Whitnash
|
|
Template:GBmap Whitnash is a small town in Warwickshire, England. It is near to Royal Leamington Spa, and is seen by many as effectively being a suburb of Leamington. In 2001, it had a population of 7,798.
Whitnash is a very ancient settlement. Its earliest origins can be traced back to pre-Roman occupation. Whitnash has several possible origins as a place name. It could variously mean "at the white ash", "place by the wood", "sacred ash", or even "meeting place of the wise". However, the first meaning is the considered most likely to be correct.
By the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086, Whitnash was part of the Stoneleigh Hundreds area, and referred to as Witenas. The population consisted of 11 villagers and 8 smallholders. It remained a small village for many centuries, not even being connected to local towns by anything more than country lanes until around 1850.
Dramatic population growth began during the second half of the 20th century. In the space of a few decades, the population increased by over five times. Reflecting its much larger size, Whitnash became a town in 1978.
Since the 1990s, further population growth has occurred with the construction of the Warwick Gates housing estate. Despite formally being outside the boundaries of Whitnash, and located within those of Warwick, the new housing estate is directly adjacent to Whitnash, and isolated from Warwick. It thus directly impacts Whitnash far more greatly. Warwick Gates has effectively pushed the population of Whitnash over the 10,000 mark.
There is no real town centre in Whitnash. The focal point of the old village was the church of St. Margaret's. The church dates back to Saxon times, and has been greatly altered over the years. One of its most famous features was an enormous elm tree which dominated the open space in front of the church for many years. The tree had to be removed when it became dangerous. There are two other churches in the town, the Catholic St. Joseph's and the Whitnash Methodist Church.
Another focal point was the village public house. The Plough and Harrow is a 17th century building that remains a pub to this day. There are now three other pubs in Whitnash, The Heathcote,The Whitnash Tavern and The Hodcarrier, which are much more modern.
St. Margaret's School dates back to Victorian times and was founded by the church. It is now a county council-run junior school. Originally sited in Whitnash Road it transferred to new premises in Coppice Road and the original building is now used as a church hall. The Coppice Road site is also home to Briar Hill School which is an infant's school. The two other schools in Whitnash are Whitnash County Primary School and the Roman Catholic St. Joseph's School.
Politics in Whitnash has a very local character. A party representing the residents of the town, the Whitnash Resident's Association, dominates the town council, holding 14 seats. It also counts Whitnash's representatives to the district and county councils among its members.