Langar, Nottinghamshire
Encyclopedia
Langar is a small village about four miles south of Bingham
in Nottinghamshire
and the Vale of Belvoir
.
, the district of Melton and Leicestershire
. At Hose Lane it meets Colston Bassett
. It passes northwards, crossing Harby
Lane, where it follows a tributary of the River Smite. At Langar Lane Bridge, it briefly meets Cropwell Bishop
, for around 300 metres, then borders the parish of Wiverton Hall
, following the start of the River Smite, and briefly following Bingham Road at Wiverton Smite Bridge. It passes on the western edge of Northfield Farm, then the east side of Smite Hill Farm (outside the parish). Near the point where the former railway crossed the River Smite, it meets Whatton-in-the-Vale. It meets Granby
at Granby Lane, which it follows and the River Whipling, east of Barnstone
(part of the parish). The boundary follows southwards, to the east of the former Bingham to Melton railway, and south of Granby Gap woods (outside the parish) it meets Leicestershire
.
At the 2001, the civil parish had 378 households. There is no village shop, although Cropwell Bishop is nearby.
who visited Langar in 1215. The estate then passed to the Tibetots
in the 13th century. Following the marriage of Margaret Tibetot to Roger Scrope, 2nd Baron Scrope of Bolton in 1373, the estate passed to the Scrope
family.
The last Lord Scrope who was associated with Langar was Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
. Emanuel's estate was inhertited by Annabella, his illegitimate daughter.
In 1677, Annabella married the Gloucestershire politician, John Howe. According to
Thoroton, Langar Hall and nearly the whole parish had lately become the estate of Mr
Howe.
A famous descendant of the Howe's was Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
, famous for his
victory in the sea battle known as "The Glorious First of June", celebrated every year at Langar Hall. Admiral Howe died in 1799 and was buried in Langar Church.
Another famous son of Langar was the author Samuel Butler
whose father, Thomas, was rector of Langar-cum-Barnstone.
The church of St Andrew's is often called the 'Cathedral of the Vale' due to its large size for such a small village. This may be in part due to its importance as a place of pilgrimage in Saxon times.
, which is on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire boundary. The airfield was used for bombing operations over Germany by RAF Bomber Command
. There is a war memorial at the airfield. 207 Sqn were based there.
Post-war use was by the Royal Canadian Air Force
for many years. The airfield is still there, and is now famously the base of British Parachute Schools
since 1977.
, who were bought by Lafarge
in 2001. It produces quick-setting cement, by the addition of calcium sulphate
, which produces the Microcem brand, known as a special cement. Naturescape Wildflower Farm is north of the airfield.
in Bingham.
was constructed in 1837 and was later bought by Annie Bayley, wife of Thomas Bayley
, the former MP for Chesterfield. It is now a restaurant and hotel run by their great granddaughter, Imogen. It is a popular venue for wedding receptions.
that in the 17th century Robert Earnstock committed a series of robberies from numerous places in the area. We know from letters that were later discovered he was raising money to travel to his wife-to-be who lived somewhere to the north of England. Earnstock kept the treasure hidden away until he had raised a small fortune, as he neared his goal Earnstock was caught and hanged for his offences. Earnstock's treasure was never found and is believed to be buried somewhere around the outskirts of the village. If found now the rarity of the items would make them priceless and many historians dream one day to find it.
still be identified by its unusual three tier chimney to the south of the building. The public
house was originally known as The Feathers. The name was taken from the plume of
feathers in the Howe family crest. The current name was adopted following the purchase of the estate in 1799 (following Admiral Howe's death) by John Wright the Nottingham banker and one of the founders of the Butterley Company
; he had a unicorn's head as his family crest.
The Unicorn's Head was a coaching inn in the 19th century and the original stables can still be seen around the back of the building.
Bingham, Nottinghamshire
Bingham is a market town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England.-Geography:With a population of around 9,000 people it lies about nine miles east of Nottingham, a similar distance south-west of Newark-on-Trent and west of Grantham. It is situated where the A46 intersects the A52...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and the Vale of Belvoir
Vale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir is an area of natural beauty on the borders of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in England. Indeed, the name itself derives from the Norman-French for beautiful view.-Extent and geology:...
.
Geography
To the south of the parish of Langar cum Barnstone, on Langar Airfield, it borders Clawson, Hose and HarbyClawson, Hose and Harby
Clawson, Hose and Harby is a civil parish in Leicestershire, part of the borough of Melton.-See also:*Harby, Leicestershire*Hose, Leicestershire*Long Clawson...
, the district of Melton and Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. At Hose Lane it meets Colston Bassett
Colston Bassett
Colston Bassett is a small picturesque village in the Vale of Belvoir in the south-east of Nottinghamshire close to its border with Leicestershire...
. It passes northwards, crossing Harby
Harby, Leicestershire
Harby is a village in the English county of Leicestershire.The village is pleasantly situated on the south side of the Grantham Canal.Harby is in the far north-east of the county in the Vale of Belvoir, north of the town of Melton Mowbray, south west of the town of Grantham...
Lane, where it follows a tributary of the River Smite. At Langar Lane Bridge, it briefly meets Cropwell Bishop
Cropwell Bishop
Cropwell Bishop is a village in the borough of Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire.It is two miles to the east of the A46 in the NG12 postcode. The next village to the north is Cropwell Butler. Both villages form part of the Vale of Belvoir....
, for around 300 metres, then borders the parish of Wiverton Hall
Wiverton Hall
Wiverton Hall is an English country house near Tithby, Nottinghamshire..Wiverton Hall is considered to have been established by Sir Thomas Chaworth in 1450. All but the gatehouse was destroyed in the English Civil War....
, following the start of the River Smite, and briefly following Bingham Road at Wiverton Smite Bridge. It passes on the western edge of Northfield Farm, then the east side of Smite Hill Farm (outside the parish). Near the point where the former railway crossed the River Smite, it meets Whatton-in-the-Vale. It meets Granby
Granby, Nottinghamshire
Granby is a small village in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire. It lies in the Vale of Belvoir.-Population and facilities:The parish has a population of about 300 people and is situated about 14 miles east of Nottingham. Census returns suggest a peak population of 439 in the 1891 census...
at Granby Lane, which it follows and the River Whipling, east of Barnstone
Barnstone
Barnstone is a village in Nottinghamshire, England.The parish church is St. Mary's Church, Barnstone.A Blue Circle cement works is based in Barnstone. Cement manufacture began on this site in 1885. and it was home to one of the first rotary kilns. Barnstone specialized in manufacturing cements for...
(part of the parish). The boundary follows southwards, to the east of the former Bingham to Melton railway, and south of Granby Gap woods (outside the parish) it meets Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
At the 2001, the civil parish had 378 households. There is no village shop, although Cropwell Bishop is nearby.
History
One of the first recorded landowners was Gerard de Rodes in the 12th century. The de Rodes family served as soldiers for King JohnJohn of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
who visited Langar in 1215. The estate then passed to the Tibetots
History of Nottinghamshire
This article describes the history of Nottinghamshire.-English control:The earliest Teutonic settlers in the district which is now Nottinghamshire were an Anglian tribe who, not later than the 5th century, advanced from Lincolnshire along the Fosseway, and, pushing their way up the Trent valley,...
in the 13th century. Following the marriage of Margaret Tibetot to Roger Scrope, 2nd Baron Scrope of Bolton in 1373, the estate passed to the Scrope
Scrope
-Origin of name:The name may be derived from the old Anglo-Norman word for "crab" and that it began as a nickname for a club-footed illegitimate son of an English princess by a Norman knight. A crab moves sideways and so the name could fit a child with club feet...
family.
The last Lord Scrope who was associated with Langar was Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Scrope of Bolton was an English nobleman. He was Lord President of the King's Council in the North.-Family:...
. Emanuel's estate was inhertited by Annabella, his illegitimate daughter.
In 1677, Annabella married the Gloucestershire politician, John Howe. According to
Thoroton, Langar Hall and nearly the whole parish had lately become the estate of Mr
Howe.
A famous descendant of the Howe's was Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
, famous for his
victory in the sea battle known as "The Glorious First of June", celebrated every year at Langar Hall. Admiral Howe died in 1799 and was buried in Langar Church.
Another famous son of Langar was the author Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler (novelist)
Samuel Butler was an iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works. Two of his most famous pieces are the Utopian satire Erewhon and a semi-autobiographical novel published posthumously, The Way of All Flesh...
whose father, Thomas, was rector of Langar-cum-Barnstone.
St Andrew's Church
- See main article St. Andrew's Church, LangarSt. Andrew's Church, LangarSt. Andrew's Church, Langar-cum-Barnstone is a parish church in the Church of England in Langar, Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest....
.
The church of St Andrew's is often called the 'Cathedral of the Vale' due to its large size for such a small village. This may be in part due to its importance as a place of pilgrimage in Saxon times.
Airfield
The village has lent its name to the Second World War airfield, RAF LangarRAF Langar
RAF Station Langar is a former military airfield on the border of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire near the village of Langar in England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
, which is on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire boundary. The airfield was used for bombing operations over Germany by RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. There is a war memorial at the airfield. 207 Sqn were based there.
Post-war use was by the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
for many years. The airfield is still there, and is now famously the base of British Parachute Schools
British Parachute Schools
British Parachute Schools also known as Langar DZ or Skydive Langar is a BPA affiliated parachuting centre and skydiving drop zone at Langar, Nottinghamshire in the area known as the Vale of Belvoir.-History:...
since 1977.
Economy
There is the Lafarge Barnstone cement works south of Barnstone, formerly owned by Blue Circle IndustriesBlue Circle Industries
Blue Circle Industries was a British public company manufacturing cement. It was founded in 1900, and was bought out by the French company Lafarge in 2001.-History:...
, who were bought by Lafarge
Lafarge
Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...
in 2001. It produces quick-setting cement, by the addition of calcium sulphate
Calcium sulfate
Calcium sulfate is a common laboratory and industrial chemical. In the form of γ-anhydrite , it is used as a desiccant. It is also used as a coagulant in products like tofu. In the natural state, unrefined calcium sulfate is a translucent, crystalline white rock...
, which produces the Microcem brand, known as a special cement. Naturescape Wildflower Farm is north of the airfield.
Langar C. Of E. Primary School
The local school of Langar and native to children from nearby towns such as Barnstone. The headteacher of the school is named Brian Hillary, and homes possibly over 200 pupils and workers altogether. There are seven years at the school: Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, and Year 6. They later go to secondary schools, the most popular being the comprehensive Toot Hill SchoolToot Hill School
Toot Hill School is a secondary comprehensive school in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.-History:The school was awarded specialist status in Visual Arts, and Business and Enterprise in 2007.-Academic performance:...
in Bingham.
Langar Hall
Adjacent to the church is Langar Hall, once the home of Earl Howe. The present buildingwas constructed in 1837 and was later bought by Annie Bayley, wife of Thomas Bayley
Thomas Bayley
Thomas Bayley was a Liberal Party politician in England who served as a Member of Parliament from 1892 to 1906....
, the former MP for Chesterfield. It is now a restaurant and hotel run by their great granddaughter, Imogen. It is a popular venue for wedding receptions.
The Treasure of Robert Earnstock
It is known from pieces of evidence recovered from various places around the Vale of BelvoirVale of Belvoir
The Vale of Belvoir is an area of natural beauty on the borders of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in England. Indeed, the name itself derives from the Norman-French for beautiful view.-Extent and geology:...
that in the 17th century Robert Earnstock committed a series of robberies from numerous places in the area. We know from letters that were later discovered he was raising money to travel to his wife-to-be who lived somewhere to the north of England. Earnstock kept the treasure hidden away until he had raised a small fortune, as he neared his goal Earnstock was caught and hanged for his offences. Earnstock's treasure was never found and is believed to be buried somewhere around the outskirts of the village. If found now the rarity of the items would make them priceless and many historians dream one day to find it.
Unicorn's Head
The Unicorn's Head public house was built in 1717 and had its own brewhouse which canstill be identified by its unusual three tier chimney to the south of the building. The public
house was originally known as The Feathers. The name was taken from the plume of
feathers in the Howe family crest. The current name was adopted following the purchase of the estate in 1799 (following Admiral Howe's death) by John Wright the Nottingham banker and one of the founders of the Butterley Company
Butterley Company
Butterley Engineering was an engineering company based in Ripley, Derbyshire. The company was formed from the Butterley Company which began as Benjamin Outram and Company in 1790 and existed until 2009.-Origins:...
; he had a unicorn's head as his family crest.
The Unicorn's Head was a coaching inn in the 19th century and the original stables can still be seen around the back of the building.
People from Langar
- Thomas BayleyThomas BayleyThomas Bayley was a Liberal Party politician in England who served as a Member of Parliament from 1892 to 1906....
, Liberal MP from 1892-1906 for ChesterfieldChesterfield (UK Parliament constituency)Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a marginal seat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The best-known MP was Tony Benn from 1984 to 2001... - Samuel Butler (novelist)Samuel Butler (novelist)Samuel Butler was an iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works. Two of his most famous pieces are the Utopian satire Erewhon and a semi-autobiographical novel published posthumously, The Way of All Flesh...
- The HoweEarl HoweEarl Howe is a title that has been created twice in British history, for members of the Howe and Curzon-Howe family respectively.The first creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was in 1788 for Richard Howe, but became extinct on his death in 1799....
family