Catthorpe
Encyclopedia
Catthorpe is a village and civil parish
in the Harborough
district of Leicestershire
, England
. It is close to the A5 road which forms the border with Warwickshire
- the nearest town is Rugby
, about four miles (6 km) south-west. The parish had a population of 179 according to the 2001 census. The parish church is St Thomas. The local pub is the Cherry Tree on Main Street.
The village has given its name to the road junction
where the M1
, M6
and A14 roads meet, which is known to be regularly congested owing to its poor, and slightly dangerous design. The underpass used by the A14 under the M1 and M6, was built in 1965 for the former A427
, which ran through Catthorpe to Swinford
from Rugby
across the A5. However, in 2009, the Highways Agency
announced their preferred design for the upgrade of the junction after a public consultation in 2008.
Catthorpe briefly came to national attention in 1999 when alleged war criminal Konrāds Kalējs
was discovered to be living at a nursing home near the village.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Harborough
Harborough
Harborough is a local government district of Leicestershire, England, named after its main town, Market Harborough. Covering , the District is by far the largest of the eight district authorities in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the County....
district of Leicestershire
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is close to the A5 road which forms the border with Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
- the nearest town is Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, about four miles (6 km) south-west. The parish had a population of 179 according to the 2001 census. The parish church is St Thomas. The local pub is the Cherry Tree on Main Street.
The village has given its name to the road junction
Catthorpe Interchange
The Catthorpe Interchange is a major intersection at the southern end of the M6, the western end of the A14 and Junction 19 of the M1 near the village of Catthorpe in Leicestershire, England...
where the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and A14 roads meet, which is known to be regularly congested owing to its poor, and slightly dangerous design. The underpass used by the A14 under the M1 and M6, was built in 1965 for the former A427
A427 road
The A427 road is a major road in the English Midlands. It connects the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and the A6 with the Northamptonshire town of Oundle and the A605.-History:...
, which ran through Catthorpe to Swinford
Swinford, Leicestershire
Swinford is a nucleated village and civil parish in the Harborough district of the English county of Leicestershire. It used to be on the former A427, which led under the M1, to Catthorpe. The local pub is The Chequers on the High Street. The parish church is All Saints.- External links :* *...
from Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
across the A5. However, in 2009, the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
announced their preferred design for the upgrade of the junction after a public consultation in 2008.
Catthorpe briefly came to national attention in 1999 when alleged war criminal Konrāds Kalējs
Konrads Kalejs
Konrāds Kalējs was a Latvian soldier who was Nazi collaborator and an alleged war criminal during World War II. He gained notoriety for evading calls for his prosecution across four countries, more than once under the threat of deportation...
was discovered to be living at a nursing home near the village.