Hinckley has a rich and varied history.

We are near the intersection of two major Roman roads in the Fosse Way and Watling Street so pizza and pasta could have been our staple diet if they had stayed around for a bit longer - even before Rossini and Prezzo opened at The Crescent.

The Danes also came a-conquering and Watling Street was said to be the edge of Danelaw which was ruled by the Vikings.

The Normans (French) and the Saxons (German) have also played a big part in our past and have helped to leave a lasting legacy on us - even if we are not aware of it. It's just a pity they didn’t leave a legacy of being good at penalty shoot-outs.

This influence can all be seen in the names of our towns and villages which have links to parts of our past.

Many place names were derived from the locations they were in or the people who were in control of them.

The word Combe is a Saxon word for valley. So Coombe Abbey is an abbey in a valley.

Ley or leah at the end of a word is normally an indication of a meadow or clearing in the wood.

But the different conquering groups sometimes got it wrong - very wrong.

Breedon on the Hill should be renamed Hill, Hill on the Hill.

Bre is the Celtic name for hill. And the Old English word for hill is dun. So Breedon on the Hill actually means Hill - Hill on the Hill.

Here are some other possible origins of place names from this area. Many of the suggestions are from local historian Arthur Tomlin who looked into the matter a few years ago.


It is believed the name Sapcote derived from a remarkable well, known as Soapwell which was renowned for its soft water, as the womenfolk claimed they could do their washing without using soap. The Saxon word for soap was “sap” and “cote” was a small village – hence the name Sapcote. Others believe it is named from the Anglo Saxon Sceapcot which means shed or enclosure for sheep.


The name Hinckley is Anglo Saxon. The word Hinca is the name of the chief and “leah” is a meadow or clearing in the wood.


Burbage is supposed to have derived its name from Burr which is a unique species of thistle which grew in that area, and Bach which is a small tributary of a main stream which is one of the sources of the River Soar, creating Burrbach.


It was originally known as Barwella. The word “Bar” meaning a wild boar. These were very numerous in that area at the time. “Wella” meant a spring – of which there were a number in the village.

Sheepy Magna

The origin of the name Sheepy comes from the old English words Sceapea or Sceapeg which translates as “Sheep River”.

Dunton Bassett

The village was known as Donitone which is translated as a “homestead on a hill”. Bassett was added later as it was owned by Richard Bassett who owned many places in the county - hence all the places with Bassett in the title.


At the time of the Domesday Survey (1086), the village was known as Sacrestone which is believed to have derived from the French word ‘sacre” (sacred) as the church in its early days was a Benedictine religious house. In later years it evolved to be known as Shaxton and Shackston.


This is a dwelling and a brook. The word “cotes” implies that it was a dwelling place and “bach” indicates that a brook existed in the village. It may have meant a settlement by a brook.


The name Elmesthorpe, originally Aylmersthorpe, derived from a Saxon lord named Aylmer and Thorpe, a Danish word for village.

Earl Shilton

Shilton is the Old English word for settlement on a ridge. And Earl was probably added later after the Norman Conquest of 1066.