Mallory Park cost £60,000 to construct back in 1956
THE Powers family has long associations with Barwell. Tom Powers who lived at the Manor was probably the largest agricultural contractor in the country. After his death on June 7, 1932 all his tackle was sold, which included 22 steam engines.
He was on a number of occasions brought before the magistrates for offences caused by his engines, but he almost always won his case.
He purchased a castle in Wales and transported all the stones to Barwell by steam power and completely rebuilt the Manor House.
His brother John Powers who lived at Barwell House was a solicitor. He judged dogs at Crufts and also bred them himself.
Wigston Parva’s church is one of the oldest in The Midlands and dates back to 1160.
On Ambion Hill in Sutton Cheney is a spring where Richard III was believed to have quenched his thirst before the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and is now recognised as King Richard’s well.
Sam Towers and his wife had kept the post office in the village of Cotesbach for 34 years. It must surely have been the tiniest post office in existence as it only measures 6ft x 4ft. The post box was built in the wall and the post was from Lutterworth.
On February 9, 1906, a tragedy occurred in the Howe family who had a long association with Congerstone. Georgina, the beloved wife of the fourth Earl passed away after a long illness at the early age of 46.
Her death occurred at Curzon House in Mayfair and a special train brought her body to Shackerstone Station where her coffin was placed in the hearse which was waiting on the snow covered ground.
As the procession slowly began to wend its way through Shackerstone village, small groups of people lined the kerbside with heads bowed in respect to a Countess they had loved so much.
The hearse, drawn by two magnificent black horses, eventually arrived at Gopsall Hall, where a short service was held in the beautiful chapel.
William Whiston was the son of the Norton Juxta Twycross rector, Josh Whiston, who in his later years became blind, lame and deaf but still carried on his ministry at Norton.
William was a great mathematician and wrote many books and was later appointed Sir Isaac Newton’s deputy at Cambridge.
He attained fame with his translation of the works of Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian.
He disapproved of many of the principles of the Church of England and eventually jointed the Baptists.
Several people in Norton were arrested by the Sheriff in 1325 for the murder of William de Monte Gomeri, which took place on a heath near to the Abbey of Merevale.
It was said that he was struck on the head with a sword and died in his wife’s arms.
Lord Byron and Anne Millbanke of Kirkby Mallory had a daughter called Ada Augusta. Ada was a brilliant mathemati- cian, who in collaboration with Charles Babbage made one of the earliest calculators. Her name will be remembered forever in “Ada computer language”.
The Ada language was developed for guided missiles by the American Defense Department.
In 1956, an Earl Shilton builder and businessman Clive Wormleighton spent £60,000 constructing a tarmac motor racing circuit.
It was cleverly constructed in the bottom of a natural bowl and the lakes created in the centre of the circuit were the result of excavation work carried out to provide the raised spectator banking which makes Mallory Park one of the finest viewing venues in the country.
Many motorcycle and car racing world champions have competed at the circuit and it has been the scene of many epic races.
On the full circuit of the track which is 1.37 miles, the lap record stood at 127 miles per hour before the circuit was altered to make it safer.
Henry Tudor with his army of 6,000 men passed though Stafford and arrived at Atherstone on the evening of August 20, 1485 before the Battle of Bosworth.
Two days later after taking Holy Communion at Atherstone Church, he marched with his army down the Watling Street turning north to Fenny Drayton where he was met by John Hardwick of Lindley Hall who led him to the battlefield to meet Richard III with his army of 12,000 men.
Another gentleman to qualify Barwell for entry into the history books was William Bradford. In 1663 William Bradford and William Penn sailed to America to found the printing trade.
He printed the first prayer book for the American colonies. He died at the age of 89 in New York.
The name of Barwell is not only associated with the shoe industry but is highly renowned in cricketing circles and can boast to have the oldest continuous fixture in English crick- et.
The annual match with Coventry and North Warwickshire began when the English were fighting Napoleon and villagers have not missed a game since.
That eminent statesman the Rt Hon George Canning also lived in Burbage. It has been said that he employed himself in the cultivation of a few acres of land in the village when his parliamentary duties permitted.
George Canning was a Tory politician who served in several cabinets and served as Foreign Secretary on two occasions and as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
He also took part in a duel with another cabinet minister after they clashed a number of times.
The duel took place on Putney Heath and Canning missed his shot. His opponent hit Canning in the leg.
Canning later became Prime Minister for four months although his tenure came to an abrupt end when he died after just 119 days in office - the shortest tenure of any Prime Minister.