Somerby is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the
Melton district, in the county of
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...
, England. It is south of
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray () is a market town in the Borough of Melton, Melton district in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, Leicestershire, River Eye, known below Melton as the Rive ...
. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 812.
Somerby is a small country village containing a parish church (All Saints), a primary school, a
Doctor's surgery, a pub, a small shop/post office, and a large Equestrian Centre. The population is close to 500. It is the largest village in the parish of Somerby and is located in East Leicestershire close to the border with
Rutland
Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town.
Rutland has a ...
; the parish also includes the settlements of
Burrough on the Hill,
Leesthorpe and
Pickwell.
The surrounding countryside is very attractive and is often referred to as 'High Leicestershire'. Much of the Parish is several hundred feet above sea level and there are often superb views to be found. Although predominantly a rural community there are a significant number of successful business enterprises in the local area.
During World War II, the village was used as a base station and testing ground for
Operation Market Garden, the airborne attack on Arnhem.
It was in the parish of Somerby (but the village of
Burrough on the Hill) that the surgeon
William Cheselden was born.
History
John Major
Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Following his defeat to Ton ...
's daughter Elizabeth, aged 28, married on Sunday 26 March 2000, at the parish church. The village was searched by Special Branch.
[''Melton Mowbray Times'' Thursday 23 March 2000, page 1]
See also
*
John O' Gaunt
References
External links
Villages in Leicestershire
Civil parishes in Leicestershire
Borough of Melton
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