Waresley

Waresley

Church, Waresley, Cambridgeshire
Waresley
 Waresley shown within Cambridgeshire
OS grid referenceTL253536
DistrictHuntingdonshire
Shire countyCambridgeshire
RegionEast
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town SANDY
Postcode district SG19
Dialling code 01767
Police Cambridgeshire
Fire Cambridgeshire
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
List of places
UK
England
Cambridgeshire

Coordinates: 52°10′30″N 0°10′23″W / 52.175°N 0.173°W

Waresley is a village and civil parish within the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England.[1] It is five miles south-east of the town of St Neots and seven miles north-east of Sandy, Bedfordshire. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Waresley parish (including the parish of Tetworth) was 283.[2]

History

Waresley was mentioned in the Domesday book, spelled as Wederesle. The name probably means 'woodland clearing of a man called Wether or Wær.'[3] In 1801, Waresley's population stood at 195 people and in 1901, it was 216.[4]

Governance

Waresley is represented on Huntingdonshire District Council by two councillors for the Gransden and the Offords ward.[5] It is in the constituency of Huntingdon, represented at the House of Commons by Jonathan Djanogly.[6]

Geography

Neighbouring parishes
Eynesbury Hardwicke Abbotsley Great Gransden
Tetworth Little Gransden
   Waresley  
Tetworth Gamlingay Gamlingay

Waresley is on the B1040 road between Gamlingay and Eltisley, five miles south-east of the town of St Neots and seven miles north-east of Sandy, Bedfordshire, England. London is 45 miles south and Huntingdon 10 miles north.

Landmarks

Waresley Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest,[7] is managed as a nature reserve by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.[8] Waresley Park, a former deer park landscaped by the 18th Century designer Humphry Repton, is now used as a base for horse training.[9] Waresley Park Stud is an outstanding equestrian facility in the area that provides facilities for public for equestrian training. A number of Olympian riders have trained here over the years from a number of countries such as UK, Brazil, Thailand, New Zealand and others.

Religious sites

Waresley has had three church buildings. The original church stood in the east of the village and was mentioned in the Domesday Book[4] but was destroyed by a storm in 1724. In 1728, it was rebuilt but was pulled down and the current church built on a new site, at the junction of the roads to Great Gransden and Eltisley in 1856. It is dedicated to Saint James[4] and was designed by William Butterfield. The Great Storm of 1987 destroyed the church's spire but it was rebuilt.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huntingdonshire District Council: Waresley
  2. ↑ Cambridgeshire County Council: Parish Census Profile
  3. ↑ Mills, A.D. (1998). A Dictionary of English Place-names. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. p365. ISBN 0-19-280074-4
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 GENUKI: Waresley Parish Page
  5. ↑ Huntingdonshire District Council: Find councillor
  6. ↑ UK Parliament: Find your MP
  7. ↑ Natural England: Waresley Wood
  8. ↑ Wildlife Trust: Waresley Wood
  9. ↑ Waresley Park