Houghton on the Hill
Encyclopedia
Houghton on the Hill is a village
lying six miles to the east of Leicester
in the East Midlands
in England
.
An entry for Houghton on the Hill is recorded in the Domesday Book
.
In Dec 2007, the village made national news headlines, and was dubbed "the village of the scammed" when a large number of fraudulent credit card charges in the Far East were linked to the JET filling station.
In Aug 2008, Sri-Lankan born cashier, Abdul Samad Mohamed Raik, was jailed for two years and nine months after admitting to the charge of obtaining property by deception. A total of £175,000 was stolen in the scam, which affected almost every house in the village.
(in Rutland
) or other nearby towns. The village is the birthplace of the famed landscape artist John Glover (1767-1849)
and home of the eccentric creative designer Baron Ashlington. One time member of the village, and still frequent visitor, is the writer Dr. Kingsley Dennis; author of 'New Consciousness for a New World' (2011) and 'After the Car' (2009).
Houghton on the Hill C of E Primary School is situated in the lower part of the village. It was erected in 1856 and extensions were built in 1966, 1976 and 1983. It is a co-educational Church of England (controlled) Primary School and educates children from 4 to 10 years of age. The number of children enrolled at the school is now 180 (1 March 2010). The catchment area is made up of Houghton on the Hill and Ingarsby
but most of the children come from other areas.
There is also a popular nursery school just outside the village to the east, called Glebe Farm Nursery School on Gaulby Lane, the original part of the house was built in 1915 and is a bench mark location. Opening in 1991 it is attached to the present owners house in the extensive grounds. It is a private nursery with around 40 children presently on roll, the catchment area is made up of the villages of Houghton on the Hill, Gaulby, Kings Norton, Billesdon and Thurnby. The Proprietor/Officer in Charge is Mrs. Lesley Tracy.
There are two churches in the village; the Anglican St Catharine's church and a Methodist church, both situated on Main Street.
The two pubs in the village are the Old Black Horse, on Main Street, and the Rose & Crown, on Uppingham Road.
Retailers in the village include a Co-op
, a newsagent, and a chemist. There is also a fish and chip shop, a hairdresser and a beauty salon. There is a JET
garage on the main road.
The hourly 747 bus service between Leicester and Uppingham, which runs through Houghton-on-the-Hill, There's also a West End Travel Rural Rider that passes through the village at irregular times ,but does make a regular Monday to Friday travel between Hallaton and Leicester, these are the only public transport here. Most residents commute by car.
There is also a football team (Houghton Rangers Football Club) who have a junior team set up as well as an adult team. The junior club is coached by the world famous Coerver Coaching. They play on Weir Lane playing fields as well as a cricket team (Houghton Cricket Club) who play on Dixon's field in the southern end of the village next to the School.
There is a village hall situated in the centre of the village with a bowling green attached. It is used by the local school.
Houghton has a scout troop ranging from Beavers to Explorers (Formerly Venture Scouts) whose group scout leader is Marion Keene. There is also a Tennis Club situated on the Weir Lane Playing facilities.
The village has a monthly newsletter, the Houghton News, which features articles from various village groups, events listings, and reports from Parish Council meetings.
The Fun Day begins with a parade from Paresh's newsagent at 2:30 going down St Catherines Way past St Catherines Church, down Main Street and towards the field at the back of the Old Black Horse pub where the judging will take place.
In 2007 the Fun Day was not able to be held in July due to the field being waterlogged, but the Day was rescheduled to September 8, 2007.
The 'Fun Day' has recently been restarted by a village fundraising group - Parklife Youth, as a village fete, held at the beginning of September.
, currently represented by three Liberal Democrats, including Liberal Democrat group leader on Harborough Council Simon Galton. Cllr Galton is also Houghton's representative and Liberal Democrat group leader on Leicestershire County Council
, where the village forms part of the Launde division. Houghton is also a Civil Parish
with a Parish Council made up of independent elected members.
Houghton was, until 1997, part of the Harborough constituency at Westminster, represented by Edward Garnier
. However, following boundary alterations that year, it was moved into the neighbouring constituency of Rutland and Melton, whose MP since 1992 has been Alan Duncan
.
, approximately two miles north of Houghton. Its station was named Ingarsby for Houghton on the Hill owing to its use by commuters from the larger village. The railway line and station were closed in 1954, but both the station building and the station master's house remain in Ingarsby, having been converted to residential properties. The most notable sign of the railway's existence is a long unused rail tunnel. This is notable because only one side was demolished, leaving only one entry point and no exit.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
lying six miles to the east of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
in 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...
.
An entry for Houghton on the Hill is recorded 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...
.
In Dec 2007, the village made national news headlines, and was dubbed "the village of the scammed" when a large number of fraudulent credit card charges in the Far East were linked to the JET filling station.
In Aug 2008, Sri-Lankan born cashier, Abdul Samad Mohamed Raik, was jailed for two years and nine months after admitting to the charge of obtaining property by deception. A total of £175,000 was stolen in the scam, which affected almost every house in the village.
Residents
The population of Houghton is 1,548. Many of Houghton's residents commute to Leicester, UppinghamUppingham
Disambiguation: "Uppingham" is the colloquial name for Uppingham SchoolUppingham is a market town in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, located on the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, about 6 miles south of the county town, Oakham.- History :A little over a mile to the...
(in Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
) or other nearby towns. The village is the birthplace of the famed landscape artist John Glover (1767-1849)
John Glover (artist)
John Glover was an English/Australian artist in what is known as the early colonial period of Australian art. In Australia he has been dubbed the father of Australian landscape painting.-Life in Europe:...
and home of the eccentric creative designer Baron Ashlington. One time member of the village, and still frequent visitor, is the writer Dr. Kingsley Dennis; author of 'New Consciousness for a New World' (2011) and 'After the Car' (2009).
Services
Services in Houghton on the Hill include:- Schools
- Houghton on the Hill C of E Primary School
Houghton on the Hill C of E Primary School is situated in the lower part of the village. It was erected in 1856 and extensions were built in 1966, 1976 and 1983. It is a co-educational Church of England (controlled) Primary School and educates children from 4 to 10 years of age. The number of children enrolled at the school is now 180 (1 March 2010). The catchment area is made up of Houghton on the Hill and Ingarsby
Ingarsby
Ingarsby is one of the best preserved deserted medieval villages in England. It is situated about six miles to the East of Leicester, and a little to the North of Houghton on the Hill...
but most of the children come from other areas.
- Glebe Farm Nursery School Nursery Website
There is also a popular nursery school just outside the village to the east, called Glebe Farm Nursery School on Gaulby Lane, the original part of the house was built in 1915 and is a bench mark location. Opening in 1991 it is attached to the present owners house in the extensive grounds. It is a private nursery with around 40 children presently on roll, the catchment area is made up of the villages of Houghton on the Hill, Gaulby, Kings Norton, Billesdon and Thurnby. The Proprietor/Officer in Charge is Mrs. Lesley Tracy.
- Churches
There are two churches in the village; the Anglican St Catharine's church and a Methodist church, both situated on Main Street.
- Public Houses
The two pubs in the village are the Old Black Horse, on Main Street, and the Rose & Crown, on Uppingham Road.
- Selection of Shops
Retailers in the village include a Co-op
Co-op UK
The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 3 million individual members. Modern co-operation started with the Rochdale Pioneers' shop in the northern English town of Rochdale in 1844....
, a newsagent, and a chemist. There is also a fish and chip shop, a hairdresser and a beauty salon. There is a JET
Jet (brand)
Jet is the filling station brand of ConocoPhillips, used in Europe.Jet filling stations are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom....
garage on the main road.
- Bus Service
The hourly 747 bus service between Leicester and Uppingham, which runs through Houghton-on-the-Hill, There's also a West End Travel Rural Rider that passes through the village at irregular times ,but does make a regular Monday to Friday travel between Hallaton and Leicester, these are the only public transport here. Most residents commute by car.
- Teams
There is also a football team (Houghton Rangers Football Club) who have a junior team set up as well as an adult team. The junior club is coached by the world famous Coerver Coaching. They play on Weir Lane playing fields as well as a cricket team (Houghton Cricket Club) who play on Dixon's field in the southern end of the village next to the School.
- Village Hall
There is a village hall situated in the centre of the village with a bowling green attached. It is used by the local school.
Houghton has a scout troop ranging from Beavers to Explorers (Formerly Venture Scouts) whose group scout leader is Marion Keene. There is also a Tennis Club situated on the Weir Lane Playing facilities.
- Newsletters
The village has a monthly newsletter, the Houghton News, which features articles from various village groups, events listings, and reports from Parish Council meetings.
Fun Day
Every summer (since The Queen's Jubilee - 2002) the village holds its Summer Funday. This takes place on a Saturday (1st weekend in July) and goes on all afternoon (starts with parade at 2:30). This event attracts all the villagers (young and old) who wish to participate from organising the events in the field and helping with the organising of the Fancy Dress competition to helping set up the stalls and gazebos on the main field at the back of the Pub.The Fun Day begins with a parade from Paresh's newsagent at 2:30 going down St Catherines Way past St Catherines Church, down Main Street and towards the field at the back of the Old Black Horse pub where the judging will take place.
In 2007 the Fun Day was not able to be held in July due to the field being waterlogged, but the Day was rescheduled to September 8, 2007.
The 'Fun Day' has recently been restarted by a village fundraising group - Parklife Youth, as a village fete, held at the beginning of September.
Politics
Houghton-on-the-Hill forms part of the Thurnby and Houghton ward of Harborough District CouncilHarborough
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....
, currently represented by three Liberal Democrats, including Liberal Democrat group leader on Harborough Council Simon Galton. Cllr Galton is also Houghton's representative and Liberal Democrat group leader on Leicestershire County Council
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...
, where the village forms part of the Launde division. Houghton is also a Civil Parish
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...
with a Parish Council made up of independent elected members.
Houghton was, until 1997, part of the Harborough constituency at Westminster, represented by Edward Garnier
Edward Garnier
Edward Henry Garnier, QC, MP is a barrister and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. A former Guardian Newspaper lawyer he is on the socially liberal wing of his party and has been the Member of Parliament for Harborough in Leicestershire since 1992...
. However, following boundary alterations that year, it was moved into the neighbouring constituency of Rutland and Melton, whose MP since 1992 has been Alan Duncan
Alan Duncan
Alan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
.
Former railway
There used to be a railway that ran through IngarsbyIngarsby
Ingarsby is one of the best preserved deserted medieval villages in England. It is situated about six miles to the East of Leicester, and a little to the North of Houghton on the Hill...
, approximately two miles north of Houghton. Its station was named Ingarsby for Houghton on the Hill owing to its use by commuters from the larger village. The railway line and station were closed in 1954, but both the station building and the station master's house remain in Ingarsby, having been converted to residential properties. The most notable sign of the railway's existence is a long unused rail tunnel. This is notable because only one side was demolished, leaving only one entry point and no exit.