
Coordinates: 52°45′56″N 0°55′36″W / 52.76568°N 0.92669°W