Estate Agents Covering Barlestone

Barlestone is a small, historic, small town sitting around 12 miles west of Leicester and close to the town of Market Bosworth.

It was once a chapelry within Market Bosworth’s ancient parish before becoming its own civil parish in 1866. During the 19th century, Barlestone was largely defined by the knitting and hosiery trades, and while no colliery ever operated within the parish itself, many people from the area once travelled out to pits at Bagworth, Coalville and Newbold Heath (commemorated with a pit wheel monument in the town centre).

Life in Barlestone today is quiet and rural, with fields on most sides and country walks reached straight from the doorstep. It’s smaller and less well known than Market Bosworth a few miles along the road, but it holds its own set of shops, pubs and clubs that keep daily life running without a car journey needed for the basics. St Giles’ Church, rebuilt in the 1850s, still stands at the centre of town life alongside the Baptist chapel and the Elohim church, a reminder of how many separate congregations such a small townhas supported over the years.

As a small town some distance from the nearest railway station, transport in Barlestone relies mostly on the car, though bus services and a network of quiet lanes give options beyond it.

• Car & Road: The A447 runs along the edge of the town, linking Barlestone to Hinckley to the south and close to Market Bosworth (which is around 10 minutes away by car). Nuneaton is roughly a 20 minute drive away, while Leicester city centre can be reached in about 30 mins via Desford. The M1 is also easy to access, providing a route north towards Leicester and Nottingham – and south towards Coventry and Birmingham via the M69.
• Bus: Local bus services connect Barlestone to Market Bosworth, Newbold Verdon, Hinckley and Nuneaton, with a stop close to the Co-op on West End. Services run less often than in the towns nearby, so driving is still the default for most people.

Barlestone has a diverse mixture of property which spans several eras of development. Keep reading to find out more about what’s on offer.

Property styles in Barlestone: Barlestone’s housing stock ranges from Victorian and early 20th century terraces built for the small town’s framework knitters, through to inter-war and post-war semis and detached houses further out towards Bosworth Road and Newbold Road. Older cottages near the church and along West End and Main Street show period brick and stone detailing typical of the 19th century, while the newer streets nearer the edge of the town offer more modern, family sized detached and semi-detached homes.

Sought-after streets: The most sought after streets tend to be those close to the town centre where larger detached homes and older cottages with bigger gardens come up for sale less often.

Day to day life in Barlestone runs at a slower pace than the towns nearby, with most of what people need close by and bigger shops and services just a short drive away in Hinckley or Market Bosworth.

Shopping: The Co-op on West End doubles as the local post office and covers most everyday shopping needs. For a full supermarket shop, a wider choice of shops, or a trip to a proper high street, Hinckley and Market Bosworth are both a short drive away.

Eating & Drinking: Barlestone has two pubs, the Three Tuns and the Red Lion, both of which serve food, plus a fish and chip shop, a Chinese takeaway and an Indian restaurant, all within walking distance of the town centre. It’s a modest choice compared to a town, but enough to cover a night off from cooking without leaving Barlestone.

Leisure & Recreation: Barlestone St Giles Football Club is active locally. The Bowls Club uses the Playing Fields off Bosworth Road, which also has a Community Centre used by groups and clubs, giving families and older people in the area somewhere to meet close to home.

Barlestone itself is a quiet place, but it sits within reach of some of Leicestershire’s best known historical sites. Take a look at a few of the key landmarks below:

• St Giles’ Church – Right in the town centre on Church Road, this Grade II listed parish church was largely rebuilt in 1854-55, keeping its older chancel. Quiet and small, it remains the parish church for all in Barlestone.
• The Wheel – Standing at the centre of the town, this pit wheel was installed in the late 1980s to remember the miners who lived in Barlestone but travelled out to work at collieries in Bagworth, Coalville and Newbold Heath. More on the town’s history is held by the Barlestone Parish Council.
• Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre – A short drive from Barlestone near Market Bosworth, this site marks the 1485 battle where Richard III lost his crown to Henry Tudor, with trails, a museum and a café set across the surrounding country park.