
Thornton Reservoir – Duck Scavenger Hunt – Half term week


A village in Leicestershire and in the heart of the National Forest, overlooking Thornton Reservoir.

A new events company based in Thornton, McSmith Events, hosted their first event at Thornton Community Centre on Saturday 11th October.
Together with Comedy Hotspot they brought the first of what is hoped to be many Comedy nights to Thornton.
It was a hoot, three excellent comedians and a very funny host entertained us over a two and a half hour period, with the occasional short break to replenish our drinks from the bar set up in the meeting room and kitchen.
Don’t miss the next one on Friday 20th February 2026 – tickets available soon.







All in all a thoroughly enjoyable evening and something very different for Thornton.
In keeping with their ethos, McSmith Events ran a raffle with some excellent prizes, to raise money for the Community Centre (a charitable organisation that relies on donations, grants and bookings). Plus promised a ยฃ1 from every ticket sold to be donated to the centre.
The Trustees sincerely thank McSmith Events for their donation of ยฃ204 towards the running costs of the Centre.

McSmith Events are a family-run company based in Thornton, Leicestershire, bringing top-quality entertainment to local community spaces.
From comedy nights to quizzes and parties, our events supports talent, community spaces, and good causes.
Email – info@mcsmithevents.co.uk
Mobile – 07359 894186
Website – https://www.facebook.com/people/McSmith-Events/61578637385404/#
I am very pleased to announce that a beautiful 2026 Thornton Village Calendar, with photographs by Matthew Soulsby, is now available to buy.
Early Bird Special – on sale for ยฃ8.50 each, until November 1st when they will be on sale for ยฃ10.
Cash on delivery is available locally, or please direct message me for bank transfer details, if you prefer.
A large percentage of the net profit will go to St Peters Church.
If you would like one or more then please send me a direct message, including the number of calendars you would like to purchase, as well as your address for delivery.
I will deliver personally if the delivery is within Thornton, Bagworth and surrounding villages. If outside this area, a delivery charge will be added to the cost.
I have a limited number so please make sure not to miss out on a wonderful stocking filler.
Thank you for all your support.
Matthew Soulsby.

(Matthew can be contacted through his Facebook page – https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1558687135117971&set=a.119243165729049).
Last weekend as part of Leicestershire Heritage weekend, St Peter’s church, Thornton was open to the public, boards displaying the history of the village and local historian, Pete Leadbetter were available and created a great deal of interest for the visitors.
96 visitors came to the church over the 2 days and over ยฃ200 donated for tea and cakes.
Organised by the Friends of St Peter’s.


Hello St Peterโs and Friends
To remember VJ Day, there will be two short services โ prayer timeย – at St Peterโs church, Thornton.
One at 10 am and the other at 6 pm.
Everyone is invited to join us for a short time of prayer.
Hope you can join us.

Following changes to Arrivaโs 28 service, the section of route between Ratby and Coalville will now be served in different ways to reflect lower customer demand. The services will be available from Tuesday 26th August 2025. Arriva changes can be viewed on their latest news page.
LC15A will offer a fixed route, catering to schools and commuters, as well as onward journeys from Groby.
LC15B is a Demand Responsive Transport service, that residents can call up to book.
The LC15A will be operated by Coalville Cabs and serve all stops in Bagworth, Botcheston, Thornton and Merry Lees.
It will be available Monday to Friday, term time ONLY, allowing people to travel to Groby (Brookvale Groby Learning Campus). Pick-up times* for the LC15ABagworth: 6.45am & 7.45amThornton 6.50am & 7.50amMerry Lees 6.55am & 7.55amBotcheston 7am & 8am
*Please note that pick up times are approximate and it is recommended that passengers arrive at stops 10 minutes early.
The return times from Groby (stop opposite Woodbank Road) are at 3:20pm and 6:10pm.
Adult single fares will be ยฃ2.00 and child single fares will be ยฃ1. Free travel concession passes will be valid in accordance with current terms and conditions.
The LC15B will be operated by Coalville Cabs and serve all stops in Bagworth, Botcheston, Thornton and Merry Lees.
This is a bookable service, operating Monday to Saturday, 7am-7pm. Passengers will need to call the booking phone number before 5pm the day before travel. 01530 833800
Passengers from the villages served can book to travel to Groby (Brookvale Groby Learning Campus), Glenfield (Near County Hall / Hospital) and Coalville (Memorial Square).
Adult single fares will be between ยฃ2.00 โ ยฃ2.50 (dependant on destination) and child single fares will be 50% of that rate.
Free travel concession passes will be valid in accordance with current terms and conditions. See full details on the table below.ย
Watch the short clip below to understand what a DRT is, and how it operates.
To Grobyย To Glenfieldย To CoalvilleFrom Bagworthย ยฃ2.00ยฃ2.50ยฃ2.00From Thorntonย ยฃ2.00ยฃ2.50ยฃ2.00From Merry Leesยฃ2.00ยฃ2.00ยฃ2.50From Botchestonยฃ2.00ยฃ2.00ยฃ2.50
There will be changes to the route and timetable of these services to reflect changing travel patterns and current customer demand.
Buses will continue to operate between Leicester, Groby and Ratby. Whittington Drive will now be served by route 28 rather than route 27.
The section of route between Ratby and Coalville will now be served in different ways to reflect lower customer demand:
โข Thornton and Bagworth will be served a by a revised route LC15 operated under contract to Leicestershire County Council. The County Council will also be providing new routes LC15A and LC15B catering for scholar and commuter movements, details of these services will be confirmed at choosehowyoumove.co.uk shortly.
โข Customers travelling from Botcheston should contact Leicestershire County Council through their website choosehowyoumove.co.uk with details of their journey needs in order to shape a โdemand responsiveโ service here.
โข Customers travelling from Ratby to Coalville can use routes 27/28 a short distance to Leicester Road in Groby to connect with routes 29/29A.
โข Our 153 service continues to serve Newtown Unthank every hour Monday to Saturday.
There is a petition in the Corner shop at Thornton.
Or you can sign the petition online.
Changes to bus services are to be rolled out in Hinckley and Coalville at the end of August.
They include a new bus route connecting the two towns and expanding a newly introduced service to cover more parts of Hinckley.
The majority of bus network changes have been made by Arriva, in close partnership with Leicestershire County Council, and will start from Tuesday, August 26.
Routes have been designed to increase access to health care sites, new developments and local amenities.
A series of roadshows will be held throughout the month so residents can find out more about the changes, timetables and local travel, as well as the councilโs wider bus network review.
Ann Carruthers, Director of Environment and Transport said: โArriva has made their changes in liaison with the council as part of wider plans in the county to increase travel opportunities, improve punctuality and support the wider bus network.
โIf youโd like to find out more, do come along to one of the roadshows and have a chat with a representative from Arriva, or one of our officers.โ
Jonathan Wills, Network Manager at Arriva said: โWe have worked closely with the County Council to review and revise our local bus services in the Hinckley and Coalville areas, reflecting current customer demand while supporting the servicesโ ongoing financial sustainability and incorporating new residential areas into the network.
โAll of our Adult Single fares remain capped at just ยฃ3, and with unlimited travel available from just ยฃ2.82 per day with our 4-Weekly tickets thereโs never been a better time to get onboard.โ
The roadshows will be held at:
Among the service changes, the LC14 route introduced in June is being enhanced to improve coverage around Hinckley. It will now serve Hollycroft, Tudor Road, Netherley Road, Barwell Lane, and Leicester Road.
Residents will also benefit from a new one-year trial of the LC6 route, operated by Centrebus, connecting Coalville and Hinckley. Free bus pass holders will be able to travel at no cost all day.
Additionally, a new two-vehicle service is being introduced to support travel between Coalville and nearby villages including Bagworth, Thornton, Merry Lees, Botcheston, Groby, and Glenfield. It will run on fixed routes during school term time and be bookable throughout the day. The service follows changes to the number 28 bus route and takes account of recent feedback from residents to help better meet local travel needs.
More information is available on the Choose How You Move Website.
Click to access LC15-Coalville-to-Leicester-26.08.2025.pdf
Demand Responsive LC15 bus service
The demand-responsive element of the revised LC15 bus service in Bagworth & Thornton, operated by Arriva under contract to Leicestershire County Council, means that the route will adapt to passenger demand, potentially offering a more flexible and convenient service compared to traditional fixed-route buses. This could involve adjusting the route or schedule based on passenger requests, especially in areas where the service may be less frequent or where there is a need to connect to other transport hubs.
Plans for a new large solar farm near a former colliery in Leicestershire have been revealed.
Developers said the 76-acre site on fields off Heath Road, in Bagworth, and Merrylees Road, in Thornton, near Desford Colliery, would produce energy to power more than 7,500 homes a year.
The planning application submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council said a consultation exercise had found feedback was positive but concerns had been raised about farming land being lost.
If approved, construction would take about 24 weeks and the farm would be operational for up to 40 years.
The site across three fields is situated near Bagworth Heath Woods – a country park that previously formed part of Desford Colliery but is now made up of woodland, grassland, heathland, lakes and ponds, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Planning documents submitted by Renewable Connections Development said dioversity at the farm would be boosted by barn owl boxes, bird nesting boxes, beehives, log piles and small, buried rubble piles for reptiles, amphibians and insects.
The company said a four-week public consultation held earlier this year revealed concerns over arable land being lost and construction traffic.
However, people acknowledged the need for renewable energy and the biodiversity proposals.
The site is in an area with 13 other solar farms, arrays, renewable energy stations, wind turbines and clay works.
People are able to submit views on the plans on the council’s website until 28 August.
Reported by Julia Breens
Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC news 6th August.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy57p08neno?app-referrer=deep-link
Hello St Peterโs and Friends
The Thornton church service this Sunday (10th) is J22 Worship with Holy Communion, followed by refreshments. It will be led by Rev Andrew. Itโs a modern service of Christian Worship, family friendly with contemporary music.
Everyone is very welcome.ย

