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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Give Ashby one half-day for the castle and a pub lunch, or sleep one night if you are flying from East Midlands; skip it as a base for the East Midlands.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a small Leicestershire market town, population about 15,000, best known for the ruined castle that held out for the Royalists until March 1646. It sits just off the A42, 11 miles from East Midlands Airport, so it works as a short stop or an airport night rather than a destination in its own right.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (short days, wet)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–110 excl. bed · High £110+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Pint of beer | £4.50–6 |
| Castle entry, adult | about £5 |
| Taxi, town centre to East Midlands Airport | £25–35 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £6–12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EMA · East Midlands Airport
- About 11 miles / 20–30 min by car or taxi; no direct rail link to Ashby.
Typical fares
- Taxi Ashby → East Midlands Airport
- £25–35, about 20–30 min
- Bus Ashby → Loughborough
- about £3–5, 40–50 min
- Castle entry
- adult about £5, child about £3
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable in 10–15 minutes end to end. Buses run to Loughborough, Swadlincote, Burton upon Trent and Nuneaton; check current timetables before you rely on them. A car makes the day trips (Moira, Conkers, the airport) much easier.
See and do
Known for
- Ashby de la Zouch Castle
- English Civil War siege of 1646
- Market Street coaching inns
- East Midlands Airport access
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Moira Furnace and canal | Car or taxi, about 10 min; no useful bus | About 20 min |
| Conkers, National Forest | Car or taxi, about 12 min | About 25 min |
| Loughborough | Bus from the town centre, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Leicester | Bus or car via the A511, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Castle Donington and East Midlands Airport | Car or taxi, about 20–30 min | About 30 min |
| Melton Mowbray | Car via the A42 and A607, about 45 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Market Street and South Street)
- Walk to the castle, pubs and shops; the Royal Hotel and the Queen's Head are here.
- Flagstaff Island (A511 edge of town)
- Chain hotel with free parking; 15–20 min walk to the centre, best if you have a car.
- Packington and Moira (outside town)
- Campsite and canal-side country park; you need a car or bike.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- The castle is an English Heritage ruin with uneven ground and a tower stair; wear flat shoes.
- Some castle areas close for conservation work: check the English Heritage page before travelling.
- Rural bus services are thin in the evening; check the last bus back.
- Moira Furnace opens weekends only, April–September.
A quiet town and safe for visitors. The real risks are uneven castle ground, dark lanes on foot after pub closing, and thin evening buses: check your last bus or book a taxi.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ashby-de-la-Zouch yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ashby de la Zouch Castle
- English Civil War siege of 1646
- Market Street coaching inns
- East Midlands Airport access
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- English Heritage — Ashby de la Zouch Castle: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ashby-de-la-zouch-castle/
- East Midlands Airport: www.eastmidlandsairport.com/
- Moira Furnace Museum and Country Park: www.moirafurnace.org/
- Wikivoyage: Ashby-de-la-Zouch, revision 4834346 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4834346
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ashby; the US embassy is in London and most consulates-general are in Birmingham or Manchester (check).
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ashby-de-la-zouch). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.