SILEBY TOWN TRAIL

Sileby was once a major hosiery and footwear village but it's industry is now quite diverse. It has become a mix of modern industrial, residential development and tranquil countryside. The shopping area surrounds the medieval parish church of St Mary which has an excellently decorated interior. The village has a main line railway providing links with Loughborough and Leicester.

THE TRAIL

An ideal way to see the beauty of Sileby is to take the delightful 1 hour village trail. Parking your car in the free car park off King Street, walk parallel to the railway line keeping it on your right, onto King Street where you will see an array of quaint shops in the heart of the village. Walking down King Street you will see St Mary's Parish Church directly in front of you.

ST MARY'S CHURCH

Cross the road and walk down Church Lane around the left side of the church, coming out onto Mountsorrel Lane. Turn left and keep on the right hand side of the road walking out of Sileby. Where the road bends to the right walk straight on down Mill Lane, with the Cricket Pavilion on your right. Opposite the cricket fields walk through the five-bar gate on your left following the footpath to Sileby Mill Boatyard.

SILEBY MILL BOATYARD

If you have some time to spend why not get away for a few hours, a day, or even more and experience the relaxing delights of exploring the beautiful River Soar. The boatyard has diesel powered self-drive day boats, suitable for 2 to 10 persons, and fully fitted narrow boats available for short breaks. It is open from mid-March to October.

RIVER SOAR AND SILEBY BROOK

From here take the circular footpath, crossing over Sileby Brook, taking in the beauty of the River Soar. There are opportunities for nature lovers here as many swans and Canada geese are attracted to these fields around the former watermill. Once you have taken time to enjoy the tranquility of the outskirts of Sileby walk back to the gate where you came in and head back to Sileby. Once reaching Mountsorrel Lane walk back the way you came and turn right onto High Street once you have reached the Church. Walking down High Street cross over Sileby Brook onto Cossington Road and walk over to Martins Walk adjacent to Brook Street.

SILEBY MOSAIC

Sileby Mosaic was designed as part of a programme to improve Martin's Walk. Councillor C.H Martin gave this open space to the Parish Council to beautify and improve the area in commemoration of King George VI. The Mosaic is to help provide a village focus, to link Sileby's past, present and future.

The Mosaic shows this in the design starting with the name "siglesbie" which was the name given to Sileby in the Domesday Book. It also shows the Time Capsule which has been buried in this area and which will be opened in 2096 to link the present with the future. The Mosaic was constructed at the Old Gas House opposite and is comprised of over 55,000 pieces with over 30 different colours. Charnwood Arts were commission to design and construct the Mosaic and it was all fixed and grouted by hand. It was unveiled on the 22nd June 1996 by the Mayor and Mayoress of Charnwood.

If you look towards the bridge you can see the inscription : "Gift of John and Eleanor Dudley A,M IOODCCCXXXVIII" From here walk back onto Cossington Road heading out of the village center keeping on the left hand side of the road. On the corner of Manor Drive you will see the thatched Free Trade Inn.

THE FREE TRADE INN

One or two old framework "knitter's" houses still survive and the Free Trade Inn is a reminder of a bygone age. It is the one remaining thatched property in the village. Walking up Manor Drive bear left down Back Lane, keeping the Railway bridge on your right. Carry on walking down Back Lane until you come to Brook Street. Turn right up Brook Street, crossing the road, and take the footpath on your left back to the car park.