Sitting in the eastern part of Leicester, North Evington is a suburb and electoral ward that grew out of the historic parish of Evington. Bordered by Belgrave to the west, Charnwood to the north, Evington and Humberstone & Hamilton to the east, and Spinney Hills to the south, it forms part of the wider Highfields area of the city, within the ceremonial county of Leicestershire.
Origins and Development
North Evington was planned and built as a purposeful suburb by architect Arthur Wakerley, beginning in the 1880s. The development was originally separate from the village of Evington itself, though the land between the two has long since been filled in. By the time the First World War began, the area was fully built out – rows of Victorian terraces put up to house the working-class population that Highfields has always been associated with. Originally outside Leicester’s borough boundary, North Evington was annexed to the borough in 1892. That same year it became a civil parish, though the parish was abolished just four years later, on 26 March 1896, when it was absorbed into Leicester. A population of 4,173 was recorded in the parish in 1891.
Local Facilities and Recent Events
North Evington has several notable public buildings. The Leicestershire and Rutland Fire and Rescue Service’s Eastern Station sits on Hastings Road, while residents also have access to the Spence Street Swimming Baths and the Merlyn Vaz Walk In and Health Centre. In September 2022, the area attracted national attention when widespread unrest broke out between Hindu and Muslim communities. The tensions coincided with a Leicester City Council by-election in which the Conservatives took 49.6% of the vote, a swing of 32.7 points, with Labour – the incumbent party – finishing third.