Ashby-de-la-Zouch, typically referred to as Ashby, is a little market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France and is positioned near to the Derbyshire border. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Shellbrook, west of the town, and Boundary to its north-west. Some nearly villages are 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 ten miles of Ashby, with the city of Derby 11.5 miles north. The town is located at the heart of the National Forest and approximately 24 miles to the south of the Peak District National Park. It is on the A42 national route between Tamworth and Nottingham. The permanent resident population of the town, as per the 2001 census, was 12758, which increased to 13759 in 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 prior to the growth of Coalville, it was the chief town in northwest Leicestershire. During the 19th century, its most important 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. Many the buildings in Market Street, the town's primary 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 your house improvement projects, ensure that you utilise trusted pros in Ashby-de-la-Zouch to ensure you get the top quality service.