Wrea Green

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Wrea Green
The Dub at Wrea Green - geograph.org.uk - 92931.jpg
The duck pond - 'The Dub'
Location map United Kingdom Borough of Fylde.svg
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Wrea Green
Shown within Fylde Borough
Location map United Kingdom The Fylde.svg
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Wrea Green
Shown within the Fylde
Lancashire UK location map.svg
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Wrea Green
Location within Lancashire
OS grid reference SD397315
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PRESTON
Postcode district PR4 2
Dialling code 01772
Police Lancashire
Fire Lancashire
Ambulance North West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lancashire
53°46′34″N2°54′50″W / 53.776°N 2.914°W / 53.776; -2.914 Coordinates: 53°46′34″N2°54′50″W / 53.776°N 2.914°W / 53.776; -2.914

Wrea Green is a village in the Fylde borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about 2 miles west of Kirkham. Along with the village of Ribby, it forms the civil parish Ribby-with-Wrea. [1]

Contents

Wrea Green has approximately 1,600 residents,[ citation needed ] many of whom work at the nearby Warton Aerodrome 2 miles away, where BAE Systems is a major local employer. Uniquely for the Fylde Coast, Wrea Green, as described by its name, surrounds a large common land space at one side of which is a duck pond, known locally as 'The Dub'.

Wrea Green has won "Lancashire's Best Kept Village" award 15 times - 1959, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

History

A part of the village of Wrea Green existed at the time of the Domesday Book , with the name of Rigbi. [2]

Between 1846 and 1961, the village was served by Wrea Green railway station. In 1897 Wrea Green suffered a plague of sparrows and the Parish Council agreed to pay a halfpenny for every sparrow, sparrow's egg or rat's tail that was collected. [3]

The property at the northern end of Church Row was for many years the office of J. Wareing & Son (Wrea Green) Ltd, a long established farm-building construction company [4] but before this was a sub-branch of the District Bank Ltd.

Religion

St Nicholas' Church, from the south The Parish Church of St Nicholas, Wrea Green, Lancashire - geograph.org.uk - 1738461.jpg
St Nicholas' Church, from the south

The large Grade II listed Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Nicholas. The original small church on the site was licensed for services in 1722 and was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester in 1755. This was eventually demolished and on 13 May 1848 the new vicar, G. L. Parsons, laid the foundation stone for the present structure. [5]

It was rebuilt in 1848–49 by the Lancaster architects Sharpe and Paley. [6] In 1884 the tower and spire were added by the successors in the same practice, Paley and Austin. [7]

The church is active, has regular weekly services and is a popular wedding venue. An extension was built in the late 2000s.

Local businesses

The village has a few small businesses and eating places. These include an artificial grass supplier and installer, a hair salon, a construction design services consultancy, a pub (the Grapes), a holiday hotel, sports and conference centre, a tearoom, a Thai restaurant, a post office with shop, a hotel with restaurant and a dentist. There is also the Wrea Green Institute, a members club with a community room. [8] J. Wareing & Son Ltd has now relocated from the village centre and the site re-used for a small development of detached houses.

Community events

Wrea Green Field Day, or Club Day, is a large festival held in Wrea Green including a fancy-dress parade, special event, a three-day visit by a large travelling fair and special stalls on the village green. Local children/teenagers are involved in the parade around the Green and the highlight of the day is the de-crowning of the previous Queen, the "Retiring Queen" (from the year before) and the crowning of a new Queen, the "Rose Queen". [9] People with some local prominence usually crown the Queens, for example, the head teacher of the primary school in 2006 etc.

The Wrea Green Horticultural Society is hosting its first show in September 2016 which will include classes, exhibits and a beer festival. [10]

Education

School House "The School House" Wrea Green, Lancashire - geograph.org.uk - 1738523.jpg
School House

The school (Ribby-with-Wrea Endowed C.E.) was founded by James Thistleton in 1693. A second school was founded by Nicholas Sharples in 1715. The two trusts were united in 1750. It moved to the current site in 1845, when the church of St Nicholas [11] replaced the Sharples school. The oldest part of the present school building dates from 1898.

Twin towns

Since November 2005 the village has been twinned the small picturesque French village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux in Burgundy. A delegation of Wrea Green residents travelled to St Bris to make the twinning official, but the first large exchange came when, at Easter 2006, 43 French people came to stay in Wrea Green. After the major success of July 2007's trip to France by 40 Wrea Green residents, a return exchange took place in August 2008, when a similar number of French guests came to the UK.

Recent development

In 2010 plans for a new housing estate, comprising 55 houses on land on Richmond Avenue in the village, were announced by developer Les Blanc Bois Holdings Ltd. Additionally, Fylde businessman David Haythornthwaite announced plans to create the "Greenland Sports Village", featuring a football stadium for non league AFC Fylde, at Greenlands Farm on Ribby Road. Both plans have met opposition from some villagers [12] and plans to build the AFC Fylde stadium in the village have since been abandoned and the proposed stadium has since been built north of Wesham. [13] However, the houses on Richmond Avenue have since been built. A "Save Wrea Green Action Group" was formed. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

Kirkham, Lancashire Human settlement in England

Kirkham is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the smaller town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a Roman fort. At the Census of 2011 it had a population 7,194.

Borough of Fylde Borough in England

The Borough of Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes. Some council departments, including Planning and an office of the Registrar, were previously located in Wesham, but in 2007 these offices were transferred to the ownership of the NHS North Lancashire Primary Care Trust and have since been replaced by a new housing development. The population of the non-metropolitan district at the 2011 census was 75,757.

Poulton-le-Fylde Human settlement in England

Poulton-le-Fylde, commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago and several archaeological finds from Roman settlement in England have been found in the area. At the time of the Norman conquest, Poulton was a small agricultural settlement in the hundred of Amounderness. The church of St Chad was recorded in 1094 when it was endowed to Lancaster Priory. By the post-Medieval period the town had become an important commercial centre for the region with weekly and triannual markets. Goods were imported and exported through two harbours on the River Wyre. In 1837, the town was described as the "metropolis of the Fylde", but its commercial importance waned from the mid-19th century with the development of the nearby coastal towns of Fleetwood and Blackpool.

Warton, Fylde Human settlement in England

Warton is a village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England.

Fylde College, Lancaster

Fylde College is a constituent college of the University of Lancaster, in Lancashire, England. The college was the sixth of the university’s colleges. Construction of the college buildings began in 1968 and the college began accepting students in 1969. The College officially opened in 1971. The college is named after the Fylde area of Lancashire.

Singleton, Lancashire Human settlement in England

Singleton is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. It is situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. It is located south-east of Poulton-le-Fylde, and at the 2001 census had a population of 877, increasing to 889 at the 2011 Census. The parish is sometimes referred to as two parts – Great Singleton is the larger part containing the village, and Little Singleton is a small area north of the village bordering the River Wyre.

Medlar-with-Wesham Human settlement in England

Medlar-with-Wesham is a civil parish and an electoral ward on the Fylde in Lancashire, England, which contains the town of Wesham. It lies within the Borough of Fylde, and had a population of 3,245 in 1,294 households recorded in the 2001 census. rising to 3,584 at the 2011 Census.

Claughton, Wyre English village and parish also known as Claughton-on-Brock

Claughton is a sparse village and civil parish in the county of Lancashire in the north of England, located within the Borough of Wyre. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 633. It is sometimes called Claughton-on-Brock to distinguish it from another Claughton in Lancashire in the Lune valley between Lancaster and Hornby.

Stalmine-with-Staynall Parish in Wyre Borough, Lancashire, England

Stalmine-with-Staynall is a civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England, in a part of the Fylde known as Over Wyre. The parish contains the village of Stalmine and the hamlets of Staynall and Wardley. The civil parish had a population of 1,486 at the 2011 Census, of which 1,087 lived in Stalmine village.

Ribby-with-Wrea Civil parish in Fylde, England

Ribby-with-Wrea is a civil parish also electoral ward in the Borough of Fylde and ceremonial county of Lancashire in England. It had a population of 1,489 in 2001, reducing to 1,373 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes Ribby Hall and the village of Wrea Green.

Westby-with-Plumptons Human settlement in England

Westby-with-Plumptons is a civil parish in Lancashire, England. The parish is in Fylde district and contains the hamlets of Great Plumpton, Little Plumpton, Lower Ballam, Higher Ballam, Moss Side, Peel, and Westby. At the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 1,205. Westby and Plumpton are mentioned in the Domesday Book, as "Westbi" and "Pluntun".

St Nicholas Church, Wrea Green Church in Lancashire, England

St Nicholas Church is in the village of Wrea Green, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Kirkham, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is combined with those of St Matthew, Ballam and St Michael, Weeton. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

St Chads Church, Poulton-le-Fylde Church in Lancashire, England

St Chad's Church is an Anglican church in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. A church on the site was built no later than the 11th century and may have existed prior to the Norman conquest of England. The tower dates from the 17th century, and much of the remainder of the building from a major renovation in the 18th century, although some of the fabric of the original structure remains. Further renovation and additions took place in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

St Peters Church, Fleetwood Church in Lancashire, England

St Peter's Church is in the seaside town of Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, situated on the Fylde coast. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn. It was completed in 1841, to a design by Decimus Burton. Burton had been employed by Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood in 1836 to lay out the new planned town of Fleetwood. It is protected as a Grade II listed building.

St Annes Church, Woodplumpton Church in Lancashire, England

St Anne's is a church in the village of Woodplumpton in Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn, and the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the deanery of Garstang. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. The churchyard at St Anne's is the supposed burial place of a 17th-century alleged witch named Meg Shelton.

St Cuthberts Church, Halsall Church in Lancashire, England

St Cuthbert's Church is an Anglican church in Halsall, a village in Lancashire, England. It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Liverpool and the archdeaconry of Warrington. The oldest parts of the church date from the 14th century and there have been several alterations and additions. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

St Lukes Church, Winmarleigh Church in Lancashire, England

St Luke's Church is in the village of Winmarleigh, Lancashire, England. It is an active Church of England parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the deanery of Lancaster and Morecambe. The church was built in 1875–1876 by Paley and Austin, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Ribby-with-Wrea is a civil parish in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. It contains four buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings, all of which are listed at Grade II. This grade is the lowest of the three gradings given to listed buildings and is applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest". The parish includes the village of Wrea Green but is otherwise mainly rural. The listed buildings consist of a former farmhouse, a country house, a 19th-century house, and a church.

References

  1. "GENUKI: Ribby with Wrea, Lancashire genealogy" . Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. Porter, John (1876). History of the Fylde of Lancashire. W. Porter.
  3. "Brief History of Wrea Green - Wrea Green" . Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  4. "Industrial Agricultural Buildings Manufacturers Erectors - Wareing Buildings" . Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  5. Porter, J. MRCS, LSA (1878) History of the Fylde of Lancashire, Fleetwood and Blackpool, W. Porter and Sons Publisher, Chapter III - Ecclesiastical History (continued)
  6. Price, James (1998), Sharpe, Paley and Austin: A Lancaster Architectural Practice 1836–1942, Lancaster: Centre for North-West Regional Studies, p. 71, ISBN   1-86220-054-8
  7. Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969], The Buildings of England. Lancashire: North, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 571, ISBN   978-0-300-12667-9
  8. "WHAT'S ON". WREA GREEN INSTITUTE. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  9. "Field Day | Wrea Green". www.wreagreen.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  10. "Wrea Green Show". www.wreagreenshow.co.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  11. "St Nicholas Church of England, Wrea Green, Lancashire genealogy" . Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  12. 24 February 2010, "Rural fears over 'city of Fylde'", Lytham St Annes Express, retrieved 19 October 2011.
  13. "Building work kick starts football stadium project". www.lep.co.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  14. "Save Wrea Green Action Group". savewreagreenactiongroup.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.