Welcome to Wymeswold

Information about clubs, societies, shops, amenities and local businesses is listed in the Welcome to Wymeswold leaflet which has been produced for new residents, but also provides useful information for anyone living in Wymeswold.

History of the village

A short history of Wymeswold

Wymeswold lies in a shallow valley in the gently rolling area known as the Wolds, which straddles the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border. The village is a very compact settlement built around the fourteenth century St Mary’s church. The older parts are mostly eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings, now infilled with a number of small estates and detached properties.

History
The village probably took shape in the mid-Saxon period (700-900) together with its associated roads and footpaths. In early records the name appears as Wymund’s Wald (ie wood). The Domesday book shows that in 1086 the village was divided into four parts and subsequently these lands had various owners. In the time of Edward III Richard de Willoughby was granted a charter to hold a weekly market and annual fair.

Architecture
Wymeswold is typical of a working village, the development of which has evolved over many centuries. Far Street still retains one of the finest Georgian street-scapes in Leicestershire. Around the village are many pleasant corners with groupings of houses which illustrate the vernacular architecture of the village.

The pattern of fields and roads derives almost entirely from the Enclosure Act of 1759. One of the indirect results of this was the building of farm houses and buildings away from the village in positions more convenient for the new fields. It must have been a period of increasing prosperity as a number of houses appear to have been built around this time.

Population changes
In the Domesday Book 39 men of various ranks were mentioned, so a population of under 200 may be assumed. The first census in 1801 gives a total population of 782. There followed a period of rapid growth, with the total reaching 1,276 in 1831 which has been attributed to the development of the lace and framework knitting industries. From 1851 the population decreased fairly steadily due in part to the migration to larger industrial centres. This decline halted in the 1950’s since when the population has increased steadily.

If you are interested in finding out more abut the history of Wymeswold there is a wealth of information on the Wolds Historical Organisation’s website at http://www.hoap.co.uk/who/