Wing is a small village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.

Architecture

The 17th-century houses in Wing were built from stone quarried at nearby Barnack and Clipsham. Many are roofed with stone slates from nearby Collyweston.

The church, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, was much rebuilt in 1875, at which time the spire was removed. Some parts of the building date from Norman times, including the south arcade of about 1150, the slightly later north arcade and the north doorway.

Etymology

Its name first occurs as Wenge in the twelfth century, and probably came from Old Norse vengi = "field".

Turf maze

The circular "turf maze" (actually a unicursal labyrinth, roughly 40 ft in diameter), which was cut from the turf of the village green, is said to date back to medieval times, based on the fact that its design is similar to the pavement maze in Chartres cathedral and other medieval examples.

Waterworks

A treatment plant just outside the village treats water extracted from Rutland Water reservoir a few miles to the north. Proposals by Anglian Water to extend the works, and increase the volume of drinking water extracted from the lake, were strongly opposed by the RSPB on the grounds that fluctuating water levels could potentially damage wildfowl habitats around the lake.

Famous inhabitants

• Francis Meres (1565-1647), churchman and author, became rector of Wing in 1602
• Sir Charles Vernon Boys, FRS (1855-1944), experimental physicist, was born in Wing

Public houses

• The King's Arms
• The Cuckoo Inn, which closed in 2004. Its name alluded to a local legend that the people of Wing once tried to keep spring in the village forever by erecting a fence around a cuckoo to stop it from leaving. Naturally, it flew over the fence and away. As a result, people from the village were known as "Wing Fools". This is actually a widespread story, the best-known version probably being one of the adventures of the Wise Men of Gotham.

Buildings and structures

• The Village Hall
• The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

Bird's eye view

References

External links

• RSPB objections to Anglian Water's plans
• Bright Sparcs entry for Sir Charles Boys
• W.H. Matthews, Mazes and Labyrinths (1922) online version of W.H. Matthew's classic book
• Labyrinthos Jeff Saward's website
• Village Map