Place:Queniborough, Leicestershire, England

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Queniborough is a village in the county of Leicestershire, United Kingdom just north of Syston and to the north of Leicester with 972 properties in the village and 1,878 registered electors (2003). Due to its proximity to Leicester it forms part of the Leicester Urban Area. It is particularly famous for its Parish church (St Mary's) of which Pevsner said "It has one of the finest spires in the whole of Leicestershire".

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

The old part of the village (Main Street) has thatched properties going back 500 years. There is a mixture of 16th - 20th century properties all abutting the Main Street. However, there are very few 20th century properties, the majority being 16th to 19th century.

Queniborough up until the first world war still had a Lord of the Manor living at Queniborough Hall. (Now converted into expensive flats). Up until 1847, there was no school in the village open to ordinary villagers. The only school in the village was in a small building to the rear of number 28 Main Street. However, this was only for the children whose parents worked on the estate of Queniborough Hall. Numbers 22 - 28 Main Street were built between 1790 and 1810 specifically as worker's cottages. Number 28 was lived in by the schoolmaster. This row of cottages are still occupied, and the 'Old' village school is still part of number 28 but is now used as a vaulted dining room with a high cathedral style ceiling.

In 1847 the 'new school' was built to the side of the Horse and Groom. This school was a 'free school' and was for the use of all villagers - not just the privileged few. The school is now used as a small swimming pool for the primary school, which was built in the 1970s to replace the 1847 school.

One rather stunning building in the old village, sporting black-painted bow windows on either side of the main door, also sports a plaque by the door to indicate the building as winning an award for, "The best kept village shop 1987". The building no longer operates as a shop and is now a private house. The external layout of the building does indicate its past as a typical, and a particularly striking example of a mid-Victorian-era shop. In good weather, the owners of the property often leave out a small case of second-hand books for sale, with the proceeds going to LOROS, Leicestershire's Hospice movement.

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