Introducing Whetstone
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Introducing Whetstone
Whetstone Parish runs in a north-south
direction from the centre of the Blaby District to the boundary with
Harborough District. The northern part of the Parish contains the
village of Whetstone whilst to the south lies open countryside. Whetstone Brook flows the length of the Parish to its confluence with
the River Soar on the northern Parish boundary. The western boundary
is formed by the M1 motorway. The area of the parish is 1980 acres
(800 hectares).
The Parish is
recorded in the Doomsday Book and lived quietly throughout the
following eight centuries. Agriculture was a prime source of
employment and in the 18th century framework knitting came to the
village in a small way. Prior to the last war new technology
drastically changed Whetstone’s industry and, eventually,
international travel , for it was in Whetstone that the first jet aero
engines were developed at what is now the Alstom complex. There are
few listed buildings in the Parish but the Church of St. Peter’s
is over 650 years old.
Extracts from a book
by John Nichols - 1807, covering the Guthlaxton Hundred:-
The name Whetstone
is probably a corruption of West-Town (abbreviated Weston). “Within
the Deanery of Guthlaxton, in the ecclesiastical division of the
county”, described as situated “but a little distance west
from the turnpike road leading from Leicester to Northampton”.
In 1254, a Gilbert de Segrave held “over 560 acres of land, 20
acres of meadow, the toll of 6 Marks per annum, the Mill worth 20s per
annum, the Pasture worth 25s per annum and Perquisites of Court worth
8s per annum”
Records show that a Roger Wigston was owner of one of the manors and
that his son William sold it to Ralph Rowlett together with land at
Blaby and Countesthorpe. The Rowletts were goldsmiths in London - one
of them, a Knight, became Master of the Mint in 1541.
In 1555, Sir Ralph Rowlett sold the manor to a Thomas Allen, Rector of
Stevenage, son of Sir John Allen, Lord Mayor of London, who in his
Will of 1558 left all his estate to the Master, Fellows and Scholars
of Trinity College, Cambridge for ever - who appear to be trustees
only for the purpose set forth in the Will. In the beginning of the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, several tenant farmers were named Allen,
even up to 1805.
In 1642, an Order of Sessions held at Leicester said that “Due to
the plague and fayler to pay taxes,
arrears shall be levied by the High and Petty Constables, to the sum
of £8 weekly”.
An act of 1764 was
made for “dividing and enclosing the Open and Common Field in the
Lordship, Township or Liberty of Whetstone”. Harry, Earl of
Stamford, is described as Lord of the Manor of Whetstone. Charles
Lorraine Smith was entitled to the tithes of corn and grain; the Rev.
John Simmond, clerk, as vicar of Enderby with Whetstone was entitled
to the tithe of wool and lamb. Masters, Fellows and Scholars of
Trinity College, the Mayor, Bailiffs and Burgesses of Leicester all
had an exclusive right to turn and depasture their beasts, sheep and
cattle upon the common lands at certain times in the year.
Records of 1801 show that there were 128 inhabited houses with 295
males and 303 females (70 employed in agriculture and 223 in trade,
manufacture and handicrafts).
Throughout the 1960’s the village grew in size from a population
of 1400 to 2400 and this growth continued throughout the 70’s, 80’s
and 90’s. The present population is almost 7000.
The older core of Whetstone lies along Victoria Road and the High
Street with newer housing behind. The most recent developments are to
the south of the village where extensive new housing occupies the area
from Alstom to the Blaby Bypass, and south of Dog & Gun Lane, and
three separate small housing developments on land off Enderby Road; the
latest completed during 2005.
The separate identity of the village is to be protected to prevent
Whetstone from merging with adjoining settlements. Land between the
Blaby Bypass and Blaby itself, and land lying to the west of Whetstone
is designated as Green Wedge land to be safeguarded against
inappropriate development. Only where it is essential for the
effective operation of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, sport,
recreation, tourism, transport or public utilities or for the boarding
of animals will development be permitted. To the north of the parish
the Sence Valley Green Wedge will provide similar protection for the
area between Whetstone and Glen Parva.
Although no further sites are proposed for major development in the
new Local Plan, further modest scale housing is not entirely ruled
out. It is part of the council’s strategy for meeting its overall
housing requirements for the district that some new housing
developments will be allowed on infill and redevelopment sites within
built up areas.