Whitgift_Lighthouse

Whitgift, East Riding of Yorkshire

Whitgift, East Riding of Yorkshire

Village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Whitgift is a small linear village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Twin Rivers, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Goole. It is located alongside the River Ouse and north of the A161 road between Goole and Scunthorpe. Ousefleet and Reedness are to the east and west respectively. Historically Whitgift was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1961 the parish had a population of 191.[1]

Quick Facts OS grid reference, Civil parish ...

Features

There was for many years a Whitgift ferry, which may originally have predated the village. Between November 1606 and February 1607, a persistent cold weather spell froze the River Ouse, and the ferry could not operate. However, records indicate that ".. men, women and children, horses and wagons loaded went on ye water at Ouse here at Whitgift ferrie and son continued until ye xiiii day of Februarie...".[2]

Church

Whitgift Church clock has a XIII
Main article: Church of St Mary Magdalene, Whitgift

The Church of Mary Magdalene (on the Whitgift side of the border between Whitgift and Reedness) dates from 1304 (replacing an earlier building, 11th–12th century or earlier). It has a famous clock with an unusual feature: instead of 12 (XII in Roman numerals) it has a 13 (XIII).[3] Reasons vary, but local rumour relates that it may be due to the church being adjacent to a pub (now closed) at which the painter imbibed before completing the job.[3] The church was designated a Grade I listed building in 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.[4]

Hall

Whitgift is also notable for Whitgift Hall, a grade II* listed Georgian manor house built in 1704 by a family called Stephenson.[5] Since it was built, it has undergone significant change. For example, bay windows were added and the current owners have a caravan site and fishing pond.

Lighthouse

Quick Facts Location, OS grid ...

Whitgift lighthouse was erected just north of the village in the late 19th century, for the Aire and Calder Navigation: a five-storey cream-painted tower with a stone base, it stands 46 ft (14 m) high. It remains operational, a waymark for ships travelling to and from Goole docks, and is Grade II listed.[8]

Other

Other features include a Methodist chapel, but Whitgift mainly consists of a sparse strip of houses spread out over its length bounded by the River Ouse to the north and fields to the south looking towards Eastoft.

History

The place-name 'Whitgift' is first attested in a Yorkshire charter of circa 1080, where it appears as Witegift, and in a charter of 1232 where it appears as Whitegift. The name is thought to mean 'Hviti's or Hwita's gift'.[9]

Whitgift was previously part of the Goole Rural District in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974, then in Boothferry district of Humberside until 1996.

On 1 April 1983 the civil parish was abolished to form Twin Rivers.[10]

References

  1. [1]
    "Population statistics Whitgift CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. [2]
    Lunn, David (1990). Rivers, rectors and abbots; some account of the ancient parishes of Snaith and Adlingfleet. Sheffield: Diocese of Sheffield. p. 107. OCLC 42905008.
  3. [3]
    "Whitgift". Goole on the Web. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  4. [4]
    Historic England. "Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (1083151)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  5. [5]
    Historic England. "Whitgift Hall Including Attached Walls to North Outbuildings and Screen Wall to South East (1083149)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  6. [6]
    Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Eastern England". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  7. [7]
    Historic England. "Lighthouse On Bank Of River Ouse (1346751)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  8. [8]
    Jones, Robin (2014). Lighthouses of the North East Coast. Wellington, Somerset: Halsgrove. ISBN 9780857042347.
  9. [9]
    Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names. p. 514.
  10. [10]
    "Goole Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  • Gazetteer — A–Z of Towns Villages and Hamlets. East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 2006. p. 11.
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