North Wheatley

North Wheatley
Church of St. Peter and St. Paul's
North Wheatley North Wheatley shown within Nottinghamshire
Population	509 (2011)
OS grid reference	SK7620585659
Civil parish	North and South Wheatley
District	Bassetlaw
Shire county	Nottinghamshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Retford
Postcode district	DN22
Dialling code	01427
Police	Nottinghamshire
Fire	Nottinghamshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	East Retford
Website	Village Website

North Wheatley is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of North and South Wheatley, in Bassetlaw district, in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 489,^[1] increasing to 509 at the 2011 census.^[2] It is located 6 miles north-east of Retford. The village has a number of 17th century brick houses. The Old Hall on Low Street/Church Hill is dated 1673, with the arms of the Cartwright family. The parish church of St Peter and St Paul was restored in 1896. Many farms in the area have dovecotes, either as free-standing buildings or above farm buildings.^[3] The civil parish was merged with South Wheatley to form North and South Wheatley.^[4]

Although there is no specific meaning for North Wheatley, the name Wheatley is of English origin and it means "from the wheat field".^[5] View North Wheatley through this boundary map.

Church

The church was built in the 13th century, and is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul.^[6] Gilbert White includes a brief description of the Church itself, written in the 1853 Directory of Nottinghamshire. It has a tower with 5 bells, but the Chancel was rebuilt in 1824.^[7]

In 1896, the Church was restored by Hodgson Fowler, an English architect who specialised in restoring churches. 1 February 1967 saw the church listed as a Grade II* listed building, this given to particularly important buildings of more than special interest,^[8] and it is still in use present day. Most Sundays, there is a Church Service ^{[note 1]} in the village at 10.30 am in either Church or Chapel.^[9] The current Reverend is Mark Cantrill.

The Middleton Wheatley Foundation Trust was established in 1981 by Lord Middleton with the proceeds from the sale of the old school house. It aims to promote education, in particular religious education, in the village. Interest from the trust's investments are distributed to charitable projects in these areas three times each year.^[10]

Population

The population of North Wheatley has varied very slightly over time. Since records began, it rose and fell only minutely in the next 160 years. It is noted that a figure for the population of North Wheatley in 1941 was not registered, the likely cause of this being the Second World War.

The Census in 2001 showed that of the 489 residents in North Wheatley, 167^[11] of them were aged 45–64. 275^[11] of these residents were aged 16 or over and were married, indicating that the area welcomes couples ad potentially families. As well as this, 358^[11] people were in good health, which could suggest the village likes to promote healthy living and an active lifestyle.

In 2007, it is thought that the population of the village was roughly 650^[9] people, the average age of these residents being 42. This rise in population can most likely be put down to an increase in the quality of health care and medicines, leading to an extended life expectancy. North Wheatleys older population can also be identified by the percentage of students living in the area being just 1.4%, compared to the national average of 4.4%. This however does not signify troubles for the village, as it is quite likely that the rustic and countryside feel to the area is down to its older population.

Local economy

Almost 200 years ago, census information shows us that more than half of males in North Wheatley aged 20 and over were Agricultural Laborers.^[12] The village is still embracing its agricultural roots. Wheatley enjoys a successful and varied local economy, with a good rate of local employment.^[13] The village thrives through its many farms and their resultant by-products, for example Goachers Farm Shop,^{[note 2][14]} one of the many registered businesses in the area. High quality strawberries, along with other produce, are sold through the major supermarkets.^[13]

Despite its size, the village has an adequate amount of local businesses, many of which specifically appealing to the areas older population. It has a church, chapel, pub, two shops, village hall and lots of amenities for its population of approximately 650 people.^[9] In the 2001 Census, there were 355^[15] people aged 16–74 in North Wheatley. Of these 355, 232^[15] were economically active: employed, 111^[15] were economically inactive and just 12^[15] were economically active: unemployed.^[15] Surprisingly, 25^[16] households registered as having three or more cars or vans, indicating that there is wealth in the village.

Sport

The village has a number of sporting facilities and clubs. The village playing fields, which lie at the boundary between North and South Wheatley, have a field for cricket and football and courts for Wheatley Tennis Club. The fields were donated to the village in the 1950s and are maintained by the Parish Council. Wheatley Bowls Club have a dedicated facility a short distance away.

A number of sports clubs are active in the village. North Wheatley with Leverton Cricket Club was created by a merge of clubs from the two villages in 2004 and fields two teams in the Bassetlaw Saturday League.^[17] Wheatley Tennis Club provide social tennis and coaching and field two teams playing in the Gainsborough Evening Leagues.^[18] North Wheatley Phoenix Football Club also compete locally. Wheatley Bowls Club compete in local tournaments and have offered coaching days.^[19]

Strawberries

Strawberry fields around Wheatley

Strawberries are traditionally associated with the village due to the number of strawberry farms in the immediate area. Many of these farms offered a 'pick your own' service, though the number offering this has diminished in recent years. A strawberry is used as the centrepiece of the logo used by the official village website.

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to North Wheatley.

• North and South Wheatley village website