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Ashby-de-la-Zouch (), often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is a sister city with Pithiviers in north-central France and lies close to the Derbyshire border. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle was of importance from the 15th to the 17th centuries. In the 19th century the town became a spa town and before the growth of Coalville it was the chief town in northwest Leicestershire. In the 19th century its main industries were ribbon manufacture, coal mining and brickmaking. The town was served by the Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line of the Midland Railway from 1849. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Shellbrook west of the town. Nearby villages include Lount, Normanton le Heath, Smisby, Packington, Donisthorpe, Oakthorpe, Moira, Measham and Coleorton. The towns of Swadlincote, Burton-upon-Trent, Melbourne and Coalville are all within 10 miles of Ashby, with the city of Derby 11.5 miles due north. The town is situated at the heart of The National Forest and approximately 24 miles due south of the Peak District National Park. It lies on the A42 national route between Tamworth and Nottingham. ==History== "Ashby" is a word of Anglo-Danish origin, meaning "Ash-tree farm" or "Ash-tree settlement". It was known as Ashby in 1086.〔http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SK3616/ashby-de-la-zouch/ Open Domesday: Ashby-de-la-Zouche〕 The Norman French name extension dates from the years after the Norman conquest of England, when the town became a possession of the La Zouche family during the reign of Henry III.〔()〕 Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle was built in the 12th century.〔Pevsner, 1960, page 51〕 The town and castle came into the possession of the Hastings family in 1464 and William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings enhanced its fortifications from 1473.〔 In the English Civil War the town was one of the Cavaliers' chief garrisons under the control of Colonel Henry Hastings, 1st Baron Loughborough and commander of the North Midlands Army. When the town fell after a long siege in March, 1646 it was counted a great relief to the surrounding towns and villages.〔(Henry Hastings and the Siege of Ashby )〕 (詳細はpublic house retains its original Elizabethan half-timbering although most of this was plastered over some years ago and can now no longer be seen from the street. A short distance further down Market Street is a shop, currently occupied as a LOROS Charity Shop, which does retain its original Elizabethan timbers in full street view. There are also Regency buildings in this street. Bath Street has a row of Classical-style houses called ''Rawdon Terrace'' dating from the time that the town was a spa in the 1820s. The local upper school, Ashby School, previously Ashby Grammar School, is a mixed comprehensive school for 14- to 18-year-olds that was founded in 1567. There were formerly two other endowed boys' schools of 18th century foundation. A local high school, Ivanhoe College, for 11 to 14-year-old children, is named after the historical novel ''Ivanhoe'' by Sir Walter Scott which was set in the area of the castle. In Scott's novel the town hosts an important archery competition held by Prince John, in which Robin Hood competes and wins. Manor House School is an independent day school in the centre of Ashby for boys and girls aged four to 16. The school is located between St Helen's Church and the ruins of Ashby's historic castle. Pupils travel to the school from a wide geographical area. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ashby-de-la-Zouch」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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