Wetwang
Village and civil parish in England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, 6 miles (10 kilometres) west of Driffield on the A166 road.
| Wetwang | |
|---|---|
 St Nicholas Church | |
  Wetwang Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| Population | 761 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SE932590 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DRIFFIELD |
| Postcode district | YO25 |
| Dialling code | 01377 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
At the 2011 census, it had a population of 761,[1] an increase on the 2001 census figure of 672.[2]
There are two interpretations of the name. One is from the Old Norse vaett-vangr, or 'field for the trial of a legal action'. Another theory is that it was the "Wet Field" compared to the nearby dry field at Driffield.[3]
The name is jokingly defined in The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams as meaning "a moist penis".[4] In some varieties of English, wang or whang is a slang term for penis.[5][6][7] The name Wetwang has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[8][9]
The village is known for its Iron Age chariot burial cemetery at Wetwang Slack,[10] and it has been speculated that the unlocated Romano-British town of Delgovicia may have been at what is now Wetwang.[11]
Before the Norman Conquest (TRE) Ealdraed held Wetwang, and it was worth £4 per year in rent.[12]
The village is mentioned twice in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wetuuangha. The lesser mention simply records its existence: "In Wetwang the archbishop 13+1⁄2 carucates". The mention is under "Warter Hundred" on original folio 381V: East Riding.[13] Earlier in the Domesday Book, there is a fuller description (Folio 302V: Yorkshire) within the listing of the land of the Archbishop of York:
In Wetwang there are 13+1⁄2 carucates to the geld, and there could be 7 ploughs. Archbishop Ealdraed held this as 1 manor. Now Archbishop Thomas has it and it is waste. TRE worth £4. This manor is 2 leagues long and 1+1⁄2 broad
— Folio 302V: Yorkshire) within the listing of the land of the Archbishop of York
A carucate is the area of land a man with 8 oxen can plough in a season, sometimes cited as around 120 acres (49 ha). In Wetwang there were 13+1⁄2 of them available for the tax take ("geld"). A "plough" was a carucate which was being ploughed, rather than grazed or fallow. A league is around 3 miles (4.8 km). After the conquest, Wetwang was waste land held by Archbishop Thomas. [12]
St Nicholas's Church is of Norman origin and was restored between 1845 and 1902. In 1966, the church was designated a Grade II* listed building.[14] It is on the Sykes Churches Trail devised by the East Yorkshire Churches Group.[15] The church has a ring of three bells (tenor 7 long cwt 0 qr 12 lb; 796 lb or 361 kg in A), the oldest of which (the tenor) dates from c. 1450.[16]
Wetwang was once known for its black swans, after which the village pub, the Black Swan, is named.[17]
Until 1950, the village was served by Wetwang railway station, on the Malton to Driffield Line, but this line has closed.[18] The village is now served by an infrequent East Yorkshire Motor Services bus.[19]
Richard Whiteley of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown held the honorary title Mayor of Wetwang from 1998 until his death in 2005.[20] On 25 June 2006, local weather forecaster Paul Hudson from BBC Look North was invested as Whiteley's successor.[21]
| Year | Mayor |
|---|---|
| 1998–2005 | Richard Whiteley |
| 2006– | Paul Hudson |
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