Coleorton 2025 Calendar

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 >>


Coleorton Heritage event

"Medieval Coalmining in Coleorton"
Viscount Beaumont's School Wednesday 16 October

Coleorton tunicStuart Warburton, industrial archaeologist and former curator of Snibston Museum, on 'Medieval Coalmining in Leicestershire - Coalmining around Lount at the time of the War of the Roses'.
He told us about the excavations at the Lounge Opencast, Coleorton, which produced discoveries which re-wrote the mining history books, and looked at the finds such as tools, boots, mine shaft and the unique Lount (Lounge) Tunic. Stuart explained how the Lounge excavation proved the role Coleorton made towards, not just the 18th century industrial revolution, but what is today regarded as the first industrial revolution during the 14th-16th centuries,

A fine crowd came including some quite knowledgeable people from the mining community and Stuart answered a number of questions.


"Time to Remember" booklet series

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

St John's Coleorton

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:

  • For people to visit and learn about Coleorton history and heritage and to undertake research and use the Group's archive of material
  • A place to meet for local groups
  • More permanent displays of local history
  • A nearby facility and support for visitors to the surrounding graves

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 >>


Working Group Meetings

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 Heritage Group

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 >>.

Membership

Become a member of Coleorton Heritage Group and help to preserve and promote the heritage and social fabric of our community.

About membership benefits & how to join >>

Blue Plaques

We have launched "the Coleorton Blue Plaque" scheme to commemmorate buildings and sites in the village which have historic significance.

Research Resources

We have brought together some sources of information about social, family and economic history of Coleorton.

Articles

We publish articles in local press inc. Community Voice, St Mary's Church monthly email magazine and on the Coleorton website.