Oadby
- A cemetery of one acre was formed in 1866. It was extended by 3/4 of an acre in 1910. The cemetery was under the control of the parish council.
- The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter.
- The origin of the church is uncertain.
- The church was extensively repaired in 1877-78.
- The church seats 368.
- The Anglican parish register dates from 1651.
- The church is in the rural deanery of Gartree (second portion).
- A Baptist chapel was founded here in 1825 and rebuilt in 1898.
- The United Methodists had a chapel here by 1912.
- Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
- The parish was in the Blaby sub-district of the Blaby Registration District.
Oadby is a large village, a township and a civil parish. The parish covers 1,560 acres.
The village and parish are currently part of the conurbation known as Leicester city. The parish sits to the southest of the city centre on the Leicester to Market Harborough road. If you are planning a visit:
- See what photographs you can find at Leicestershire villages.
- And there's more at Web Photos.
- By automobile, take the A6 motorway southeast out of Leicester about three miles.
- There was an Anglian settlement here in the year 550. In 1760, the Anglian burial ground was discovered on Brock's Hill.
- The Oadby area is reputedly one of the areas where King Alfred the Great won one of his battles against the Danes.
- The town is most famous for the Leicester Racecourse, built in 1883, which sits on the border between Oadby and Leicester city.
- The University of Leicester also has Beauchamp College in this parish, as well as its Botanic Garden.
- In January, 1817, some 400 people rioted here, setting haystacks ablaze. The Leicester Cavalry and a detachment of Dragoons were called out to put down the riot. Three people were imprisoned.
- In the late 19th century a number of substantial homes were built here to house workers for Leicester's shoe and stocking manufacturer's employees. Oadby was a good location as the Leicester tram lines halted at the edge of the village.
- In 1904 the Public Library and the Baths were opened.
- In 1909 a set of Framework Knitters Homes were built on Stoughton Road, where you can still see them.
- Expansion of Oadby took place rapidly in the twentieth century and was still continuing in 2007. Many residential developments have been constructed.
- The national grid reference is SK 6200.
- You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
- See our Maps page for additional resources.
- For the Domesday Book, in 1086, Oadby's name is recorded as "Aldebi".
- The name has since appeared as "Oladebi, Outherby, Onderby" and "Oadby".
- The parish is in the ancient Guthlaxton Hundred in the southern division of the county.
- The 1891 "Leicester Extension Act" added a part of Knighton parish to Oadby parish.
- In April, 1936, there were a series of changes to the parish boundaries involving surrounding parishes. Most of these changes enlarged the parish.
- Oadby is now part of the Leicester Urban Area.
- In 1879, William WILKINSON left the sum of £1,330, the interest of which provided dinners and other comforts for the aged men and women of the parish at Christmas time.
- As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, this parish became part of the Blaby Poorlaw Union.
- In 1908, the parish built 20 almshouses with 40 acres of land.
| Year |
Inhabitants |
| 1801 |
624 |
| 1811 |
766 |
| 1821 |
856 |
| 1831 |
1,023 |
| 1841 |
1,085 |
| 1851 |
1,196 |
| 1901 |
1,890 |
| 1911 |
2,609 |
| 1961 |
12,256 |
| 2001 |
22,729 |
- The Public Elementary School on Main Street was built in 1878 for 247 children.
- An Infants' School was built in 1911 for 200 children.
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[Created: 7-July-2009 - Louis R. Mills]
