Medbourne Stories

This is a list of “story pages" each of which provides an insight into the village in the past. Where possible story pages are illustrated by photographs.

Click on one of the links below:

• World War 2 in Medbourne
  Written by two long-term residents who were children in the war. This is a fascinating memoir of daily life during the turmoil.
  
  
• Medbourne War Memorial - and the men it commemorates
  Posted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, this is the story of the memorial itself and, more importantly, every man whose name is commemorated on the memorial. There are 19 World War I casualties and two from World War II.
  
  
• World War I those who came home
  Also commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, this page lists all those who volunteered, or were conscripted for service and came home from the war at the cessation of hostilities. There is a contemporaneous account of the celebratory event held for them in the Village Hall.
  
  
• Medbourne - Snippets from the Past
  Short stories of interesting happenings in the village, some from newspaper clippings.
  
  
• How Medbourne Prepared for World War II
  A verbatim transcript of Medbourne's Invasion Plan for World War II, published by the County of Leicester Invasion Committee.
  
  
• Leviathon Wood
  How Medbourne's Leviathon Wood came into being with this particular name.
  
  
• An Evacuees Story
  The story of a girl who was evacuated to Medbourne in World War 2 and made lasting friends.
  
  
• The Legacy of the Railway
  Medbourne is surrounded by evidence of the railway, now disused. What you can still find and how it came about. Narrative and pictures.
  
  
• When Medbourne used to flood
  Medbourne used to flood regularly. Pictures and narrative.
  
  
• The History of St. Giles' Church
  A short history of St. Giles' Church. Narrative and some photographs.
  
  
• Bottle Kicking - History or Legends?
  Whilst Medbourne's involvement in Hallaton's Hare Pie Scrambling and Bottle Kicking is relatively recent, the Easter Monday custom dates back hundreds of years and there are various theories about its origins.
  
  
• Medbourne School History
  A look at the days when Medbourne had its own school and enough children to fill it.
  
  
• Medbourne School Logs
  This is a selection of interesting entries from the School logs, presented year-by-year from 1872 to 1969.
  
  
• How Medbourne School became the Village Hall
  When Medbourne School was closed in the 1980s there was some legal wrangling before it became our Village Hall. This is an account of that evolution.
  
  
• Medbourne Horticultural Society
  An interesting look back at the days when grow-your-own was not just about eating but also about competing.
  
  
• Medbourne before the Welfare State
  Back to the days when community self-help was the only remedy for those in need.
  
  
• The Cunards and their tenure of Nevill Holt
  This is the story of an ancestral estate owned by a distinguished family which suffered financial difficulties, temporarily alleviated by a rich American, only for those difficulties to re-appear some years later causing the Estate to be sold.
  
  
• Nevill Holt Hall - Family History
  The families that owned Nevill Holt Hall. Some of them weren't called Nevill, so they changed their name to Nevill!
  
  
• Four Fires
  Fire was more prevalent in days gone by. Read the story of four fires in Medbourne's history.
  
  
• The Reading Room - The Old Village Hall
  Before the Old School became the Village Hall that purpose was served by the Reading Room. This is the story of the reading room from its inception to its eventual sale.
  
  
• The Romans in Medbourne
  There is strong evidence of the Romans in Medbourne, mainly because the village lies on the route of a major Roman road connecting important military centres.
  
  
• Medbourne Hollow
  This page charts the evolution of The Hollow to become the much-loved nature reserve it is today.