Wing, Rutland

Wing is a village and civil parish in the East Midlands county of Rutland, England. The population was 315 at the 2001 census and 314 at that of 2011.[3] It features a fine church and a labyrinth made of turf. Rutland Water reservoir is nearby.

Wing
Wing's turf maze
Wing is located in Rutland
Wing
Wing
Location within Rutland
Area1.74 sq mi (4.5 km2[1]
Population315 2001 Census[2]
• Density181/sq mi (70/km2)
OS grid referenceSK893033
• London80 mi (130 km) SSE
Unitary authority
Shire county
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townOAKHAM
Postcode districtLE15
Dialling code01572
PoliceLeicestershire
FireLeicestershire
AmbulanceEast Midlands
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Rutland
52°37′12″N 0°40′55″W / 52.620°N 0.682°W / 52.620; -0.682

Heritage

The village name, first found as Wenge in the 12th century, probably derives from the Old Norse vengi, meaning field.[4]

Seventeenth-century houses in Wing were built of stone quarried at nearby Barnack and Clipsham. Many are roofed with Collyweston stone slate.[5]

The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Wing[6] was much rebuilt in 1875, when the spire was removed. Some parts date from Norman times, including the south arcade of about 1150, the slightly later north arcade, and the north doorway.[7]

Maze

Cut into the turf beside Glaston Road is a circular "turf maze" roughly 40 ft (12 m) in diameter (actually a unicursal labyrinth) It is thought to date back to medieval times, based on the fact that its design is similar to the pavement maze in Chartres cathedral and those at other medieval sites.[8]

Amenities

Wing Hall; South face

The remaining public house is the King's Arms. The name of the Cuckoo Inn, closed in 2004, alluded to a legend that the people of Wing once tried to keep spring in the village forever by erecting a fence around a cuckoo to stop it from leaving. Naturally, it flew over the fence and away. As a result, people from the village were known as "Wing Fools".[5] This is actually a widespread story, the best-known version probably appearing among the adventures the Wise Men of Gotham. There is a village hall.[9]

Wing Hall has a camping and caravan site with a shop and café.

A plant outside Wing treats water extracted from Rutland Water reservoir a few miles to the north. Proposals by Anglian Water to raise the volume of water extracted were opposed by the RSPB, fearing that water-level changes would damage adjacent wildfowl habitats.[10]

Medical, legal and other services can be found in Oakham (6 miles, 10 km).

Transport

Wing has one or two daily weekday buses with Oakham. Hourly daytime buses six days a week between Melton Mowbray, Oakham and Corby pass through Manton 1.3 miles (2 km) away. The nearest railway station is at Oakham (6 miles, 10 km), but Corby (11.5 miles, 18.5 km) has hourly services seven days a week to London St Pancras, changing at Kettering (a little over an hour).

Also nearby (1.5 miles, 2.4 km) is the main A6003 road between Kettering and Oakham via Uppingham.

Notable people

In birth order:

See also

References

External links