The Village Of Mansfield Woodhouse
Categories: Local Information
Mansfield Woodhouse is a large village about 2 kilometres north of Mansfield itself, in Nottinghamshire, England. With a history dating back before the Romans, it is still noteworthy for its stone built town centre. Mansfield Woodhouse's wealth has been based mainly on its local quarrying, mining and textile industries.
Mansfield Woodhouse is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area.
History
The Romans had a fortress and a civilian settlement in the area (remains of a Roman villa were famously found here by Hayman Rooke in the 1780s). The area declined after the Romans left, but by the 13th century there was a growing settlement of smallholders.
On 12 September 1304, fire completely destroyed Mansfield Woodhouse, including its timber-framed church. The town was rebuilt, using local materials - the new stone-built church, dedicated to St. Edmund, still stands today.
The town recovered, and by Tudor times was home to a number of wealthy families. Farming and quarrying were the main livelihoods, and Mansfield Woodhouse also prospered with the growth of the textile and hosiery trades into the 19th century. One thing not commonly known about Mansfield Woodhouse is that locally quarried stone was used to build the Houses of Parliament. On the road to Edwinstowe stands the Parliament Oak, which, according to legend, was once the location of a session of Parliament held by the king.. There is a plaque commemorating this.
During the UK miners' strike (1984-1985), Mansfield Woodhouse's coal miners of Sherwood Colliery decided not to strike. This decision was made as part of the Nottinghamshire Union of Miners. As a result the pit closed shortly after. However, the Colliery's football and cricket teams still carry on today through Sherwood Colliery Football Club and Sherwood Colliery Cricket Club.
Natives of Mansfield Woodhouse include D'Ewes Coke (1747-1811), an unusual combination of clergyman and colliery master. Mansfield Woodhouse is actually a village and known to be one of the biggest in the United Kingdom and is still growing.
Sport
Speedway racing, then known as Dirt Track racing took place at Mansfield Woodhouse in the pioneer days of 1928.
Mansfield Woodhouse today
The town now has a population of over 18,000.
It has a number of schools; the larger primary schools are St. Edmund's Church of England Primary School, Northfield Primary and Nursery School, Peafield Lane Primary and Nursery School, Leas Park Junior School and Nettleworth Primary and Nursery School. The largest school is The Manor School, a comprehensive school opened in September 1973 and originally consisted of buildings over a wide area, including Park Hall road and Yorke Street. However the Park Hall Road site is the only one to currently survive. This is also the location of The Manor Sport and Recreation Centre, a new £1.9 million indoor sports facility opened on 11 May 2002.
The Co-op in Mansfield Woodhouse closed on 10 January 2009, and was later replaced by a Morrisons store on 29 June 2009. The town is being re-developed in many other areas, including the area around Thoresby Road, near the train station in which a new housing estate is being built to replace the older terraced houses that stood there before. A new police station has also served the town since 2007.
The town is served by Mansfield Woodhouse railway station, on the Robin Hood Line.
The town also has a volunteer-run newsletter called The Woodhouse Warbler with a circulation in the thousands. They release a new issue every 3 to 4 months. They also produced a magazine collecting locals World War II memories. It was funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
Mansfield Woodhouse is known around Nottinghamshire for its junior football clubs: Woodhouse Colts JFC and Manor 4th FC, both of which offer football to youngsters from the age of 6-18.
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