Wellesbourne | |
---|---|
Chestnut Square, Wellesbourne | |
Location within Warwickshire | |
Population | 7,283 (2021) |
OS grid reference | SP278552 |
Civil parish | |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | WARWICK |
Postcode district | CV35 |
Dialling code | 01789 |
Police | Warwickshire |
Fire | Warwickshire |
Ambulance | West Midlands |
UK Parliament | |
Wellesbourne is a large village in the civil parish of Wellesbourne and Walton, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. In the 2021 census the parish had a population of 7,283, a significant increase from 5,849 In the 2011 census. [1] The civil parish was renamed from Wellesbourne to Wellesbourne and Walton on 1 April 2014. [2]
Wellesbourne sits on the A429 road, and is located around 7 miles (11 km) south of Warwick and 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Stratford-upon-Avon. Nearby villages include Loxley, Hampton Lucy, Charlecote, Walton and Kineton.
The name was first recorded in 862 as Wallesburam. It was later referred to as Waleborne in the Domesday Book. [3]
In May 1140 Wellesbourne was hit by a tornado – one of the earliest recorded in the British Isles. It damaged several buildings and killed a woman. [4]
Wellesbourne was once two villages – Wellesbourne Mountford and Wellesbourne Hastings, the two villages being divided by the River Dene; the former lying to the south of the river, and the latter to the north. In 1947 the two parishes were merged, and are now considered to be a single village. For these historical reasons Wellesbourne has two village centres, Chestnut Square and the Precinct respectively. [5] The Chestnut Square area no longer contains commercial premises but the old shop fronts are visible in what are now houses. [6]
Wellesbourne Hall in the village, dates from about 1700 and is grade II* listed, [7]
Perhaps the most significant event in Wellesbourne's history was the founding in 1872 of the National Agricultural Labourers Union by Joseph Arch – an event once celebrated by an annual parade, [5] which it was hoped to be revived in 2010. There was little interest from the Trade Unions which once featured quite prominently, but the Wellesbourne Action Group still organises a walk from Barford to Wellesbourne around 9 June each year along the Joseph Arch Way. There is a somewhat unusual memorial in the form of a plaque in the village bus shelter dating from 1952. [3] The initial meetings were held in the historic Stag's Head pub, which the bus shelter is located opposite. The thatched building was built in 1640 and became a pub in 1830. It was devastated by fire in 2021, but following extensive restoration was reopened a year later. The King's Head on Warwick Road is the village's only other pub. [8]
During the Second World War the Royal Air Force opened an airfield; RAF Wellesbourne Mountford immediately south of the village, from 1965 this was converted into a civilian airfield. [5]
Since the 1960s new housing developments have meant that Wellesbourne has grown significantly. In the 1980s 800 houses were built on the Dovehouse estate, this was built on part of the site of the airfield and the streets are named after the aircraft which once flew from there. [5]
Outside the village is Warwick Crop Centre which is part of the University of Warwick. It was originally established in 1949 as the National Vegetable Research Centre. It became Horticulture Research International in 1990, which was bought by the university in 2004. The establishment, which covers 472 acres (191 ha) is recognised internationally for its research in sustainable agriculture, horticulture and food security. [9]
Chedham's Yard, a historic agricultural building with blacksmith's and wheelwright's workshops, won BBC TV's Restoration Village competition in 2006. [10]
There is a small airfield called Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, also the site of Wellesbourne Market, the Midlands' largest open-air market, held every Saturday and bank holiday Mondays. [11]
The airfield hosts a Wings and Wheels event each year. In 2009 the event took place on 19 August and featured Avro Vulcan XH558, Avro Vulcan XM655, Red Arrows (with Avro Vulcan XM655 being the star of the show) and a number of classic vehicles and military vehicles. Events have taken place in June since 2010 [12] including 21 June 2015 and 19 June 2016. 2014 celebrated the 50th anniversary of XM655 having been delivered to the RAF and the 30th anniversary of the aircraft's delivery to Wellesbourne. [13]
There is also a museum which includes a number of aircraft and a wartime emergency underground bunker. [14]
There are two churches in Wellesbourne, St. Peter's parish church [15] and a Methodist church.
Wellesbourne is home to Wellesbourne Church of England primary school. [16]
Wellesbourne has a football club, Wellesbourne Wanderers FC. [17]
Wellesbourne has a badminton club, based at Kineton School [18] and a cycling club called the Wellesbourne Wheelers.[ citation needed ]
Following a boundary change most of Wellesbourne is now in the Parliamentary Constituency of Kenilworth and Southam. Two roads, Hammond Green and Ramsay Green built west of the old parish boundary are still attached to Stratford.
For local government, Wellesbourne falls under the areas of Warwickshire County Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council, which are both responsible for different aspects of local government. Wellesbourne also has a parish council as the most local tier of government, which is represented by 11 councillors from three wards. [19]
Climate data for Wellesbourne 47m asl, 1991-2020 | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14.1 (57.4) | 17.3 (63.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.2 (72.0) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.8 (58.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 7.9 (46.2) | 14.7 (58.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.8 (37.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | 7.3 (45.1) | 9.9 (49.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 7.3 (45.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 1.7 (35.1) | 6.2 (43.2) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 54.4 (2.14) | 39.3 (1.55) | 40.2 (1.58) | 48.0 (1.89) | 58.0 (2.28) | 51.2 (2.02) | 59.1 (2.33) | 57.8 (2.28) | 51.2 (2.02) | 59.0 (2.32) | 58.7 (2.31) | 54.7 (2.15) | 631.6 (24.87) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.4 | 9.7 | 9.0 | 9.7 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 12.0 | 10.7 | 118 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 56.4 | 77.0 | 114.5 | 158.3 | 196.0 | 190.0 | 200.1 | 180.8 | 142.9 | 106.6 | 66.4 | 54.1 | 1,543.1 |
Source: Meteoclimat [20] |
Stratford-upon-Avon, commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick. The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area at the northern extremity of the Cotswolds. In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495.
Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town.
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in southern Warwickshire, England. It is located on the banks of the River Stour, 9 miles (15 km) south-southeast of Stratford-upon-Avon, 10 miles north-northwest of Chipping Norton, 14 miles (22 km) south of Warwick and 14.5 miles west of Banbury. In the 2021 census, Shipston-on-Stour had a population of 5,849.
Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.
Stratford-on-Avon is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. The district is named after its largest town of Stratford-upon-Avon, but with a change of preposition; the town uses "upon" and the district uses "on". The council is based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the district, which is predominantly rural, also includes the towns of Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour and Southam, and the large villages of Bidford-on-Avon, Studley and Wellesbourne, plus numerous other smaller villages and hamlets and surrounding rural areas. The district covers the more sparsely populated southern part of Warwickshire, and contains nearly half the county's area. The district includes part of the Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Kineton is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-east Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district, and in the 2001 census it had a population of 2,278, increasing to 2,337 at the 2011 Census.
Gaydon is a civil parish and village in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire, England, situated between Leamington Spa and Banbury. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376, increasing to 446 at the 2011 census and 530 residents at the 2021 census.
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Barford is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England, about three miles south of Warwick. As at the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,171, that increased to 1,336 at the 2011 census. The Joint parish council also runs the villages of Sherbourne and Wasperton. In March 2014 "The Sunday Times" listed the village as one of the Top 10 places to live in The Midlands. In the village there are two pubs, a hotel with swimming pool, and a village shop owned and run by the community.
Kenilworth and Southam is a constituency in Warwickshire, England represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Jeremy Wright, a Conservative who served as Culture Secretary until 24 July 2019, having previously served as Attorney General for England and Wales from 2014 to 2018.
Rugby is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by John Slinger, of the Labour Party.
Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield is located in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, England, 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east of Stratford-upon-Avon. The airfield was formerly the Royal Air Force station RAF Wellesbourne Mountford.
The River Dene is a small river in Warwickshire, England.
Butlers Marston is a village and civil parish on the River Dene in south-eastern Warwickshire, England. The village is part of Stratford-on-Avon district. In the 2001 census it had a population of 226, increasing to 232 in the 2011 Census. Butlers Marston is located one mile south-west of Kineton and roughly four miles south-east of Wellesbourne.
Moreton Morrell is a village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is part of the historic hundred of Kington and is located about three and a half miles north west of the village of Kineton. The settlement was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Moreton. From at least Norman times, it has consisted of the village of Moreton and the hamlet of Morrell. The parish of Moreton Morrell is bounded on the east and south east by the Fosse Way, and consists of Little Morrell in the north, the village of Moreton Morrell, and Moreton Paddox in the south.
Avro Vulcan XM655 is one of three remaining taxiable Avro Vulcan strategic bombers, the other two being XH558 and XL426. XM655 is currently owned by Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield and has been maintained by the 655 Maintenance & Preservation Society since 1998, who keep the aircraft in a taxiable condition.
RAF Atherstone was a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 2.25 miles (3.62 km) south of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north-west of Shipston on Stour.
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Newbold Pacey is a village and civil parish 5 miles (8 km) south of Warwick, in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Ashorne and the parish council is called "Newbold Pacey & Ashorne Parish Council". In 2011 the parish had a population of 267. The parish touches Bishop's Tachbrook, Charlecote, Chesterton and Kingston, Lighthorne, Moreton Morrell, Wasperton and Wellesbourne and Walton. Newbold Pacey is within a conservation area.