Ashby-de-la-Zouch, usually shortened to Ashby, is a little market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, inside the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France and lies near to the Derbyshire border. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Shellbrook, to the of the town, and Boundary to its north-west. Nearby villages include Lount, Normanton le Heath, Smisby, Packington, Donisthorpe, Oakthorpe, Moira, Measham and Coleorton. The towns of Swadlincote, Burton-upon-Trent, Melbourne and Coalville are all within 10 miles of Ashby, while the city of Derby is 11.5 miles due north. The town is situated at the heart of the National Forest and about 24 miles due south of the Peak District National Park. It lies on the A42 national route between Tamworth and Nottingham. The permanent resident population of the town, based on the 2001 census, was 12758, which increased to 13759 by the 2011 census. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle was of significance from the 15th to the 17th centuries. In the 19th century, the town became a spa town and ahead of the growth of Coalville, it was the chief town in northwest Leicestershire. In the 19th century, its primary industries were ribbon manufacture, coal mining and brickmaking. The town was served by the Leicester to Burton-upon-Trent Line of the Midland Railway from 1849. Lots of the buildings in Market Street, the town's principal thoroughfare, are timber framed, but most of this was hidden by later brick facades. The Bull's Head public house retains its historic Elizabethan half-timbering, although the majority of this was plastered over some years ago and can now no longer be identified from the street. For all of your residence improvement upgrades, be certain that you select trusted professionals in Ashby-de-la-Zouch to make sure you get the best quality service.