 Ada Lovelace MemorialAda Lovelace worked with Charles Babbage on his Difference Engine and his later Analytical Engine, precursors to the computer. She died in 1852 and is buried alongside her father in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire but the memorial here reflects her early years spent with her mother’s family at nearby Kirkby Hall, the site of which is now Mallory Park motor racing circuit. |  Ada Lovelace MemorialThe inscription on the memorial includes a poem, The Rainbow, written by Ada. It commences - Bow down in hope, in thanks, all ye who mourn;—
Where'in that peerless arche of radiant hues
Surpassing earthly tints,—the storm subdues!
The memorial was restored by the local council in 2000. In recognition of her pioneering work, Ada Lovelace Day is celebrated internationally each year
to inspire and encourage women to take up careers in the fields of science and technology. |  Ashby CastleThis ruined castle is forever linked with the story of Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Originally a fortified manor house, it was converted into a castle by Lord Hastings who had been granted it in the 15th century by King Edward IV. During the English Civil War the castle was a Royalist stronghold but when it fell to the Parliamentary forces it was slighted, resulting in the ruin that is seen today. |
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 Bilstone GibbetA gruesome reminder of past methods of punishment for felons. After execution a convicted felon's body would be hung in chains, or an iron cage, from the gibbet until the body rotted. It was intended as a warning to others.
A local man, who was a wrestler with a violent temper, was found guilty of murdering his wife in 1797, by throwing her into the village pond. He was hanged at Birstall in 1801 and his body was placed in this gibbet. Local tradition has it that it was still there in 1818. |  Elmesthorpe StationThe former railway station at Elmesthorpe closed in 1968. It was located on the line between Hinckley and Leicester and was built to serve the villages of Earl Shilton, Elmesthorpe and Stoney Stanton, though in reality it was not situated conveniently enough to guarantee much traffic. Demolition of the the station buildings commenced in January 1969. The goods depot behind the main station building was closed in 1964 but the goods shed remains to this day, being used by a local scrap company. |  War Memorial, Breedon on the Hill |
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