  anstey is a large village in leicestershire, england, located north west of leicester in the borough of charnwood. its population was about 6,000 at the 2001 census although this is likely to have increased. the village is separated from leicester by the rothley brook, castle hill park and the a46, and it borders the villages of glenfield, groby, newtown linford, cropston and thurcaston as well as the suburb of beaumont leys and anstey heights. to the north-west lies bradgate park. anstey is known as the gateway to charnwood forest. it is a combination of traditional english village (with two village greens - the top green and bottom green) and an industrial town (with several 19th-century hosiery factories, many of which are now being turned into apartments) which is made up mostly of a number of small estates, both council and private which are intertwined, often with no clear border. ==history== anstey dates back to angle origins, when it was known as hanstige (later anstige), meaning a narrow forest track (specifically the meaning is either 'one-way' or 'steep road'courtney). anstey was positioned between charnwood forest and leicester forest.andover - anston | british history online whilst developing the site for the new co-op store in 2002 archaeologists were called in and found remains dating back to the 12th century. a plaque recording this has been placed on the wall of the new shop. the place-name of anstey is first recorded in domesday book when it was held by one of the county's largest landholders, hugh de grandmesnil, castellan of leicester. at the time it was a small farming community.lowe, p. 1 anstey appears to have had its origins in two distinct settlement foci, each associated with a separate manor, one associated with leicester abbey and one with the ferrers of groby. it is believed that anstey once had a sizable military force - in 1431 william porter "furnished xix hommes and ix archers".[http://www.leicestershirevill
Civil_parishes_in_Leicestershire Villages_in_Leicestershire