Market Harborough 5.62

Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 22,911 (2011) and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border. The town was formerly at a crossroads for both road and rail; however the A6 now bypasses the town to the east and the A14 which carries east-west traffic is 6mi to the south. The town is served by East Midlands Trains with direct services to Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby and St Pancras International. Rail services to Rugby and Peterborough ended in 1966.Market Harborough is located in an area which was formerly a part of the Rockingham Forest, a royal hunting forest used by the medieval monarchs starting with William I. Rockingham Road takes its name from the forest. The forest's original boundaries stretched from Market Harborough through to Stamford and included the settlements at Corby, Kettering, Desborough, Rothwell, Thrapston and Oundle.