Category: Local History

The newly formed Kibworth & District Heritage Society (which hopefully will incorporate the currently dormant Kibworth History Society) recently ratified its constitution at a special meeting on Thursday 28 August in the Kibworth Community Library. The following were elected as officers of the society

A pillar box, or post box, and a telephone box in Warwick. © Historic England Archive. PLB/N110029.

Our ancient turret clock has recently been returned to the church and is now on display in the north aisle. It dates from 1629 and is a rare example of an oak framed mechanism with the workings made by a blacksmith. It ceased to work as the turret clock in about 1890.

The follow up meeting of the relaunch of Kibworth History Society is to take place in Kibworth Community Library on Tuesday 24 June at 7pm. 

As part of Kibworth Community Library’s Local History Season, a talk was given about the Black Death and how it impacted Kibworth.

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.