Woodhouse, Leicestershire

Woodhouse, Leicestershire

Coordinates: 52°44′1.00″N 1°12′6.00″W / 52.73361°N 1.20167°W / 52.73361; -1.20167

Woodhouse, often known to locals as Old Woodhouse, is a small village in the heart of Charnwood, England. Located between the larger Woodhouse Eaves and Quorn villages, this picturesque village, with a mixture of small cottages and large modern houses, is one of the most expensive villages in the county. It is a commuter village for both Leicester and Loughborough, as well as further afield.

Beaumanor Hall, ancestral home of the Herrick family, was used as a listening station during the war. The Hall is now owned by Leicestershire County Council and is used as an educational base with outdoor activities.

Welbeck College has moved to the village, on the edge of the grounds of Beaumanor Hall.

The village has around 400 people living in it. Woodhouse has a number of mixed farms. The village is more famous for Beaumanor Hall and the recently closed army barracks (Garats Hay) which has now been converted into Welbeck College in its first term September 2005.

The oldest part of the village is the church, which is believed to date back to the 17th century. This is evident on the side of the church near to where the Herrick family are buried, as a large number of indentations show where arrows were sharpened for hunting. The village was originally linear; however, the army barracks created a more nucleated village with more modern housing than the typical Georgian architecture seen throughout.

The village has no services and relies on surrounding villages and towns for shops etc. The village is low on the settlement hierarchy.