Hinckley

Hinckley, in southwest Leicestershire between the cities of Leicester and Coventry,  is the second biggest town in terms of area. Hinckley is administered by the council of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough.

 Places

• The Battle of Bosworth: The site of the Battle of Bosworth is located in Hinckley. The site houses an interpretation centre at Ambion Hill, where King Richard III set up camp before proceeding further for battle. Many soldiers who died during the battle are buried at St James's Church in Dadlington. The place is now a shrine for the ones who lost their lives.
• Hinckley Museum: The Museum is home to 17th-century knitter’s cottages made from timber.
• Stoke Golding: The site is home to a very fine arcade that can be found in some of the most beautiful medieval period churches.
• St Mary's Church: It is a 13^th-century church dedicated to Virgin Mary and located in the centre of Hinckley. Richard Smith was a young horse rider who was murdered in 1727. A tombstone dedicated to the youth is present in the courtyard. Every year on 12^th April, this tombstone bleeds. April 12 is the date when the youth was murdered. The church remains open daily from 10.00 to 4.00 pm, and during the services on Sunday.
• Parks Hollycroft Park: The park actually belonged to the Atkins family but in 1934 the Atkins handed over the park to the city authorities so it could be opened to the public. The park is very much liked by those who wish to play tennis and golf. The park houses various tennis courts, a bowling green, gardens, golf course and a bandstand. Many big events in the town take place at this park. The park in the years 2010 to 2012 received the Green Flag Status for achieving high standards.

 Other places that could attract visitors are the Brodick Park in the west of Hinckley and the Ashby Canal. The park with all its trees acts as a nature reserve. On the other hand, the canal is the longest curved canal in England passing through Hinckley.

Transport

The Hinckley town is equally placed at a distance of 19 km from both Coventry and Leicester. The town of Ibstock lies 18 km to the north on the A447 motorway.

Roads

It was in the early 1990’s that the A47 was by-passed as a result of the completion of the Normandy Way. This not only decreased congestion in the town, it was also helpful in the commercial development of the town along the A47 route. Hinckley has two motorways the A5 and the M69 with the M69 linking Hinkley to Leicester, Coventry and the two motorways the M6 and the M1.

 Bus

The main operators of the bus services in Hinckley are the Hinckley Bus. The service has routes for Barwell, Burbage, Earl Shilton, Leicester and Nuneaton. Up until 2008, a number of services were operated for rural areas by  Arriva. This stopped when Arriva was sold to Centrebus Holdings. Arriva regained the stake from Centrebus Holdings in 2013. Other major bus service operators in Hinckley include Stagecoach and Arriva Fox County.

Railway

The Hinckley railway station lies on the Birmingham to Peterborough Line on the Nuneaton–Leicester section.There are regular services being operated via Narborough and Nuneaton between Birmingham and Leicester. Residents can journey to London via the West Coast Main Line or through Midland Main Line. The Midland route terminus is the London St Pancras which ever since November 2007 has been the home of Eurostar international services.

Airports

The airports that fall the nearest to Hinckley are the Birmingham International and the East Midlands.