About Hinckley
Hinckley is an old market town that lies in the centre of the Midlands and mid way between Coventry and Leicester. It was once the centre of the Roman Empire in an area called High Cross, which is a name now commonly used in Leicestershire, such as the High Cross Shopping Centre in Leicester.
Renown for its accessibility as the M69 runs past its door and the M1/M6 are only a few minutes away and they don't provide your transport solutions the town still boasts a railway station which is a crucial link in the Midland's comprehensive rail network so Hinckley really is the place to live.
The town of Hinckley covers an area of 3,565 acres across South and West Leicestershire, and is just a mile from the Warwickshire border and the town of Nuneaton. It is the administrative centre of Hinckley and Bosworth and has a population of around 60,000, including the nearby large villages of Earl Shilton, Barwell and Burbage. It also neighbours the District of Blaby, and many of Blaby's villages look to Hinckley for employment, recreation and shopping facilities.
Hinckley is known as the "Cradle of the Hosiery Industry", industries that were born and nurtured in the town and which still dominates it today. However, in recent years several large companies have taken advantage of Hinckley's comprehensive transport links and major distribution centres have sprung up in the area. The town is also home to the world famous Triumph motorbike company and Triumph motorbikes are today all manufactured at the Hinckley factory.
Hinckley's town centre boasts a traditional market which takes place on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays and has just won the UK's prestigious award of 2010 market of the year. Like its surrounding villages, the town centre is designated as a conservation area and outside the urban area, the picturesque local countryside has a number of notable features, none more so than the beautiful village of Market Bosworth. It is famous for the Battle of Bosworth in which Henry Tudor won his crown in the deciding conflict of the War of the Roses. The battlefield is part of a visitor centre run by Leicestershire County Council, and stages re-enactments and other special events throughout the year. Meanwhile Market Bosworth has been a finalist many times in the Britain in Bloom competition, and residents rightly protect its heritage. Market Bosworth Country Park and the nearby Water Park provide open spaces for recreation, as does Burbage Common and woods on the outskirts of Hinckley.
Other amenities include the Ashby Canal, which bisects the area from north to south providing opportunities for walkers, anglers and, of course, narrow-boaters.
The town also has a leisure centre and boasts a non-league football side - Hinckley United. The club was created by the merger of Hinckley Town and Hinckley Athletic at the start of the 1997-98season. Among the other sporting teams is Hinckley Rugby Club, which plays in the national league, while during the summer months the sporting action is to be found at the Leicester Road Cricket Ground, home of Hinckley Town Cricket Club.