Wing, Rutland
Encyclopedia
Wing is a small village
and civil parish in the county of Rutland
in the East Midlands
of England
.
and Clipsham
. Many are roofed with Collyweston stone slate
.
The church, dedicated to Saint Peter
and Saint Paul
, was much rebuilt in 1875, at which time the spire
was removed. Some parts of the building date from Norman times, including the south arcade
of about 1150, the slightly later north arcade and the north doorway.
vengi = "field
".
" (actually a unicursal labyrinth
, roughly 40 ft (12.2 m) in diameter), is said to date back to medieval times, based on the fact that its design is similar to the pavement maze
in Chartres cathedral
and other medieval examples.
reservoir a few miles to the north. Proposals by Anglian Water
to extend the works, and increase the volume of drinking water extracted from the lake, were strongly opposed by the RSPB on the grounds that fluctuating water levels could potentially damage wildfowl habitat
s around the lake.
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 civil parish in the county of Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
of 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...
.
Architecture
The 17th-century houses in Wing were built from stone quarried at nearby BarnackBarnack
Barnack is a village and civil parish in the City of Peterborough unitary authority of Cambridgeshire, England. It is located in the north-west of the district, only four miles south-east from Stamford in Lincolnshire. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 851 people. Barnack's...
and Clipsham
Clipsham
Clipsham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.The village is well-known for its limestone quarries. Clipsham stone, part of the Upper Lincolnshire Limestone Formation, can be found in many of Britain's most famous buildings including King's College Chapel , the...
. Many are roofed with Collyweston stone slate
Collyweston stone slate
Collyweston stone slate is a traditional roofing material found in England.It is not a proper slate but a limestone found in narrow beds. The slates are quarried near the village of Collyweston in Northamptonshire, near Stamford and close to the borders of Lincolnshire and Rutland. It is...
.
The church, dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, was much rebuilt in 1875, at which time the spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
was removed. Some parts of the building date from Norman times, including the south arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
of about 1150, the slightly later north arcade and the north doorway.
Etymology
Its name first occurs as Wenge in the twelfth century, and probably came from Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
vengi = "field
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
".
Turf maze
Beside Glaston Road, cut in the turf by the roadside, is a circular "turf mazeTurf maze
Historically, a turf maze is a labyrinth made by cutting a convoluted path into a level area of short grass, turf or lawn. Some had names such as Mizmaze, Troy Town, The Walls of Troy, Julian's Bower, or Shepherd's Race...
" (actually a unicursal labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
, roughly 40 ft (12.2 m) in diameter), is said to date back to medieval times, based on the fact that its design is similar to the pavement maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
in Chartres cathedral
Cathedral of Chartres
The French medieval Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres is a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about southwest of Paris, is considered one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style...
and other medieval examples.
Waterworks
A treatment plant just outside the village treats water extracted from Rutland WaterRutland Water
Rutland Water is Anglian Water's drinking water reservoir in the county of Rutland, England, just east of the county town Oakham. It was known as Empingham Reservoir during its construction and until its official opening in 1976. The centre of its dam is at British national grid reference...
reservoir a few miles to the north. Proposals by Anglian Water
Anglian Water
Anglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
to extend the works, and increase the volume of drinking water extracted from the lake, were strongly opposed by the RSPB on the grounds that fluctuating water levels could potentially damage wildfowl habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
s around the lake.
Famous inhabitants
- Francis MeresFrancis MeresFrancis Meres was an English churchman and author.He was born at Kirton in the Holland division of Lincolnshire in 1565. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he received a B.A. in 1587 and an M.A. in 1591. Two years later he was incorporated an M.A. of Oxford...
(1565–1647), churchman and author, became rectorRectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Wing in 1602. - Sir Charles Vernon Boys, FRSC.V. BoysSir Charles Vernon Boys, FRS was a British physicist, known for his careful and innovative experimental work.Boys was the eighth child of the Reverend Charles Boys, the Anglican vicar of Wing, Rutland...
(1855–1944), experimental physicist, was born in Wing. - Thomas Smith (judge)Thomas Smith (judge)Sir Thomas Smith , was the English master of requests.-Family and identity:Smith was born at Abingdon in Berkshire , about 1556. He was the son of Thomas Smith, who is almost certainly to be identified with the Thomas Smith who was Mayor of Abingdon in 1584...
Public houses
- The King's Arms
- The Cuckoo Inn, which closed in 2004. Its name alluded to a local legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
that the people of Wing once tried to keep spring in the village forever by erecting a fence around a cuckooCuckooThe cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
to stop it from leaving. Naturally, it flew over the fence and away. As a result, people from the village were known as "Wing Fools". This is actually a widespread story, the best-known version probably being one of the adventures of the Wise Men of GothamWise Men of GothamWise Men of Gotham is the early name given to the people of the village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire, in allusion to their reputed simplicity. If tradition is to be believed, the people of Gotham were not so very simple.- Legend :...
.
External links
- W.H. Matthews, Mazes and Labyrinths (1922) online version of W.H. Matthew's classic book
- Labyrinthos Jeff Saward's website