Pictures of Rothley
About Rothley
Rothley is a delightful village with two village greens, one is flanked by some of the country's finest timber framed houses. The village shows a graceful selection of architecture including pretty Cruck Cottages.
Visitors find plenty of village amenities, shops where you are attended by friendly owners, pubs and inns. These are mostly situated close to Cross Green where you can see the village's impressive War Memorial, with others scattered around the pleasant village streets. There is a Post Office, Hairdressers, Grocers, a popular Fish and Chips shop, and a Restaurant, there is also a friendly tea shop with a lovely gift department, and a variety of small Boutiques.
Amongst the pubs and hotels of the area is historic Rothley Court Hotel, where William Wilberforce and the owner Thomas Babington worked on drafts of the bill to abolish the Atlantic Slave Trade. Wilberforce served in Parliament alongside Britain's youngest ever Prime Minister, William Pitt. The Abolition Bill presented in 1791 received a bumpy ride in both the House of Lords and the Commons. It finally gained united approval and became law on the 25th March 1807, abolishing Britain's Atlantic Slave Trade.
Rothley's beautiful restored railway station is still lit by gas light, this gives an authentic peep into the glamour of a bygone age, but keeps alive the romance associated with steam. The trains run every weekend and bank holidays, taking visitors on a journey through glorious Leicestershire countryside, visiting old stations such as Quorn with its history and strong links with fox hunting. The stations along the route resemble various era's, Rothley is gloriously Edwardian, Loughborough the largest station and the end of the line reflects the 1960's, Quorn and Woodhouse have all the charm of the 1940's.
The heritage line is visited by Thomas the Tank, and frequent "Themed" events are held throughout the year. These include "Santa" trains, an Edwardian Evening at Rothley, Bonfire Night, and celebration trips on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. For a romantic evening with a difference why not enjoy a sumptuous dinner whilst steaming at no more than 25 miles per hour through the undulating Leicestershire countryside, or part-take of a Saturday or Sunday lunch special.
The village has excellent sporting facilities with opportunities for football, cricket, tennis, bowls and golf. It also has a variance of listed buildings, chief amongst these is the parish Church of St. Mary and St. John in Church Street. The church, listed as Grade II dates from between the 13th and 15th century with rebuilding and restoration work of the 19th century. Flooded with light from the lovely stained glass windows, the church, standing in a pretty tree lined churchyard, is a beautiful place of worship with many treasures from its long historic past. Visitors to the church will note many old graves and tombs, including the Hunt Headstone of 1794, now a listed monument in its own right.
You only have to take off down any of Rothley's tranquil country lanes to come across areas of wildlife, rivers and reservoirs. This truly is a village for leisure and pleasure where you need do nothing other than relax and unwind in the most peaceful of surroundings.
