Wolvey
Encyclopedia
Wolvey is a village
and parish
in Warwickshire
, England
. According to the 2001 census
it had a population of 1,741.
The village, originally on the main route between Leicester and Coventry, is now on the B4065 and B4109 roads and is located on the Warwickshire/Leicestershire border in an outlying part of the borough of Rugby
; the village is, however, more than 10 miles (16 km) north-west from the town of Rugby
and is closer to Nuneaton
(five miles to the north-west) and Coventry
(eight miles south-west). It is also close to the source of the River Anker
. The medieval hamlet of Bramcote
forms a western part of the parish, where Gamecock Barracks
- the former HMS Gamecock - is situated.
The village name dates back to Saxon
times but Neolithic and Bronze Age discoveries suggest earlier occupation. The Roman road, Watling Street, forms part of the parish boundary. It was a market centre in the 12th century with separate townships of Bramcote and, now deserted, Little Copston or Copston Parva. The most important historic event in Wolvey occurred in 1469, during the Wars of the Roses
, when Warwick the Kingmaker captured King Edward IV
on Wolvey Heath.
A farming community, in the nineteenth century knitting
and weaving
became important trades in the village for as time. Milling
provided an important service for the area and it is reputed at one time to have had 27 windmill
s in the area, although none now remains.
The village still retains some older buildings including the church of St John the Baptist which includes a 12th century doorway and contains the monumental tombs of Thomas de Wolvey (c 1305) and his wife Alice; also that of Thomas Astley and his wife, Catherine (c 1603). The Baptist Chapel dates to 1789, and 'The Blue Pig' public house and village pump are also of similar date. Much of the village consists of modern housing.
Its name most probably came from the Anglo-Saxon wulf-hæg or wulf-heg e = "wolf hedge" = "enclosure
with a hedge to keep wolves out".
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 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...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 1,741.
The village, originally on the main route between Leicester and Coventry, is now on the B4065 and B4109 roads and is located on the Warwickshire/Leicestershire border in an outlying part of the borough of Rugby
Rugby (borough)
Rugby is a local government district with borough status in eastern Warwickshire, England.The borough comprises the town of Rugby where the council has its headquarters, and the rural areas surrounding the town....
; the village is, however, more than 10 miles (16 km) north-west from the town of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
and is closer to Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
(five miles to the north-west) and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
(eight miles south-west). It is also close to the source of the River Anker
River Anker
The River Anker is a river in England. The river flows through the centre of Nuneaton towards Tamworth in Staffordshire. The river continues on before merging with the River Tame in Tamworth...
. The medieval hamlet of Bramcote
Bramcote, Warwickshire
Bramcote is a village in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire in England. It is located just south of the B4114 road and adjacent to the M69 motorway. The population in 2001 was 321, which included the hamlet of Bramcote Mains a quarter of a mile to the south, and 214 armed services...
forms a western part of the parish, where Gamecock Barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
- the former HMS Gamecock - is situated.
The village name dates back to Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times but Neolithic and Bronze Age discoveries suggest earlier occupation. The Roman road, Watling Street, forms part of the parish boundary. It was a market centre in the 12th century with separate townships of Bramcote and, now deserted, Little Copston or Copston Parva. The most important historic event in Wolvey occurred in 1469, during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, when Warwick the Kingmaker captured King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
on Wolvey Heath.
A farming community, in the nineteenth century knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
became important trades in the village for as time. Milling
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
provided an important service for the area and it is reputed at one time to have had 27 windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s in the area, although none now remains.
The village still retains some older buildings including the church of St John the Baptist which includes a 12th century doorway and contains the monumental tombs of Thomas de Wolvey (c 1305) and his wife Alice; also that of Thomas Astley and his wife, Catherine (c 1603). The Baptist Chapel dates to 1789, and 'The Blue Pig' public house and village pump are also of similar date. Much of the village consists of modern housing.
Its name most probably came from the Anglo-Saxon wulf-hæg or wulf-heg e = "wolf hedge" = "enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
with a hedge to keep wolves out".