Market Place (Billesdon)
The Market Place is centrally located in the attractive ironstone village of Billesdon in Leicestershire.
It is on the old turnpike road from Leicester to Uppingham, used for through traffic until the bypass opened in 1986.
It is many years since the Market Place was used for weekly markets, but these started in 1618, along with two annual fairs.
Today, it is used as a village green, on which are two monuments. The 14th century Market Cross is actually older than the market, but would have been used as a meeting place. The War Memorial is a replacement for one which was accidentally demolished by an American tank.
The New Greyhound has been in operation since the 1840s. The Old Greyhound, across the road, is now a private house.