Wrangle, Lincolnshire

Wrangle is a village in Lincolnshire, England, around 9 miles (14 km) north-east of the town of Boston. Population of Wrangle civil parish in 2001 was 1,265.^[1]

Wrangle is one of eighteen parishes which, together with Boston, form the Borough of Boston.^[2] The local government has been arranged in this way since the reorganization of April 1, 1974, which resulted from the Local Government Act 1972. This parish forms part of the Old Leake and Wrangle electoral ward.^[2]

Hitherto, the parish had formed part of Boston Rural District, in the Parts of Holland. Holland was one of the three divisions (formally known as parts) of the traditional county of Lincolnshire. Since the Local Government Act of 1888, Holland had been in most respects, a county in itself.

History

The name Wrangle reputedly comes from the Scandinavian Vrangr, meaning bent or crooked - a reference to a stream long since gone.^[2] The village lies on western side of The Wash, on the broad bank of marine silt left by the great tidal creeks which formed, predominantly during the Bronze Age, about 2,500 years ago. To seaward, the marsh has accreted over the centuries, a process hastened by artificial enclosure for pasture. As this progressed, the tide no longer flowed off the marsh twice a day to keep Wrangle Haven open. With its silting, the main feature of medieval Wrangle was lost. It had hitherto, been the third biggest harbour on this coast, after Swineshead (Bicker Haven) and Boston (The Haven).

Wrangle was mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086, when it consisted of seven households.^[3]

At Kings Hill are earthwork remains of a medieval Motte and Bailey castle believed to be associated with a manorial estate established during the 11th and 12th centuries. In the early 17th century this passed to King James I and the site became known as Kings Hill. The site is a scheduled monument.^[4]

Wrangle Hall was the seat of the Reade family, who resided there from the 14th century until the late 17th century. A large part of the house was taken down about 1806, and the remainder was modernized about 25 years later. Traditionally, there was a chapel here, the remains of which existed in a field opposite the hall in the 18th century. This is probably the St. Peter's Chapel, Wrangle, mentioned in 1342. The present Wrangle Hall is modern, built on the site of the previous building, which was demolished around 1935.^[5]

Wrangle tower windmill is a grade II listed building which was built about 1825 of red brick. It was worked by wind until the 1930s. An electric hammer mill and mixer were in use in 1977.^[6]

The Church

The parish church is a grade I listed building dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas, and is built in the Perpendicular style of the 12th Century.^[7][8] In the period between 1154 and 1189, the church and much land came under the governance of Waltham Abbey in Essex which supplied its priests. It is recorded, for example, that in the glass of the East Window was an inscription in latin which translated means ‘Tomas de Wyversty, Abbot of Waltham had me made’.^[7] The building later fell into disrepair, but was restored in the 14th Century.^[7] The chancel was restored again between 1875 and 1878 by Ewan Christian.^[7][8] A plaque to the memory of the American airmen who died when their plane crashed on Wrangle Common in 1944 is in the church.^[7]

References