Wolvey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wolvey is a village and parish in Warwickshire, England. In 2001 it had a population of 1,741.

The village is on the B4065 and B4109 roads. And is located in an outlying part of the borough of Rugby, the village however is more than 10 miles (16km) north-west from the town of Rugby and is actually closer to Nuneaton (five miles to the north-west) and Coventry (five miles south-west). It is also close to the source of the River Anker. Just to the west of Wolvey, in the hamlet of Bramcote, is Gamecock barracks.

The village dates back to Saxon times. The most important historic event in Wolvey occurred in 1469 during the Wars of the Roses, when Warwick the Kingmaker captured King Edward IV on Wolvey Heath.

Historically knitting, weaving and milling were the most important trades in the village. And at one time there were 27 windmills in the area, although none now remain.

Much of the village is made up of modern housing, but it also contains some older buildings such as its church of St John Baptist which dates partly from the 14th century.

Its name likeliest came from the Anglo-Saxon wulf-hæg or wulf-hege = "wolf hedge" = "enclosure with a hedge to keep wolves out".