Oadby

Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It traditionally has a reputation for being one of the most upmarket and affluent parts of Leicestershire. The town is most famous for Leicester Racecourse, situated on the border between Oadby and Stoneygate, and the University of Leicester Botanic Garden.

Angles, Danes and Normans
There has been a habitation in Oadby since an Anglian settlement in the year 550 In 1760, on Brocks Hill, evidence of an Anglian burial ground was discovered The Middle Angles came under the rule of the kings of Mercia and were later conquered by the Danish invaders. Oadby is one of seventy Danish settlements in Leicestershire ending with "-by", which means village or settlement. Its name probably came from Old Norse Auðarbýr = "Auði's settlement". Danish rule continued until 920, when King Alfred the Great won his battles against the Danes: the Oadby area is supposed to be the site of at least one of these battles.

In 1086, Oadby's name was recorded as Aldebi. The name then changed to Oladebi, Outherby, Onderby and, finally, Oadby. When King Harold was defeated, William the Conqueror gave Oadby to Hugh de Grandmesnil, Governor of Leicestershire, who founded the parish church of Oadby on the site of the present St Peter's Church.

Modern times
Oadby remained a small settlement until the late 19th century when it became an upscale and fashionable suburb for the businessmen of Leicester, such as the factory-owners of Leicester's shoe and stocking manufacturers. Many substantial houses were built in Oadby, some of which are now used by the University of Leicester.

Stoughton Road in Oadby contains 2 sets of houses of historical interest. Some of the Framework Knitters Homes date back to 1909, while the North Memorial Homes, financed by Sir Jonathan North (former Mayor of Leicester) were built in 1927 and opened in the same year by the Prince of Wales. As well as a series of houses, the North Memorial Homes site also houses the North Memorial Hall, built in a neo-Georgian style, which has been leased to Oadby Evangelical Free Church since 1974.

Expansion of Oadby took place rapidly in the 20th century and is still continuing in 2012. Many residential developments have been constructed so that the population in 2001 reached 22,729.

Oadby today
Oadby today is a predominantly residential area for families. As is increasingly the case throughout Leicestershire, Oadby has a diverse population, ethnically and by religion. The academic success of Manor High School, Oadby and Beauchamp College makes Oadby an attractive location for families with children.

A Waitrose food store opened in 2010 on the former Invicta site. –

Schools in and around Oadby

 * Manor High School Academy
 * Beauchamp College
 * Leicester Montessori School
 * Leicester High School for Girls
 * Leicester Grammar School

University of Leicester Oadby Student Village
Set in an affluent residential location, adjacent to the University of Leicester Botanic Garden and University Sports Facilities, the Oadby Student Village is one of the most impressive student accommodation sites in the UK.

The village is a mixture of properties, from Edwardian houses to our newest purpose-built accommodation blocks. These three sites are very popular with undergraduates, especially those just beginning their university career. High levels of pastoral care are provided to reflect the younger population.

OMWA Community Centre
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council planned to build a large Mosque, shopping area and multi-storey car park on the site of the old Sandhurst Street car park and public library. This caused outrage in the Sikh and Hindu communities as on numerous occasions planning permission had been rejected for both a Gurdwara and Mandir. The council have attempted to satisfy this unrest by reissuing plans by flyer drop which see the planned Mosque renamed "community centre."

Christian

 * Oadby Baptist Church
 * St Pauls Church, Oadby
 * Oadby Parish
 * Oadby Trinity Methodist Church

Muslim

 * Masjid Umar, Leicester
 * Oadby and Wigston Muslim Association

Jewish

 * Leicester Jewish Congregation

Sport and culture
The local football club Oadby Town F.C. play in the United Counties League league. Leicester Tigers, the premiership rugby union club, train at their centre at Oval Park on the Wigston Road, Oadby.

Oadby's other local football club is Oadby Owls FC, who cater for many ages up to under-18s. They play at the municipal Coombe Park and are a very popular football club in Leicester. The club is known to be very successful around the Leicestershire area.

Oadby's Parklands Leisure Centre is home to the Dolly Rockit Rollers roller derby league. Members of the UKRDA, they were ranked amongst the top eight teams in the country in 2011.

Current famous residents include recent child prodigy Yagnesh Jadavji, named in a BBC documentary by Robert Winston, as being the youngest British citizen to create a MENSA accepted brain teaser. John Deacon, bass player of the influential rock group Queen, was born and grew up in Oadby. Milan Mandaric, former owner of Leicester City and current owner of Sheffield Wednesday lives in Oadby.

OWSC - Oadby and Wigston Swimming Club
Oadby and Wigston Swimming Club was founded in 1966 and has had over 40 years to perfect and train swimmers. They are a friendly competitive swim club, run by volunteers, who give up their time with no pay. It houses over 100 keen swimmers and trains at 5 times a week in two pools - Oadby and Wigston. The Chairman of the club is Patrick Foster and the Head Coach is Mick Wood. They are a very friendly swim club and although all the swimmers come from different backgrounds they are like one big family. This shows at competitive meets (galas) where all the swimmers are cheering and shining as they having the best team spirit on poolside.

Transport
Oadby is served by Arriva Leicester services 31 (Severn Road), 31A (Coombe Rise), 80/80A (UniLinx) and X3, Centrebus service 40 circle line and Stagecoach Northampton service X7.