Community

Barkby and Barkby Thorpe are two relatively small communities,located very close to one another and appearing always to have been two different parts of the same group of people. The names of the villages are Viking, but we believe that there was a small group of houses here in Anglo Saxon times, and certainly Roman villas and farms have stood where we now live. Although only five miles from Leicester's centre, farming is a very important reason for our existence, there are four farms in the heart of the village and others in the nearby countryside.

The population is a very caring one and when it can raises significant sums for
local charities. There are two pubs, a farm shop and a plant nursery both with catering facilities and some industrial units near the church.

St Mary's church is an important part of the community and is well supported having two services on a Sunday and one during the week.

Housing is unusual in that it is almost equally divided between rented and privately owned.

Barkby Hall is situated in the middle of Barkby and has been the home of the Pochin family who have lived there for several centuries.