About our Village - Eteach

Scalford VillageSet in rural Leicestershire, Scalford is a small village (population c450) located 4 miles tothe north of Melton Mowbray.The name of the village is derived from Old English and originally meant shallow ford. Ithas retained its current spelling for over 430 years, being shown as 'Scalford' on the mapof Warwickshire and Leicestershire produced (in Latin) in 1576 by Christopher Claxton aspart of his Atlas of England and Wales.The village still retains many amenities and has a good community spirit. Facilities includea popular village pub, a preschool which the school has close links with, a Toddlers groupand a Post Office. The village hall is surrounded by a playing field and hosts manycommunity events and is also used extensively by the school. There is also a MethodistChapel and St Egelwins Church within the community. Both are used by the school forconcerts and services throughout the year.The Scalford parish church, which is on a small hill in the centre of the village, is namedafter St Eglewin and is believed to be the only one in the country named after this saint.He is supposed to be buried in the churchyard. The chapel built in 1844 has all theinternal pine pews; organ, fixtures and furniture are still in place.

In times gone by, the village was entirely surrounded by a triangle of railways. ScalfordStation was on the GNR and LNWR line from Market Harborough to Bottesford, while anumber of mineral lines, attracted by the iron-ore mining which used to take place in thispart of the Vale of Belvoir, completed the triangle. Before 1939 the lines were often usedfor transporting horses to local races and point to point meetings. Regular passengerservices ended in 1953 but the lines survived for freight and summer specials until finalclosure came in 1962. Some of the railway infrastructure still exists in the form of variouscuttings and embankments, which have largely become incorporated into the countrysidebut leaving in place a few bridges and footpaths.There were also flourishing brickyards around 1875 to 1930 and bricks with the Scalfordimprint burned in can still be found. The master's house remains and is called Lion Houseafter the company name.William Brown, a Scalford man, known as 'Peppermint Billy', was the last person to beexecuted in public at Leicester Prison in 1856. He was found guilty of murdering Edwardand James Woodcock at Thorpe Toll Bar, having earlier been transported for ten years toTasmania for stealing silver spoons at Newtown Linford.The largest house in the parish, Scalford Hall, once the home of Colonel Colman (ofmustard fame) was built in 1908 and is now used as a conference centre and the stablesas a nursing home.

Scalford School LocationSchool Lane, Scalford, Melton Mowbray, LE14 4DTScalford is easily reached from the centre of Melton Mowbray (4 miles).It is also equidistant between Leicester and Nottingham (20 miles) using the A607, A606or A46.Grantham (13 miles) is a short journey on the A607. Oakham (13 miles) and Stamford (25miles) can easily access Scalford from the A606. Loughborough (17 miles),Newark(24miles) Derby (32 miles) all access Scalford on main A roads.