Tugby and Keythorpe is a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
comprising the village of Tugby and land surrounding Keythorpe Hall, Hall Farm and Lodge Farm in
Leicestershire, England, part of the
Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, in the far southeast of the county, forming part of the border with Northamptonshire.
Market Harborough's population was 25,143 in 2020. It is the a ...
district. The Parish covers around 2,200 acres, situated 7 miles west of
Uppingham
Uppingham is a market town in Rutland, England, off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, south of the county town, Oakham. It had a population of 4,745 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 4,853 in 2019. It is known for its e ...
, and 12 miles east of
Leicester.
According to the 2011 census the population of the parish was 330. The Anglican parish register for the parish dates back to 1568.
The boundaries of the parish have not changed throughout the years, meaning that the parish's size remains the same as it did in 1568.
In the 1887 Gazetter of the British Isles it is suggested that the town dates back to Norman rule stating:
"The church has a Norman tower, and is good."
Demographics
Population overview

Over the years the population has been an ever changing demographic, with there being distinct peaks and troughs.
In the 1801 census population sat at 230 people, which then grew, reaching the parish's peak population of 365 in 1851.
Population rapidly declined after reaching a record low of 220 in 1961.
Population then began to increase over time, growing to 330 in 2011.
According to the 2011 census data, around 31% of the population was aged 35 to 54, and only 9% of the population aged 16–24. 98% of the population were White British, with only 4 people in the parish identifying as another ethnic group.
However, 10 people were born outside of the UK.
72% of the parish's population identify as Christian, 26% identify as having no religion, or religion not stated, and only 0.9% identify as part of another religious community.
Occupation
When studying the occupational fields of the 1881 census one can see a clear difference between the jobs of men and women. Many of the women's occupations, 59.63% of the overall female population, is unknown, which would suggest that they were unemployed, most likely staying at home.
The most common occupation type of employment for women was domestic services, at 16.91% of the female population, likely due to the presence of Keythorpe manor.
The men at the time tended to pursue more manual labor jobs, mainly agriculture based, with 61.36% of the total male population working in agriculture.
When looking at 2011 census data one can see that the divide between male and female employment has reduced, with only 4 women in the village not having a specific occupation.
The most popular occupation for women to have in the village is human health and social work activities, at around 21.8%, and education at around 20.5% of the overall female population of the village.
As for the males the type of work has diversified quite significantly, with a drop in agricultural work, with only 9 men working in this sector, unlike in 1881, when 52 worked in this sector. Although the majority of the male population work in wholesale and retail trade (18.3% of the population), there has been an increase in other occupations.
Health
Overall health in the village is good with the results of the 2011 census data showing that 46.6% of Tugby’s population were in 'very good health'.
No one was in very bad health, with only 1.5% of the population in bad health.
87.9% of the population stated that their health did not limit their daily life.
Housing
The typical housing types in Tugby and Keythorpe are terraced, flats, semi-detached, and detached.
House prices vary in value, some being of low value whilst others are very high. There is also a range of owner-occupied, social housing, and private rental homes, to match the needs of the community, with a
NRS social grade
The NRS social grades are a system of demographic classification used in the United Kingdom. They were originally developed by the National Readership Survey (NRS) to classify readers, but are now used by many other organisations for wider appl ...
of ABC1C2D.
Notable places
Church of St Thomas Becket
Tugby and Keythorpe is home to nine Grade II listed buildings,
one of which is Church of St Thomas Becket, the parish's church, dedicated to
St Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
. It is able to seat 300.
The St Thomas Beckett parish church was awarded £10,700 by the
Heritage Lottery Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom.
History
The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
to invest in a project to help protect and conserve its tower.
This work is planned take place over two years, hoping to prevent the deterioration of the tower which can be dated to Anglo Saxon and Norman construction.
Tugby C of E Primary school
Tugby C of E primary school, situated on Main Street, is the parish's only primary school. It has a very large catchment area in order to provide for the local rural community, including the villages
Tilton on the Hill
Tilton on the Hill is a village and (as just Tilton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Tilton on the Hill and Halstead in the Harborough district of Leicestershire. The population of the civil parish of Tilton on the Hill and Halste ...
and
Skeffington
Skeffington is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It lies 11 miles/18 km east of Leicester on the A47 Uppingham road, between Billesdon and Tugby and Keythorpe. The population at the 2011 cens ...
.
Keythorpe Hall
Keythorpe Hall and Keythorpe 'Manor' are two completely separate properties a little distance apart.
Keythorpe Hall was relocated stone by stone from an ancient site near Keythorpe Lakes Farm, to a more prominent position sometime in the early 1800s and became the principal seat of the 11th Lord Berners, Henry William Wilson.
Keythorpe 'Manor', now a wedding venue, is in the Parish of East Norton and was originally called Norton Grange. Sometime in the late 1800s / early 1900s it became Keythorpe Grange but was recently renamed when it became a wedding venue. Keythorpe Grange was also owned by members of the
Berners Barony, specifically Sir Raymond Robert Tyrwhitt-Wilson, as of 1912.
In more recent years it sold in 2011 for £1,837,500.
References
External links
Photographs around villageParish profile 2001OS map of village
{{Authority control
Civil parishes in Harborough District