Snarestone is a small rural village in North West Leicestershire, England. It lies on the edge of the National Forest and is from the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It has a population of approximately 300 people and 120 households, increasing to a population of 312 in 128 households at the 2011 census. The village is surrounded by farmland and open countryside. It is positioned at the foot of a slight hill that gently rises to a height of 115 metres. Other topographical features include the River Mease and the terminus for the Ashby Canal. Both of these waterways are sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). Based on the 2011 census data, it is the centre of population density for the island of Great Britain. Village Features Although Snarestone is a Leicestershire village it has a Derby postcode and is from the county boundary of North Warwickshire. The village has an active Parish Council that meets throughout the year and publishes a regular newsletter. Snarestone's amenities include two public houses, a primary school, a church, a blacksmiths, an antique reclamation yard, an allotment, a post box and a traditional red telephone kiosk. The village has various types of housing from thatched roof cottages, semi-detached houses, self-contained flats to large detached properties, complete with private tennis courts. Most settlements in the village extend along Main Road and Quarry Lane. There is another minor road (Derby Lane) that connects to neighbouring Shackerstone. The village is served by an ADSL enabled telephone exchange that is capable of providing broadband access to the internet at speeds of up to 80 Mbit/s. Refuse and recycling collections take place on a bi-weekly rota and a mobile public library makes regular stops in the village on alternate Fridays. A mobile fish and chip van also visits the village on Thursday evenings. An ATM cash machine is housed in the Globe Pub and the nearest supermarkets are located away in Measham. Snarestone's other public house (the Odd House) is located at the very top of Main Road and offers overnight accommodation. The area to the south of Snarestone is Crown Estate land and belongs to (but is not the private property of) the British Monarch. Much of this land is agricultural and is the site of a former Georgian country house (Gopsall Hall). It is reputed that George Frideric Handel composed his Messiah oratorio here in 1741. Transport Snarestone