The beautiful and historic market town of Market Bosworth lies just seven miles from Hinckley and is remembered chiefly for its association with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, where Richard III lost his throne to Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.

But there is more to the town than just a footnote in the pages of history. The attractive town centre has been designated as a Conservation Area and underwent a regeneration in preparation for the Quincentenary Celebrations of the Battle of Bosworth.

The 2,000 residents take pride in their town and this is reflected in its repeated appearances in the national finals of the "Britain in Bloom" competition.

And its roots go much deeper than that fateful day in August 1485. For in ancient times the town was known as Bosworde and excavated archaeological remains confirm that it was a Roman settlement.

Its manor house was originally owned by successive Earls of Leicester but later, by marriage, it fell into hands of the Harcourt family. The Harcourts came from France at the time of the Norman Conquest.

On 12th May 1285, Edward I granted Sir William Harcourt a weekly market and also the right to hold a fair.

For centuries, a fair for cattle, horses and merchandise has been held as near as possible to 8th May, and a second fair for cattle horses and sheep is held near 10th July. The July event has now been expanded into a major agricultural show and draws thousands of visitors from all over the Midlands.

Tolls for the general goods market on Wednesdays are held by Bosworth's most famous family, the Dixies.

The family's crest, a snow leopard, can be traced back as far as 1100 and their arrival in the town was to change its history. Sir Wolstan Dixie II (whose father had been Lord Mayor of London) took residence in Bosworth in 1756. Seventeen years later he founded the Free School, which has existed on its site as a Grammar School ever since.

In 1608, an elegant manor house - Bosworth Hall - was built by Sir Beaumont Dixie and the family occupied it for generations. Situated in elegant parkland it was later a hospital but is now a luxurious hotel.

An indication of the first Sir Wolstan Dixie's personality is reflected by claims that he installed a man-trap in the grounds to ensnare a young hopeful after his daughter, Anne. However, it was Anne who fell foul of the device, severing her leg at the ankle and she died of her injuries shortly afterwards.

The reign of the Dixies came to an end in 1885 when the entire estate was bought by Charles Tollemache Scott, who did much to improve the estate at Bosworth, re-planting woods and restoring the traditional lodges and farms.

Though never subject to the industrial expansion which affected other Leicestershire towns, Bosworth saw its own hectic period of the hosiery industry when an influx of stocking-weavers produced an explosion of population in the early 1800s. According to one report the weavers used to "sing all over the town".

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