Ratcliffe on the Wreake
Encyclopedia
Ratcliffe on the Wreake is a village and civil parish
in the Charnwood
district of Leicestershire
, England
. It is just to the north of the River Wreake
, opposite East Goscote.
The village is small enough not to have a parish council; instead it has a parish meeting
consisting of all the electorate. Sir William Lindsay Everard
lived in the Ratcliffe Hall estate. He opened Ratcliffe Aerodrome in 1930 for civil
flying.
Ratcliffe Aerodrome opened with a 'Grand Air Pageant' on September 6, 1930. Famed aviator Amy Johnson
made an unexpected trip from London to participate with Sir Sefton Brancker
, Director of Civil Aviation. Some 5000 spectators were treated to a show with 100 planes and staged bombings of Chinese pirates. There was one crash, but no one was killed. Ratcliffe Aerodrome was one of the finest in civil aviation with a comfortable clubhouse and an outdoor pool. The hangars were first class and the many air shows and displays had the atmosphere of a garden party.
Ratcliffe is known for its abundance in wildlife especially crayfish which inhabit the river wreake right through the village.
ferry pool in World War II
.
Apart from Goscote, nearby places are Thrussington
, further up the Wreake, Syston
, further down, and Sileby
, to the north-west.
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...
in the Charnwood
Charnwood (borough)
Charnwood is a borough of northern Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, which it contains. Loughborough is the largest town in the district and serves as the borough's administrative and commercial centre.-History:...
district of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is just to the north of the River Wreake
River Wreake
The River Wreake is a river in Leicestershire, England. It is a tributary of the River Soar. The river between Stapleford Park and Melton Mowbray is known as the River Eye and becomes the Wreake below Melton Mowbray....
, opposite East Goscote.
The village is small enough not to have a parish council; instead it has a parish meeting
Parish meeting
A parish meeting, in England, is a meeting to which all the electors in a civil parish are entitled to attend. In some cases, where a parish or group of parishes has fewer than 200 electors, the parish meeting can take on the role of the parish council itself, with statutory powers, and electing a...
consisting of all the electorate. Sir William Lindsay Everard
William Lindsay Everard
Sir William Lindsay Everard was a brewer, politician, and philanthropist from Leicestershire, United Kingdom. As the founder and supporter of the Ratcliffe Aerodrome, Sir Lindsay was a pioneer aviator, knighted for his crucial efforts in World War II with the Air Transport Auxiliary...
lived in the Ratcliffe Hall estate. He opened Ratcliffe Aerodrome in 1930 for civil
flying.
Ratcliffe Aerodrome opened with a 'Grand Air Pageant' on September 6, 1930. Famed aviator Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
made an unexpected trip from London to participate with Sir Sefton Brancker
Sefton Brancker
Air Vice-Marshal Sir William Sefton Brancker KCB AFC , commonly known as Sir Sefton Brancker, was a pioneer in British civil and military aviation.-Early life:...
, Director of Civil Aviation. Some 5000 spectators were treated to a show with 100 planes and staged bombings of Chinese pirates. There was one crash, but no one was killed. Ratcliffe Aerodrome was one of the finest in civil aviation with a comfortable clubhouse and an outdoor pool. The hangars were first class and the many air shows and displays had the atmosphere of a garden party.
Ratcliffe is known for its abundance in wildlife especially crayfish which inhabit the river wreake right through the village.
RAF Ratcliffe
As RAF Ratcliffe, it was an important Air Transport AuxiliaryAir Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary was a British World War II civilian organisation that ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between UK factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, Maintenance Units , scrap yards, and active service squadrons and airfields—but not to...
ferry pool in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Apart from Goscote, nearby places are Thrussington
Thrussington
Thrussington is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It is on the River Wreake, near to Rearsby, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Hoby and Brooksby, and not far from the path of the Fosse Way-Events:...
, further up the Wreake, Syston
Syston
Syston is a town and civil parish in the district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. The population is 11,508 as of the 2001 Census.-Overview:...
, further down, and Sileby
Sileby
Sileby is a former industrial village and civil parish in the Soar Valley in Leicestershire, between Leicester and Loughborough. Nearby villages include Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Seagrave and Cossington....
, to the north-west.