Place:Coleorton, Leicestershire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Coleorton is a village and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire District of Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the A512 road approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Nearby villages include Newbold in Worthington parish, to the north, Thringstone to the east, and Swannington to the southeast.

In the 2001 census, the population of the parish was 1,016.

Originally an ancient parish in West Goscote Hundred, Coleorton became part of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Rural District when it was created in 1894.

Coal mining was an important industry in the area from the 15th century until the 1980s. Coleorton Colliery, between Coleorton and Swannington, is now closed, and a woodland Coleorton Wood was planted in 1991-2 on the colliery site as part of the National Forest. Opencast mining operated between 1985 and 1995.

Coleorton was the birthplace of William Stenson (1771–1861), founder of Whitwick Colliery and "Father of Coalville".

The Grade II* listed Coleorton Hall, in the west of the parish, was built in 1804-8 for the art patron Sir George Beaumont. William Wordsworth was a regular and frequent guest of Sir George Beaumont at the Hall. Between 1948 and 1997 the house was owned by the National Coal Board and used as offices, and it has now been converted into apartments.

Research Tips

• The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Rural District page includes a map illustrating the civil parishes of the district. Coleorton is #5 on the map.