Castle Donington
Encyclopedia
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, part of the Derby postcode area
DE postcode area
The DE postcode area, also known as the Derby postcode area, is a group of postcode districts around Alfreton, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Belper, Burton upon Trent, Derby, Heanor, Ilkeston, Matlock, Ripley and Swadlincote in England.-Coverage:...
and on the edge of the National Forest
National Forest, England
The National Forest is one of England’s most ambitious environmental projects. Across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, are being transformed, blending ancient woodland with new planting to create a new national forest...
. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.
Transport and housing
Castle Donington stands on the former NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
trunk road. The town is a mix of the old and new, with modern shops mixed with dignified Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
and Regency
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
houses. Several timber framed houses dating from the 17th century and earlier survive along the main road.
Although there is no rail station in the town, East Midlands Parkway
East Midlands Parkway railway station
East Midlands Parkway is a railway station located north of Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the Midland Main Line in the East Midlands of England. It provides park and ride facilities for rail passengers on the routes from Leicester to Derby and Nottingham...
opened early in 2008 at Ratcliffe-on-Soar
Ratcliffe-on-Soar
Ratcliffe-on-Soar is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire on the River Soar. It is part of the Rushcliffe district, and is the site of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Nearby places are Kingston on Soar and Trentlock. With a population of around 100, the parish is too small to have a...
providing links on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
.
Castle Donington railway station on the northern edge of the town, was opened by the Midland railway company in 1868. It was closed to regular passenger traffic in 1930, and closed completely, and pulled down in 1968. The access driveway still exists though for foot traffic only, and is the start of a footpath to Hemington, running past the site of the old goods yard, now a scrap yard.
History
King's Mill, Castle DoningtonKing's Mill, Castle Donington
King's Mill is the traditional crossing point of the River Trent between Castle Donington in Leicestershire and Weston-on-Trent in Derbyshire. The Mill was the farthest point that traffic from the River Humber could progress. A lock was installed here to make the river navigable but the business...
the nearby crossing on the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
is mentioned in a charter agreed by Æþelræd Unræd
Ethelred the Unready
Æthelred the Unready, or Æthelred II , was king of England . He was son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. Æthelred was only about 10 when his half-brother Edward was murdered...
(King Ethelred the Unready) in 1009 regarding the boundaries of Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
. Dunintune or Dunitone is mentioned twice in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as having land belonging to Countess Ælfgifu and land assigned to Earl Hugh.
Castle Donington also had its own power station
Castle Donington Power Station
Castle Donington Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated on the River Trent near Castle Donington, Leicestershire, south-east of Derby. Construction began in 1951, and the station opened in 1958. The station had six 100 megawatt generating units, with the turbo-generators...
later operated by Powergen from 1990, which when originally built in 1958 was one of the largest coal fired power stations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and was officially opened by Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
the then leader of the Soviet Union. However, this was closed in September 1994 and demolished in 1996.
Education
Castle Donington has two primary schools, St Edwards and Orchard Primary School, each serving roughly one half of the town. A high school — Castle Donington Community College, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on 10 September 2007 — takes students from ages 10–14 and then moving on to either Hindleys or Ashby, as there is no high school in Castle Donington.Economy
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
, whose headquarters are nearby, Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
, Jet2.Com
Jet2.com
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England. It operates services from eight UK bases to 54 destinations. The airline also offers contract charter and air cargo services. Its main base and headquarters is at Leeds Bradford Airport, with smaller bases at...
, Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways
Thomson Airways is the world's largest charter airline, offering scheduled and charter flights from the UK to destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The company commenced operations on 1 November 2008, following the merger and subsequent re-branding of Thomsonfly and First...
(who have a training centre at the airport) and many others. DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
also has a base at the airport. Castle Donington is also home to the world famous Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
motor racing circuit.
BMI (British Midland), an airline, is headquartered in Donington Hall
Donington Hall
Donington Hall is a house and residual estate in Castle Donington, North West Leicestershire, located close to the city of Derby. The Hall serves as the headquarters for airline BMI....
, Castle Donington. Excalibur Airways
Excalibur Airways
Excalibur Airways was a charter airline based in England. It had its head office on the grounds of East Midlands International Airport in Castle Donington, North West Leicestershire.- Code data :*IATA Code: EXC*ICAO Code: EX...
had its head office on the grounds of East Midlands Airport in Castle Donington, as did Orion Airways
Orion Airways
Orion Airways was an airline based in the United Kingdom with its head office on the grounds of East Midlands Airport in Castle Donington, North West Leicestershire. It was created as the charter airline of Horizon Travel and went on to successfully develop scheduled services...
.
Events
Once a year on May bank holiday Monday a medieval market is held on the main shopping street in Castle Donington. This event comprises local stalls selling various kinds of produce and goods accompanied by dancing and music.Usually during the last week of October each year the town hosts a travelling fair, known locally as Donington Wakes.
On the second Saturday of every month a farmers market (website) is held on the playground of St. Edwards CofE primary school.
A very large market known as Donington Sunday Market takes place virtually every Sunday at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
.
Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
was the original venue for the Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festivals through the 1980s and 1990s, and is now the home of the annual Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
. It also hosted a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Grand Prix - The European Grand Prix
European Grand Prix
The European Grand Prix is a Formula One event that was reintroduced during the mid-1980s and has been held regularly since 1999. From 2008 it will take place for at least another 7 years...
- in April 1993 which was won by Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
and which is widely recognised as one of Senna's greatest wins. It was also set to be the home of the British Grand Prix
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
from 2010 for at least 10 years, but the agreement was cancelled due to financial problems.
The circuit also hosts the Donington Grand Prix Collection
Donington Grand Prix Collection
The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition, formerly known as the Donington Grand Prix Collection, is a museum of motor racing cars, based at the Donington Park motor racing circuit in Leicestershire, England.- Overview :...
, the world's largest collection of Formula One and Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
vehicles. Brian Henton
Brian Henton
Brian Henton is a former racing driver from England. He won both 1974 British Formula Three Championships, and the Formula Two championship in 1980...
, an F1 driver, was born in Castle Donington.
Sport Clubs
Castle Donington Town Football Club http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/castledoningtontownfcCastle Donington Football Club website
Castle Donington Town Cricket Club website
Castle Donington Rugby Union Football Club website
Donington also hosts one of the best amateur football teams in the local area, Castle Donington Town FC, who won the Leicestershire County Cup in the 2005/6 season.
Donington Park
Donington ParkDonington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
is a site near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England.
Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it is leased by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd from owner Tom Wheatcroft
Tom Wheatcroft
Frederick Bernard "Tom" Wheatcroft was an English businessman, who made his fortune through building and construction.-Biography:...
. Used as a motor racing track, it is also the venue for the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
. Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
had a contract to stage the Formula One British Grand Prix
British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
for a period of ten years from 2010 although this was later cancelled due to Donington Park failing to secure the finances required to upgrade the track.