Thurmaston is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, located within the Borough of Charnwood. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 9,668. It is situated four miles north of the city centre of Leicester and lies just outside the A563, Leicester's outer ring road. History and geography Thurmaston is bounded to the west by Watermead Country Park (which faces onto Birstall), to the north by Syston and to the east by Barkby and Barkby Thorpe. South of Thurmaston is Rushey Mead and the boundaries of the Leicester urban area. Rushey Mead was formerly part of the Thurmaston parish in the 19th century, before becoming a Thurmaston Urban District in 1894. In 1935, the district was annexed to the city of Leicester where it took its modern-day name of Rushey Mead. Thurmaston is split in two by the A607 dual carriageway, which by-passes the main village. To the east of the road is the mostly residential, newer part of Thurmaston. To the west is the main village on Melton Road, which stands on the old Fosse Way, the historic road built by the Romans. Thurmaston lies on the eastern banks of the River Soar, and two marinas are located there, one of which is also a boat-yard, and numerous mooring sites. These lead to the Watermead Country Park which is a purpose-built nature reserve. The Midland Main Line also runs through the eastern half of the village. Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Ltd., a subsidiary based in Thurmaston, developed the Taylorcraft Model 'D' and the Auster Mk. I through Mk. V, which became the backbone aircraft of the British A.O.P. The local football team, the Thurmaston Magpies, once boasted former England international striker/defender Dion Dublin in its ranks. The Thurmaston depot and headquarters of Arriva Midlands are located on Westmoreland Avenue within the village. Education Thurmaston contains three Key Stages 1 and 2 primary schools: Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School Eastfield Primary School Church Hill Infant School and Church Hill C of E Junior School It also contains a Key Stage 3 secondary school, The Roundhill Academy, which takes in students from all the aforementioned schools in the village, as well as schools in the neighbouring town of Syston. Facilities Thurmaston's prominent location on the edge of Leicester has seen much development in recent years. On 31 March 2003, a large Asda superstore opened on Barkby Thorpe Lane, pushing the