Category: Local History

Dear Editor

The Museum’s new summer exhibition, ‘Ingenuity and Vision’, explores the remarkable story of the 1950 Market Harborough ‘Festival and Rally of Boats.’  Held just five years after the end of World War II, this event brought together over 50 boats, campaigners and enthusiasts, in a bold celebration of Britain’s inland waterways.

Our mill once again opened its doors to the public over National Mills Weekend 2025. Over the two days volunteers showed 70 visitors of all ages around the mill. They explained the history and operation, whilst also highlighting the 200 examples of graffiti and apotropaic marks made by millers over the past 300 years. We were blessed with exceptionally good weather. Whilst most visitors were local, some had travelled from as far afield as South Wales to visit the oldest surviving post mill in Leicestershire.

On Thursday 8 May 2025, the 80^th anniversary of Victory in Europe, Britain and beyond celebrated.

Our new exhibition at the Hallaton Museum is called ‘Ale Tales’. This tells the story about the many ale houses (pubs) that started and ended  theirlives in Hallaton. It’s become a fascinating story, tracing where and when they originated.  There are many photos and recollections never shown before.

Recently the Kibworth & District Chronicle was handed a number of archived documents including a rather battered issue of F P Woodford’s book ‘History of Kibworth and Personal Reminiscences’,

Wikipedia tells us that Papillon Hall, off Theddingworth Road near Lubenham, was built in about 1620 and demolished in 1950. It was located adjacent to what is now the Bramfield Park Homes site. A French Huguenot architect and military engineer, David Papillon, was the man who built it. It was an octagonal, two-storey, stone house surrounded by a moat.

In those halcyon days during the early part of the last century, when everything moved at much slower pace, village life seemed to remain pretty much unchanged for generations. Farmers worked the land and, in most cases, brought their families up to follow suit. One such place where this pattern appeared to continue is the beautiful village of Carlton Curlieu.

Some readers may not know that during World War II long before the formation of the Kibworth & District Chronicle there existed The Kibworth News and Forces’ Journal. No.1 was published in 1944. In 1945, issue No 2 was sent free to all those serving in His Majesty’s Forces. It is subtitled Vth Birthday and Victory Number.

I was fortunate enough to acquire a copy of this 171 year old railway timetable. It appeared in the Market Harborough Advertiser in both January and October 1854. It charts the journey from Stamford in Lincolnshire through Leicestershire to connecting lines for London and Liverpool. This was issued on behalf of the Rugby and Stamford Branch line.