 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2018) |
| Market Harborough | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 The Old Grammar School | |
  Market Harborough Location within Leicestershire | |
| Population | 24,779 (2021 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SP7387 |
| • London | 88 miles (141.6 km) |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Areas of the town | |
| Post town | Market Harborough |
| Postcode district | LE16 |
| Dialling code | 01858 |
| Police | Leicestershire |
| Fire | Leicestershire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, close to the border with Northamptonshire. The population was 24,779 at the 2021 census.[1] It is the administrative headquarters of the Harborough district.[2]
Market Harborough was part of Rockingham Forest, a royal hunting forest used by medieval monarchs, whose boundaries stretched from Market Harborough to Stamford and included Corby, Kettering, Desborough, Rothwell, Thrapston and Oundle. The town was at a crossroads for both road and rail, but the A6 now bypasses it to the east and the A14 to the south. Market Harborough railway station is served by East Midlands Railway services on the Midland Main Line with direct services north to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, and south to London St Pancras. Rail services to Rugby and Peterborough ended in 1966.
The steeple of St Dionysius' Church rises directly from the street, as there is no churchyard. It was constructed in grey stone in 1300 with the church itself a later building of about 1470. Next to the church stands the Old Grammar School, a small timber building dating from 1614. The ground floor is open, creating a covered market area and there is a single room on the first floor. It has become a symbol of the town. The nearby square is largely pedestrianised and surrounded by buildings of varying styles. The upper end of the High Street is wide and contains mostly unspoilt Georgian buildings.
Market Harborough has two villages within its confines: Great Bowden lies over a hill about a mile from the town centre, and Little Bowden is less than half a mile from the town centre. The three centres have largely coalesced through ribbon development and infill, although Great Bowden continues to retain a strong village identity.
- ^ a b "Harborough Unparished Area in East Midlands". City Population. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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