Ashby-de-la-Zouch, frequently 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 situated close to the Derbyshire border. The civil parish consists of 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, while the city of Derby is 11.5 miles to the north. The town is located at the heart of the National Forest and around 24 miles south of the Peak District National Park. It is on the A42 national route in between Tamworth and Nottingham. The permanent resident population of the town, based on the 2001 census, was 12758, which grew to 13759 in the 2011 census. Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle was important from the 15th to the 17th centuries. In the 19th century, the town became a spa town and before the growth of Coalville, it was the chief town in northwest Leicestershire. In 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. 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 seen from the street. For all your property improvement projects, be certain that you utilise trusted professionals in Ashby-de-la-Zouch to ensure that you get the top quality service.