Hickling is a village in the
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. The population of the Local Authority at the 2011 Census was 111,129. Its councilRushcliffe Borough CouncilNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...
, England. It is located close to the border with
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, approximately northwest of
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...
; the
Vale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir ( ) covers adjacent areas of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, England. The name derives from the Norman-French for "beautiful view" and dates back to Norman times.
Extent and geology
The vale is a tract ...
is also nearby. It has a population of around 550, measured at 511 in the 2011 Census.
The disused
Grantham Canal
The Grantham Canal ran 33 miles (53 km) from Grantham through 18 locks to West Bridgford, where it joined the River Trent. It was built primarily for the transportation of coal to Grantham. It opened in 1797 and its profitability steadily ...
passes through the village and there is a large basin adjacent to the main road. This would have facilitated loading and mooring when the canal was in use. The basin now attracts a substantial population of swans and ducks. Plans to put the canal back to water include the building of a swing bridge on the main road through the village. Like many bridges along the canal the original one has been flattened and therefore presently prevents navigation of the cut. Some nearby bridges, like the one elsewhere on this page, will need little work to put back to use. Further details of the plan for the area are available here
Much of the village lies within a
Protected area, conservation area, which also contains 24
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s. St Luke's Church dates from the 14th century. Inside the church can be found two ornate grave lids that were made for persons of importance and date from the tenth century.
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
coins and medals were found in an urn ploughed up nearby in 1771, and it is suspected that there may have been a Roman base nearby.
Hickling residents are commended for their charity raising skills. The village holds an annual
scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...
festival over a weekend each September. Money raised at that event in 2009 along with the Hickling Country Fair, Open Gardens totalled over £13,500. £4,500 was handed over in February 2010, at a ceremony at the Plough Inn, to each of the
Meningitis Trust Meningitis Now is a national charity based in the United Kingdom. It was formed following a merger between the charities The Meningitis Trust and Meningitis UK in 2013. Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK dies from meni ...
, the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance, and a further 14 village groups
The Ploug
is very much a focal point for the village providing good home produced food and a welcome atmosphere. The pub fields other activities including poker nights and, alternate Thursdays, open mic nigh
Famous residents
American politician
Fred M. Warner (1865–1923) was born in Hickling, though he spent most of his life in
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, serving as the state's
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
between 1905 and 1911.
The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Warner to Warra
at politicalgraveyard.com
Gallery
File:Hickling Notts Village Sign.jpg, Hickling village sign
Image:Plough Hickling.JPG, The Plough Inn
File:Hickling Former Methodist Chapel.jpg, Former Methodist chapel
Image:Basin Hickling 2.JPG, The basin at Hickling
Image:Swing Bridge Hickling.JPG, Swing bridge near Hickling
References
Hickling Village Website
*Hickling Local History Group: https://www.hicklingnottslocalhistory.com/
External links
{{authority control
Villages in Nottinghamshire
Rushcliffe