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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Coalville
Half a day, not a base: see Donington le Heath Manor House, eat on High Street, then move on to Leicester, Loughborough or Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Coalville is a small Leicestershire town of about 22,000 people, built on coal and now a practical stop on the A511 between Leicester and Ashby-de-la-Zouch. There is one real sight, a 1280s manor house, plus a compact High Street. Most travellers pass through on the way to somewhere else, or use it as a cheap bed for East Midlands Airport and the National Forest.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, wet, short days)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
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 (2026 estimate) · Mid £70–110 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High £110+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (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 · EU emergency number 112 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- 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 or tea in a café | £2.50–4 |
| Pub main meal | £10–16 |
| Pie or sandwich from a butcher or bakery | £3–6 |
| Pint of beer in a pub | £4–5.50 |
| Bus fare, short local hop | £2–3 |
| Taxi, 3–5 km (1.9–3.1 mi) in townTaxi, 1.9–3.1 mi (3–5 km) in town | £7–12 |
| Manor house museum entry | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EMA · East Midlands Airport
- About 20–25 min by car via the A511/A42 (check). The Airlink bus to Coalville has run in the past; check the current timetable before relying on it.
Typical fares
- Bus Coalville → Leicester
- about £5 one way, 45–60 min (check)
- Taxi Coalville → East Midlands Airport
- about £20–30, 20–25 min (check)
- Train Leicester → London St Pancras
- about £30–90 advance, 1 h 10 min (check)
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 town centre is small enough to walk in 15–20 min. Buses run from Leicester and from East Midlands Airport (Airlink), but timetables and evening or Sunday service are limited, so check the operator timetable before you commit. A car makes the National Forest, Ashby and the airport easy; taxis are the fallback after the last bus (check).
See and do
Known for
- Donington le Heath Manor House Museum (1280s)
- National Forest and Snibston site
- High Street butchers and pies
- A511 between Leicester and Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | Arriva bus from Coalville to Leicester, or car via the A511 and A50 (check) | About 45–60 min by bus (check) |
| Loughborough | Bus or car via the A512 (check) | About 30–40 min (check) |
| Ashby-de-la-Zouch | Bus or car via the A511 (check) | About 20–25 min (check) |
| Castle Donington | Car via the A42 and A453 (check) | About 20–25 min (check) |
| Melton Mowbray | Car via the A512 and A607 (check) | About 45–55 min (check) |
Sleep
- Town centre (High Street / Whitwick Road)
- Walkable to the shops and the one listed hotel, The Hermitage Park Hotel; availability check.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where is the bus stop? |
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
- Bus services are thin in the evening and on Sundays: check the operator timetable the day before.
- Some listed bus and business links are dead or have changed hands: confirm by phone or the operator site.
- The manor house has limited opening days: check before travelling.
- Winter days are short and the A511 is a busy road with no pleasant walking route along it.
Coalville is a normal small English town and is safe for tourists in daylight. The real issues are the busy A511, thin evening buses and quiet streets after the pubs close: stick to lit main roads and book a taxi back.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Coalville yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Donington le Heath Manor House Museum (1280s)
- National Forest and Snibston site
- High Street butchers and pies
- A511 between Leicester and Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Leicestershire: www.visitleicestershire.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Coalville, revision 5272808 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5272808
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Coalville
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Coalville; the US Embassy is in London. Consulates-general are in Edinburgh and Belfast; check the official embassy site for current contact details.
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/coalville). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.