Castle Donington Guide: There is a distinctly traditional feel to Castle Donington. It was Leicestershire's first conservation area because of its noteworthy buildings and original street pattern.
The road layout is basically the same as it was in Norman times and, with medieval sounding names like "Barroon Biggin" and "Bondgate", it still has an olde worlde feel as you wander the ancient streets, still with a smattering of wooden framed houses which have been there for centuries.
It is still a quaint, sleepy town with half a dozen shopping streets set around its 13th century church, and a handful of traditional pubs.
And although Castle Donington is a little town set slap bang in the middle of the country, it has an international airport and the M1 as neighbours, a world class motor racing circuit, plans for a new rail link into London and three big cities less than 20 miles away.
Commuters love Castle Donington. East Midlands Airport and junctions 24 of the M1 and the A50 cross country road are all close at hand, Derby is just 10 miles away, Nottingham 15 and Leicester 20, meaning all three can be accessed in under an hour. And plans to build a train station on the main London rail line will also put the capital well within commuting time.
This has led to a mini boom in business as companies crowd close to the airport and transport links. New business parks are springing up throughout the area.
There is always something happening here...from the May Day medieval festival to the October Wakes Fair.
Trains: The nearest station is at Long Eaton, with a good local network and trains to London and the north. There are plans for Donington's own main line station.
Buses: There are excellent local service to all the major cities, especially to Derby and Nottingham.
Roads: Castle Donington is two miles from the M1, and junction 1 of the A50, so there are quick and easy links to good roads in all directions.
Shopping: There are about 40 shops, scattered around half a dozen shopping streets from the High Street to Bondgate, offering plenty of choice, from picture framing to shoes and clothes to cards.
There are lots of hairdressers and estate agents, and a Co-op supermarket.
A Traders' Association has been formed to help attract more small, traditional shops.
A regular farmers' market is held every second Saturday, and there is a big Sunday market at Donington Park every week.
Eating and Drinking: The choice is good for such a small town. There are nine traditional pubs and 10 restaurants, including Indian, Chinese and Italian, and a fish and chip shop.
Sports: There are lots of sporting clubs, including a top-class junior football club, rugby, cricket, judo and Tae Kwon-Do.
Spital playing fields provides, among other things, a skateboarding park and there is a new £0.5m pound pavilion-cum-changing-rooms-cum-leisure-centre.
Parks and Open Spaces: Spital Park has skateboarding facilities and playing fields; Moira Dale playing fields are home to the cricket club and there is also the Stonehill sports ground.
Donington Park race track hosts many Grand Prix, including the superbike and touring car championships, and houses the world's largest collection of Grand Prix cars.
It is also known as the "Spiritual Heartland of Rock and Roll" and stages rock events including Download.
