Whitwell, Rutland
| Whitwell | |
| Rutland | |
|---|---|
 St Michael and All Angels Church | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SK923088 |
| Location: | 52°40’12"N, 0°38’10"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 41 (2001][1]) |
| Post town: | Oakham |
| Postcode: | LE15 |
| Dialling code: | 01572 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Rutland |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Rutland and Melton |
Whitwell is a village and parish in the county of Rutland. The population at the 2001 census was 41. At the 2011 census the population remained less than 100 and is included in the civil parish of Exton.
It is located on the A606 road, about four miles east of Oakham, on the north shore of Rutland Water with car parking off Bull Brig Lane. Whitwell Harbour is a popular sailing and water sports area and a pleasure boat known as the Rutland Belle operates from the harbour. Whitwell is one of the smallest villages in Rutland; it only has 19 houses, plus The Noel pub, the name of which comes from the Earls of Gainsborough, who were landholders in the area.[2]
Whitwell claims to be twinned with Paris. In 1980, regulars from the pub, the Noel Arms wrote to the then Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac proposing the link and with a tight deadline for a response. As no answer arrived from the Mayor's office by the set date, the village unilaterally declared itself to be twinned and erected road signs to that effect.[3][4] The original wooden signs were later replaced in metal by Rutland Council.
References
- ↑ "Rutland Civil Parish Populations". Rutland County Council. 2001. http://www.rutland.gov.uk/ppimageupload/Image27657.PDF. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
- ↑ Poulton-Smith, Anthony (2008). Leicestershire and Rutland Place-names. History Press. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7509-5045-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=_gEMAQAAMAAJ.
- ↑ Story of how Whitwell came to be twinned with Paris, as told to Parliament by local MP Alan Duncan in 1992. (Bottom of "Column 1137")
- ↑ A column from the Guardian, 19 April 2003, mentioning how Whitwell became twinned with Paris. (about 2/3 of the way down)
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Whitwell, Rutland) |
A 1980 regional news report from ATV on the twinning celebrations
