William's Bridge is so named because when King William III planned to visit the Grey family at Bradgate in 1696, the existing crossings of the Rothley Brook were found to be too narrow for the Royal coach, so a new bridge had to be constructed. Anstey also has a GP surgery, dentist, funeral directors and opticians, and several fast food outlets and restaurants. Around The Nook there are a number of different shops, a post office, as well as pubs - The Coach and Horses, The Crown and The Old Hare and Hounds as well as a Conservative club. The Working men's club closed in 2009 and The Plough pub in 2012. In the past Anstey had two cinemas, the Savoy on Cropston Road which was later used as a petrol station/garage before being converted into a pub/restaurant and eventually a furnishings shop, and another on Ellis Street, which now sells wine. Local newspaper For many years, the village had its own newspaper, Anstey Scene, which was a quarterly with news about local events and council meetings. Other local publications included the Anstey Directory with advertisements for local businesses, including from the Birstall and Glenfield areas, and The Anstey Clarion, a monthly which took reader submitted articles. All of these have now ceased to publish. There is, however, a publication entitled Your Local which is published monthly. Local area Nearby Glenfield is the home of Leicestershire County Council, and all the shops and facilities of the city can be found about four miles (6 km) away in Leicester. Castle Hill Park lies to the East of the village, connecting Anstey to Beaumont Leys and with the A46 Leicester Western Bypass running through it. Bradgate Park, childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, stretches above the village, between the two neighbouring villages of Newtown Linford and Cropston. For transport, Anstey is served by regular bus services to Leicester and the Beaumont Shopping Centre (about a mile away in Beaumont Leys), and less regular services to Loughborough. By road, Anstey is just off the A46 Leicester Western Bypass, which provides a fast link to the M1 southbound to London, with the A50 providing access to the M1 North. Sport Anstey is home to Anstey Nomads Football Club who play in the East Midlands Counties League. Prior to the Second World War there were two separate teams, the Methodist and St. Marys Parish Church