Gartree (Leicestershire)
Encyclopedia
Gartree was a hundred
of Leicestershire
.
It was in the south-east of the county, roughly corresponding to today's Harborough
district. The town of Market Harborough
was its largest settlement. It gives its name to HMP Gartree, and also to the Gartree electoral division of Leicestershire
.
The original meeting place of the hundred, which was used for local administration, justice and taxation, was the Gartree Bush, or Gartree (possibly from the Scandinavian word geir or spear), lying north east of Kibworth
and south west of Gaulby
on the Roman Via Devana
, now known as the Gartree Road. This was the open-air meeting place from the tenth century to the eighteenth century where jurors, drawn from the local villages, handed out justice and administered taxes each month. It may have been the site of a prehistoric burial mound, and the site of a previous Anglo Saxon moot place. In 1750, this was moved to the Bull's Head at Tur Langton
.
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
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...
.
It was in the south-east of the county, roughly corresponding to today's 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. The town of Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
was its largest settlement. It gives its name to HMP Gartree, and also to the Gartree electoral division 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...
.
The original meeting place of the hundred, which was used for local administration, justice and taxation, was the Gartree Bush, or Gartree (possibly from the Scandinavian word geir or spear), lying north east of Kibworth
Kibworth
Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, that contains two civil parishes—the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt . According to the 2001 census, Kibworth Beauchamp has a population of 3,798, and Kibworth Harcourt has a population of 990. The two...
and south west of Gaulby
Gaulby
Gaulby is a village in East Leicestershire, England, 7 miles east of the city of Leicester. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 131....
on the Roman Via Devana
Via Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
, now known as the Gartree Road. This was the open-air meeting place from the tenth century to the eighteenth century where jurors, drawn from the local villages, handed out justice and administered taxes each month. It may have been the site of a prehistoric burial mound, and the site of a previous Anglo Saxon moot place. In 1750, this was moved to the Bull's Head at Tur Langton
Tur Langton
Tur Langton is a small village in the heart of Leicestershire in England.-External links:**...
.