THORPE ACRE

THE ORIGINAL VILLAGE:
The word "THORPE", meaning "outlying farmstead", had been in use in Britain long before the Norman Invasion and is a sign of settlement by the Danes.

The original settlement of THORPE ACRE therefore probably dates back to the late 9th century as the whole CHARNWOOD area had been under Danish control from the late 800s until Leicester was recaptured by the British in 918.

The settlement was probably established slightly later than neighbouring KNIGHT THORPE and in many early documents, including the DOMESDAY survey of 1086, it is referred to simply as "THORPE". The name really means "the settlement where hawking takes place", "ACRE" in this context being a corruption of "Hawker". The original houses stood between the present church and the Plough Inn, on a bed of red marl.

DOMESDAY BOOK (1086) lists THORPE ACRE as having a population of about 108. This is a very low number and would have meant a real struggle for survival, so much so that the residents later joined forces with KNIGHT THORPE to make their farming viable.

A with the rest of this area, THORPE ACRE suffered greatly in 1086. WILLIAM I's march across Leicestershire to put down the rebellion of that year went right across these areas, leaving them in a rather impoverished state. After the DOMESDAY survey of 1086, the manors changed hands several times and eventually came into the hands of ROBERT LE BOSSU, earl of Leicester.

Everything changed for THORPE ACRE when ROBERT LE BOSSU, Earl of Leicester, took over as Lord of the manor of DISHLEY and GARENDON. In 1133, he decided to donate all his lands here to a group of French CISTERCIAN monks to build a new monastery. This was the ABBEY OF ST MARY AT GARENDON, and it soon took over the whole life of the local manors. By the end of the 12th century, THORPE ACRE been completely absorbed into the GARENDON estate.

The open field system of agriculture was followed in THORPE ACRE until well into the 1790s. The countryside would have been without hedges, with the scattered "strips" farmed by different families separated by narrow unploughed pieces of land.

By early Victorian times, the population of THORPE ACRE had grown to about 300 but their nearest church was at DISHLEY, a mile away. This had been used by local people since the early 13th century. But in the 1840s, this was all to change. DISHLEY CHURCH was part of the GARENDON ESTATE; privately owned and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the church. In practical terms, the owners of the GARENDON ESTATE could do whatever they wanted with it.

In 1843, AMBROSE LISLE MARCH PHILLIPS, who had just inherited GARENDON, did just that. He was a fervent Catholic and it seemed clear to local people that he was about to "convert" the church at DISHLEY from Church of England to Catholic worship. Moves were put in motion to ensure the continuity of Anglican services for THORPE ACRE and an appeal was set up to raise money to build their own church. The appeal went very well and work began on the new church in 1844. It was built in a Gothic Revival design by W RAILTON, who also designed Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. He was already well known locally for his designs of churches at COPT OAK and WOODHOUSE EAVES and for BEAUMANOR HALL. By 1845 it was completed, at a cost of £1,052, and was dedicated to ALL SAINTS. The church was extended in the 1980s and the old Board School is now the Church Hall.

A gazetteer of 1863 lists the joint parish of THORPE ACRE WITH DISHLEY as having 7 farmers; 1 inn; 1 shoemaker; 1 gardener; 1 overseer; 1 toll collector; 1 shopkeeper; 1 vicar; 1 school mistress; and 1 corn miller.

THORPE ACRE GREEN stands on what used to be the road between THORPE HILL and the village. The houses opposite here were built in the 1950s to accommodate the influx of people coming to the town to work at the BRUSH. The shops in this area are locally called "THE VILLE".

In 2000, the THORPE ACRE TRAIL was set up to celebrate the millennium and takes in many of the historical and wild life sights of the old village and surrounding area. Part of the trail follows a section of NATIONAL CYCLE ROUTE NO 6 from Yorkshire to London. The TRAIL has already been the venue for an INTENATIONAL HAIKU WALK or GINGKO. This was relocated to CHARNWOOD from LONDON in recognition of the international reputation the area has won for itself in the world of HAIKU. THORPS ACRE may no longer be a separate village, but it is as thriving today as it has ever been.