Wymeswold
Encyclopedia
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 in the north 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...
, and north-east of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
. It has a population of about 1,000. It is close to Prestwold
Prestwold
thumb|right|Prestwold HallPrestwold is a hamlet and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The parish has a population of around 60. Nearby places are Hoton, just to the north, and Burton on the Wolds, to the south-east....
and Burton on the Wolds
Burton on the Wolds
Burton on the Wolds is a village situated on the B676 road west of the A46 in Leicestershire and has a population of around 800. The Parish Council of Burton on the Wolds, Cotes and Prestwold serves the village and its two neighbouring hamlets...
in Leicestershire, and the Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
villages of Rempstone
Rempstone
Rempstone is a village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire,although its closest town and postal address is Loughborough across the border in Leicestershire. It is situated at the crossing of the A60 and A6006 roads. It has no schools...
and Willoughby on the Wolds
Willoughby on the Wolds
Willoughby on the Wolds is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England, on the border with Leicestershire. Its nearest neighbouring villages are Wysall, Widmerpool, Wymeswold and Keyworth, with the nearest towns and cities being Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Nottingham and Leicester...
. Now it is a commuter village to the town of Loughborough, and cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, with the services to suit.
History and geography
There used to be a school in the village run by Thomas PotterThomas Rossell Potter
Thomas Rossell Potter was a British antiquary. He started a school in Leicestershire, but he is known for his publications about the history and geology of Leicestershire...
in the nineteenth century on Elm Street. The school was moved to a site to the south of the village when it expanded in the 1970s. The village was formerly the site of RAF Wymeswold
RAF Wymeswold
RAF Wymeswold is a former Royal Air Force military airfield in Leicestershire, England.-History:It was opened on 16 May 1942 during the Second World War and was home to Wellington bombers amongst others...
, a tribute to which can now be seen on the wall of Wymeswold pharmacy. The Wymeswold airstrip remains, and is used as a track for performance car 'experience' days, although there is some local opposition to this because of the noise. The former airfield is also the home for Airbossworld Kitepark.
The village has a greengrocer and general store, specialised pine furniture and gift shop, two pubs (The Three Crowns and The Windmill) and an award-winning restaurant (Hammer and Pincers), which was also featured favourably in The Times. The Three Crowns was CAMRA Loughborough and North Leicestershire 2010 Village Pub of the Year. There are many clubs and societies within the village, including WHO (Wymeswold Historical Organisation), Guide and Scout groups, dancing, aerobics and karate classes, and bowls, cricket, cycling, and football clubs. The village holds two very successful fund raising events in the summer—the Wymeswold Duck Race (mid May) and the Wymeswold Open Gardens (mid June). Wymeswold Running Club organises the 'Waddle', a 5 mile road race on closed roads, to take place on the same day as the Duck Race. The post office was closed in May 2008, as part of the Royal Mail's restructuring. An outreach service has been opened in The Three Crowns. At the southern edge of the village, the 'Washdyke' recreational area contains play equipment, a BMX track, football pitch, and a community orchard.
St Mary's church was restored in 1844 by A. W. N. Pugin. It contains the Leeke memorial to Judge William Leeke who was Lord of the Manor of Wymeswold in the mid-17th century. His widow presented the church with a silver flagon
Flagon
A flagon is a large leather, metal or ceramic vessel, commonly a pitcher, often used for drink, whether this be water, ale, or something else.-Christian use:...
and paten that are now in the Charnwood museum. The remarkable windows were the work of John Hardman Studios, Birmingham.
Henry Alford
Henry Alford
Henry Alford was an English churchman, theologian, textual critic, scholar, poet, hymnodist, and writer.-Life:...
was the Vicar of Wymeswold from 1835 to 1853 and wrote a lot of his hymns here. The band the Wave Pictures are from the village.