We have a great new Calendar for 2025!
There are 12 colour photos of local places. Thanks to Fiona Illingsworth, Dave Merriman, Michael Hall, Siobhan Dillon and Sandra Dillon for some stunning photos.
Calendar sales raise a little bit of money to help with our various events, research activities and publications.
Coleorton 2025 Calendars are £8 each - available for collection from Coleorton Heritage Group locally or by post add £2.20. To order contact Sandra on 01530 440000 or email enquiries@coleortonheritage.org.uk
Also available at Heritage group events. More about Coleorton calendars >>
On Sunday 10 November Coleorton marked Remembrance Day with a service at Viscount Beaumont School and the laying of wreaths at the War Memorial. The names of those from Coleorton who died in WW1 and WW2 were read out and a two-minute silence observed.
Coleorton war memorial, including a link to the names of those who died >>
If you have any questions about Coleorton families, buildings or life as it once was in Coleorton come and meet our friendly team. We enjoy hearing your stories and seeing if we can all help each other discover more about our local village.
There will be photos and articles to examine and some census and 1939 register records. Entry including tea or coffee and biscuits £3.
No need to book. You'll be very welcome.
We've published a small booklet with childhood memories of members and local residents (available for sale at “Sleuthing” and other events, or contact Terry Ward at terryjward@aol.com). We're currently collecting stories and memories for a second issue. If you would like to contribute your own story get in touch with Terry to find out more.
St John’s Chapel, next to the School on Ashby Road, has served the community since it was opened in 1857; however the chapel is now in danger of being lost to the community as it is considered surplus to Church requirements and may be declared redundant. We believe every effort should be made to retain this beautiful and historic chapel as a community building rather than let it lapse into private hands or disrepair. The cemetery will remain open to visitors and new burials.
The Heritage Group is actively engaging with the Diocese regarding options. Our preferred option is to create a community heritage hub:
To be a viable community facility we will need to add a toilet and small kitchenette. The graves come very close to the walls of the chapel so an extension will need to be compact. We are looking at possibilities in the somewhat limited footprint available.
More about St John's Chapel and its history >>
Our active members usually meet every month or so to organise activities and coordinate research.
If you're interested in local history and would like to be involved with our group please contact Sandra - details below - and I'll let you know about the next meeting. These are informal working group meetings.
In the meantime we'd love to hear your stories and together build our knowledge of Coleorton heritage. Call Sandra on 01530 440000 or email enquiries@coleortonheritage.org.uk to let us know you're coming.
The Coleorton 2000 Committee was initiated in 1998 to devise a way of commemorating the new millennium. We developed the Millennium Garden in a plot of land kindly donated by Joan Cull, erected a commemorative sign and organised various associated celebrations and events.
More recently the group has been concerned with researching, recording and making publicly available local heritage, social, industrial and family history. We also support various restoration projects, for example the Bakehouse. So the name was changed to "The Coleorton Heritage Group".
Other projects have included:
Further information from enquiries@coleortonheritage.org.uk or phone Sandra Dillon (Chair) on 01530 440000
We send out a newsletter every month or so with news about our activities and events. If you would like to receive our newsletter please subscribe >>.
Become a member of Coleorton Heritage Group and help to preserve and promote the heritage and social fabric of our community.
We have launched "the Coleorton Blue Plaque" scheme to commemmorate buildings and sites in the village which have historic significance.
We have brought together some sources of information about social, family and economic history of Coleorton.
We publish articles in local press inc. Community Voice, St Mary's Church monthly email magazine and on the Coleorton website.