Limby Hall Lane
The origin of the name “Limby Hall” is often questioned. During the 19th century it was often spelt “Linby Hall”. There is not any evidence that there was a large house or hall.
One suggestion is that the name arose from a group of 18th century coal miners from the Nottinghamshire village of Linby. The road leading north from the Peggs Green roundabout at the top of St George’s Hill is Nottingham Road. Numerous Swannington, Coleorton and Peggs Green families have moved back and for between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The manager of the Califat coal mine was George Lewis (Richard George Bailey Lewis) and his brother Henry Lewis was the manager at Linby colliery.
Another suggestion is that the building on the central corner of the road (Limby Hall is an “L” shaped road) was once owned by a Mr Linby and Mr Hall.
Limby Hall is between the main village of Swannington and Coleorton in an area where people have often been unaware of village boundaries. A fascinating account from the 1863 Loughborough Monitor records the social attitude of the time within the church.
Toll House
Starting at the junction with Main Street, Jeffcoats Lane and St Georges Hill, the first property on the south side is known as Toll House. The name is derived from the toll bar on the former Hinckley to Melbourne turnpike.
The 1861 census records the occupants of the toll bar as:
- Thomas Simmonds, 34, colliery labourer, born Thope, Leicestershire
- Hannah Simmonds, 34, wife, born Thringstone
- William Simmonds, 9, son, born Thringstone
- John Simmonds, 5, son, born Thringstone
- Elizabeth Simmonds, 3, daughter, born Thringstone
- Thomas Simmonds, 9 months, son, born Thringstone
Many 19th century people had more than one occupation to make ends meet. When Thomas had shifts at the colliery his wife Hannah would have collected the tolls as well as looked after the children.
Labourer Thomas Simmonds had married Hannah Thompson on the 30th August 1852 at St Johns church, Whitwick. Thomas was illiterate and made his mark with a X, while Hannah signed her name.
William’s birth was registered during the third quarter of 1853, as the census date was the 7th April 1861 he would have been 7 years old not the 9 on the census. Maybe the parents weren’t good at arithmetic, or more likely they just forgot how old William was as in former times there was not the paperwork that constantly reminds us of dates in modern society.
Rose Cottage Farm
Just after Toll House on the north side of the road is Rose Cottage Farm.
Raper and Fenton Mine and Jessop’s Tramway
In the 1790s John Raper and William Fenton owned a coal mine on the north side of Limby Hall Lane. The site is now a small area of woodland.
As part of the ill fated Charnwood Forest Canal, William Jessop built a horse drawn tramway from the Raper and Fenton mine to the canal. The route of the tramway is the reason for the wide grass verge on the north side of the road.
The gate into the wood is where the tramway reached the coal mine
Back To Back Properties
At the central corner of the “L” shaped Limby Hall Lane are some back to back properties.
The houses in this complex are "back to backs" where their rear wall is shared with their neighbour