Ullesthorpe is a small village and civil parish situated in the Harborough district in southern Leicestershire. Ullesthorpe is noted for its historic background with a mill, disused railway station and traces of a medieval settlement evident on the edge of the village. Geography Located 10 miles north of Rugby, Ullesthorpe is within easy access of the M1, M69 and M6. Local amenities include a primary school, post office, village shop, butchers, doctors surgery, hairdressers, garden centre, congregational church, two pubs and a golf course associated with the 'Ullesthorpe Court Hotel'. History Many prehistoric items have been located in and around Ullesthorpe, this includes flint tools found by the Lutterworth Archaeological Fieldwork Group. This indicates a settlement was located here during the prehistoric period. There is significant evidence that Romans came to Ullesthorpe in the 1st century AD because Roman coins, roof tiles and pottery have been recovered, as well as nearby Roman roads. After the fall of the Romans, settlers from the continent and Scandinavia began to move to Ullesthorpe. At certain times, the Saxons controlled the local area. However, a major influence came from the Danes. The name 'Ullesthorpe' derives from Old Scandinavian which means "the settlement of a man called Ulfr". Other villages near Ullesthorpe were also highly influenced by the Danes and therefore their names are derived from the Scandinavian language as well. Parish In 1870-1872- John Marius Wilson's described Ullesthorpe as: "A hamlet in Claybrooke parish, Leicester; on the Rugby and Leicester railway, 3¼ miles NW of Lutterworth". Until the mid 19th century, Ullesthorpe was a minor settlement within the Ancient Parish of Claybrook. Other villages included Claybrooke Magna, Claybrooke Parva, and Wibtoft. These four villages formed the parish of St Peter's Church Claybrooke. However, deemed under the 1866 Act, many villages became their own civil parish. Although Ullesthorpe is still part of St Peter's Parish Church, Ullesthorpe now has its own civil parish where people are elected into Ullesthorpe Parish Council who form a local government unit and control finances within the local village. Ullesthorpe Railway station Ullesthorpe used to have a railway station which served the Midland Counties Railway. Passed by Parliament on 21 June 1836, Ullesthorpe railway station was opened on 1 July 1840, serving between Leicester and Rugby. Originally named Ullesthorpe, the railway station name has been changed on a number of occasions. On 1 May 1879, it was renamed "Ullesthorpe for