Leicester Forest East
|
|
Leicester Forest East (or LFE) is a settlement in Leicestershire, west of Leicester, straddling the M1 motorway. It is part of the Blaby district.
While LFE is not a particularly attractive suburb, it is a popular location for commuters and young families. It is primarily a dormitory suburb for the city of Leicester which was developed between 1920 and 1985, with moest of the development to the south east of the M1 motorway taking place in the 1930s, to the north east,and west of the M1 motorway in the 1960s. There has been a largest development of housing in the early 1980s, at the west most egde of the settlement.
There is one main place of Christian worship - St Andrews church which is an ecumenical congregation (anglican and methodist) a Roman Catholic congregation also meet in this building, there is also an evangelical free chapel.
There are local shopping facilities at the eastern end of the community including a newsagent, small post office, and small supermarket with a cash-dispenser; there are some small local shops and a garage at the western end of the community.
There are two pubs - both on the A47, one adjacent to the M1 motorway overbridge, locally known as 'the motel', the other is a much older establishment known as 'The Red Cow'. Both serve food, and offer accommodation.
There are excellent transport links to Leicester Forest East. There are bus services to Leicester, Hinckley, Nuneaton and other local destinations. There is a park and ride service from Meynells Gorse on the eastern edge of LFE to Leicester city centre. There is no railway station, although a railway does run through the area, carrying freight. Road links are excellent, with the A47 bisecting the community running to Leicester, Hinckley and Birmingham; there is good access to the A46 road where it by-passes Leicester, and from there to the M1 motorway.
There are two primary schools in LFE, Holmfield County Primary school is at to the east, and Stafford Leys Primary school to the west. Secondary education will continue at Winstanley high school, or Charnwood high school.
Most people know LFE for its Motorway Service Station on the M1 motorway. This is a grade 2 listed building - it was designed for the opening of the M1 motorway in the 1960s and was based on an Italian design used on the Autostradas. While it no longer has a silver service restaurant it does contain a number of shops and fast food outlets straddling the motorway carrigeway. There is no legal vehicular access to the motorway service station from Leicester Forest East.