 Until 1897 Oakthorpe, and its neighbours Measham and Donisthorpe, continued to form part of an extensive exclave of Derbyshire.Oakthorpe lies within the Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe civil parish, which is part of the district of North West Leicestershire.In the past Oakthorpe's main use was for mining as there were numerous deep active mines in the area, however since the closing down of the mines in the 1990s Oakthorpe has simply become a residential village.