Whitnash

Whitnash is a small suburban town and civil parish located southeast of, and contiguous with Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,629 which had increased to 9,129 a decade later.[1]

Whitnash

St Margaret's Church
Whitnash
Location within Warwickshire
Population9,129 (2011 census)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLEAMINGTON SPA
Postcode districtCV31
PoliceWarwickshire
FireWarwickshire
AmbulanceWest Midlands
UK Parliament

History

Whitnash was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Witenas, by 1326 it had become Whitenasshe meaning 'white ash'. As Whitnash is generally thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon ‘at the white ash’ other derivations have included ‘place by the wood’, ‘sacred ash’ or the 'meeting place of the wise'.[2]

The parish church of St Margaret's is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and stands on a mound which may have been a pagan site, it was largely rebuilt between 1855 and 1880 to designs by Sir George Gilbert Scott.[3][4]

Whitnash was for most of its history a small village, the population in 1931 was 586.[5] Some older half timbered buildings dating from the 17th century still remain around the historical core, including the Plough and Harrow inn.[3] 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, in 1978 the parish council declared itself thenceforth a town council.[4]

Town centre
The Whitnash town sign as viewed from the Leamington Spa side
Map of Leamington, Warwick and Whitnash

Whitnash does not have a well defined town centre as such; with Leamington Spa town centre only 2 miles to the north, a central district for Whitnash never developed, and the town expanded residentially only, around the small historic core around St. Margaret's Church. Whitnash has three neighbourhood shopping areas around Coppice Road, Heathcote Road /Acre Close and Home Farm Crescent. Other facilities include a community hall, a library and an information centre.[4]

Education & Politics

There are four primary schools in the town.[4] Whitnash Primary, St Joseph's RC Primary, St Margaret's Middle School and Briar Hill First School.[6] There are no secondary schools located in Whitnash, but the state schools Campion School, Myton School and Trinity Catholic School name Whitnash as being within their priority areas.[7]

Since 1983 all the town's seats on Warwick District Council have been held by The Whitnash Resident's Association and its predecessor The Ratepayer's Party. The Residents Association has also held the towns seat on Warwickshire County Council for many years.

Recreation

Whitnash has a tennis club, Whitnash Sports & Social Club, petanque club (http://www.whitnashpetanque.co.uk/), and the Whitnash Society. Whitnash Sports and Social club is the new home of the Leamington Royals rugby league team, who represent Leamington, Warwick and the surrounding areas in the Midlands RL Conference. Whitnash Town FC is the local association football club. The Leamington and County golf club is also within the parish.[4]

Local Media

Whitnash has a free quarterly news pamphlet called the ‘Whitnash Tymes’ posted to every residence in the town.[8] Usually entailing messages from the mayor and local authorities, listings, local business advertisements, local news, and events.

Twin towns

References
  1. "WHITNASH Parish in West Midlands". City Population. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. "The History of Whitnash". Whitnash Town Council. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  3. Geoff, Allen (2000). Warwickshire Towns & Villages. Sigma Press. pp. 151–152. ISBN 1-85058-642-X.
  4. "Whitnash Draft Neighbourhood Plan" (PDF). Warwick District Council. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  5. "Parishes: Whitnash". British History Online. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  6. "The History of Whitnash". Whitnash Town Council. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  7. "Secondary school priority areas: Central area" (PDF). Warwickshire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2011.
  8. ""Whitnash Tymes"" (PDF). Whitnash Tymes. 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
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