Largest village in England
Encyclopedia
Several places claim to be the largest village in England. This title is disputed as there is no standard definition of a village
and size might be determined by population or area.
One contender is Kidlington
in Oxfordshire
, which has a population of around 15,000. Whilst Kidlington might be described as a town
in colloquial use due to its sheer size, it has not formally taken on this status and still has a parish council rather than a town council
. Also, Kidlington has never in its past had a town charter. Many other villages are in a similar position. Some of the claimants below (Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
and Lancing, West Sussex
included) are part of larger urban areas, and it can be contended that such claimants are now suburb
s rather than villages.
The claim is complicated by disputes over what exactly constitutes a village
. Definitions can refer to population, area, a key building (e.g. school, retail outlet, church or village hall), a village nameplate or a minimum number of houses (e.g. 20).
The definition of a town
is equally complex. One definition is a settlement with a town charter (see the list of towns in England). Another is that a town has a regular market
. There is the concept of postal towns, but these do not always fit with popular local definitions. Popular definitions can change over small areas. For example, Hebden Bridge
in West Yorkshire is widely considered a "town" yet its population is half the size of nearby Birstall
, which is considered a "village".
The typical English local government district contains a variety of settlements and their boundaries are not formally determined. Civil parish
es do exist, but parishes can contain several distinct villages or hamlets. Informally, many settlements are described both as a town and a village by different people. Furthermore, settlements have a tendency to become larger and, when they do, many residents tend to prefer to think of their home as a village rather than a town, and institutions such as a village green
or village hall
will tend to retain the name that they were given when the settlement was smaller. Since 1974, drawing the precise definition of town boundaries has not been important for local government. Somewhere such as Bessacarr
in South Yorkshire was not part of Doncaster
prior to 1974; it is often spoken of as a suburb of Doncaster now, but, if it is still a village, then it is one of the largest in England. Such difficulties in measurement mean that it is most unlikely that any definitive answer to the question could ever be obtained.
The most populous civil parish in England not to have town status is Ecclesfield
, with 31,609 people at the 2001 census.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and size might be determined by population or area.
One contender is Kidlington
Kidlington
Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, which has a population of around 15,000. Whilst Kidlington might be described as a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in colloquial use due to its sheer size, it has not formally taken on this status and still has a parish council rather than a town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
. Also, Kidlington has never in its past had a town charter. Many other villages are in a similar position. Some of the claimants below (Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
Cottingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies just to the north-west of the city of Kingston upon Hull...
and Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north...
included) are part of larger urban areas, and it can be contended that such claimants are now suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s rather than villages.
The claim is complicated by disputes over what exactly constitutes a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. Definitions can refer to population, area, a key building (e.g. school, retail outlet, church or village hall), a village nameplate or a minimum number of houses (e.g. 20).
The definition of a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
is equally complex. One definition is a settlement with a town charter (see the list of towns in England). Another is that a town has a regular market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. There is the concept of postal towns, but these do not always fit with popular local definitions. Popular definitions can change over small areas. For example, Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and lies 8 miles west of Halifax and 14 miles north east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the River Hebden .A 2004 profile of...
in West Yorkshire is widely considered a "town" yet its population is half the size of nearby Birstall
Birstall, West Yorkshire
Birstall is a large village in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England and situated roughly 6 miles south-west of Leeds. It features a quaint triangular Victorian marketplace, which replaced an earlier market on High Street in the Georgian area of the village further up the hill...
, which is considered a "village".
The typical English local government district contains a variety of settlements and their boundaries are not formally determined. Civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
es do exist, but parishes can contain several distinct villages or hamlets. Informally, many settlements are described both as a town and a village by different people. Furthermore, settlements have a tendency to become larger and, when they do, many residents tend to prefer to think of their home as a village rather than a town, and institutions such as a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
or village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
will tend to retain the name that they were given when the settlement was smaller. Since 1974, drawing the precise definition of town boundaries has not been important for local government. Somewhere such as Bessacarr
Bessacarr
Bessacarr is a large village, located in the south-east of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the most affluent areas in the region. Due, in part, to its respected reputation, Bessacarr has expanded hugely since the Second World War, and is now one of the largest villages in the...
in South Yorkshire was not part of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
prior to 1974; it is often spoken of as a suburb of Doncaster now, but, if it is still a village, then it is one of the largest in England. Such difficulties in measurement mean that it is most unlikely that any definitive answer to the question could ever be obtained.
Contenders
Places for which this claim has been made, and the reported population in the 2001 census (most recent available figures) include:| Village | Ceremonial county | Population 2001 census |
Notes on basis of claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bembridge Bembridge Bembridge is an affluent village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to claims by residents that Bembridge is the largest village in England, and occasional claims that it is... |
Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
3,492 | Claimed by a personal website to be the "largest village in Europe" based on parish council control, claiming that larger contenders are town council controlled |
| Rawmarsh Rawmarsh Rawmarsh is a large village in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England. It is two miles north of Rotherham. It has a population of 18,210. The village also forms part of the Sheffield Urban Area.-Etymology:... |
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield... |
17,443 | |
| Cranleigh Cranleigh Cranleigh is a large village, self-proclaimed the largest in England, and is situated 8 miles south east of Godalming in Surrey. It lies to the east of the A281 which links Guildford with Horsham; neighbouring villages include: Ewhurst, Alfold and Hascombe.... |
Surrey Surrey Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of... |
11,241 | |
| Cottingham Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire Cottingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies just to the north-west of the city of Kingston upon Hull... |
East Riding of Yorkshire East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority... |
17,768 | Has made the claim on the basis of including the 93 km² grounds of Cottingham Manor. |
| Culcheth Culcheth Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two... |
Cheshire Cheshire Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow... |
11,454 | |
| Horsforth Horsforth Horsforth is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, lying to the north west of Leeds. It has a population of 18,928.... |
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.... |
21,562 | Claim made in 19th century - now has a town council. |
| Hunmanby Hunmanby Hunmanby is a large village , which was classified as a town until the 1960s, and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England... |
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest... |
3,279 | Claims to have been the largest village in the past |
| Kidlington Kidlington Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:... |
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... |
14,945 | Described by its parish council as the "second largest village in England". |
| Lancing Lancing, West Sussex Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north... |
West Sussex West Sussex West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming... |
18,700 | Population is for the parish of Lancing only |
| Wombourne Wombourne Wombourne is a very large village and civil parish located in the district of South Staffordshire, in the county of Staffordshire, 4 miles south-west of Wolverhampton. Local affairs are run by a parish council. At the 2001 census it had a population of 13,691... |
Staffordshire Staffordshire Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders... |
12,768 | |
| Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely... |
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield... |
513,234 | The "largest village" nickname is due to its location in an isolated valley, its lack of grand architecture and its proletarian history. City status was granted in 1893. |
The most populous civil parish in England not to have town status is Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield
Ecclesfield is a suburb and civil parish in the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, about north of Sheffield City Centre. At the 2001 census the civil parish— which also includes the Sheffield suburbs of Chapeltown, Grenoside, High Green, and formerly Thorpe Hesley —had a population...
, with 31,609 people at the 2001 census.