Settling in · Barwell
Landing in Barwell? Start here.
The first fortnight in Barwell, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
69 places in Barwell worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Stoke Golding Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
2 Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6HE
About 5 km away
Hinckley United Reformed Church
Christian
The Borough, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 1NN
About 3 km away
St. John's Church
Christian, Anglican
Coventry Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 0ND
About 5 km away
Nuneaton Christian Fellowship
Christian, Protestant
Pallett Drive, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 6LT
About 7 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Nottingham
About 41 km away
Leyton Crescent Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1PR
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Fri 7:00pm
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Food and takeaways
Hottest Chinese Kitchen
Chinese, noodle. takeaway. Hours: Tu-Th,Su 16:30-22:30, Fr-Sa 16:30-23:00
2 High Street, Earl Shilton, LE9 7DG
About 3 km away
China Chef
Chinese. takeaway. Hours: Su-Mo 17:00-22:30, We-Th 17:00-22:30, Fr-Sa 17:00-23:00
14 Belle Vue Road, Earl Shilton, LE9 7PA
Crossed Khukris
Nepalese. restaurant
115 Abbey Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 5BX
About 10 km away
Sports and clubs
Leicester Forest Rugby Football Club
Rugby union. Sports centre
Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East, LE3 3PJ
About 10 km away
Sharnford Cricket Club (abandoned)
Sports centre
Leicester Road, Sharnford, LE10 3PR
About 6 km away
Leicester Ivanhoe Cricket Club
Cricket. Sports centre
Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest East, LE3 3PJ
About 9 km away
The Fitness Centre
Fitness, exercise. Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 05:45-21:00; Sa,Su 08:00-13:00
Corporation Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 5AH
About 10 km away
Stoney Stanton Lawn Tennis Club
Sports centre
Martin Close, Stoney Stanton, LE9 4TQ
About 5 km away
Mallory Park Racing Circuit
Motor. Sports centre
Church Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE9 7QE
About 4 km away
Lychgate Fisheries
Angling. Sports centre
Upton Lane, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6EU
About 5 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Makins Fishery Campsite
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits
About 9 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Newtown Centre
Community centre
Bond Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 4HG
About 9 km away
Elmesthorpe Village Hall
Community centre
Wilkinson Lane, Elmesthorpe, LE9 7SP
About 2 km away
Green Towers
Community centre
Richmond Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 0DZ
About 3 km away
Hinckley Mencap Society
Community centre
46 Hill Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 1DT
About 3 km away
Burbage Millenium Hall
Community centre
Britannia Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 2HE
About 5 km away
Sharnford Youth Club and Community Centre
Community centre
Park View, Sharnford, LE10 3PT
About 6 km away
St. Francis Community Centre
Community centre
St Francis Close, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 0EW
About 3 km away
Stoke Golding Village Hall
Community centre
Hall Drive, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6EA
About 4 km away
Sutton Cheney Village Hall
Community centre
Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 0AG
About 4 km away
YWAM - King's Lodge
Community centre
Watling Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 0TZ
About 7 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Renaissance Hair and Beauty
Hairdresser
48 Wood Street, Earl Shilton, Leicester, LE9 7ND
About 2 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Earl Shilton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Wood Street, Earl Shilton, LE9 7ND
About 2 km away
The George Ward Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Chapel Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE9 8LY
Hinckley Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Lancaster Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 0AT
About 4 km away
Burbage Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Lychgate Lane, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE10 2FZ
About 4 km away
Stoney Stanton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
St Michael's Court, Stoney Stanton, LE9 4TH
About 5 km away
Sapcote Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Church Street, Sapcote, LE9 4FG
About 6 km away
Newbold Verdon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE9 9NP
About 7 km away
Our Library @ Newbold Verdon
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE9 9NU
About 7 km away
Market Bosworth Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Tu,Th 14:30-16:30; We,Fr 10:00-12:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Station Road, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 0NS
About 7 km away
Desford Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, LE9 9GR
About 7 km away
Nuneaton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Justice Walk, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 4DR
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Barwell
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here