Population 143 (2011) Region East Midlands Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Nottinghamshire District Rushcliffe | Civil parish West Leake Country England Post town LOUGHBOROUGH Local time Saturday 1:58 AM Dialling code 01509 | |
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Weather 8°C, Wind SE at 8 km/h, 84% Humidity | ||
West Leake /ˌwɛst ˈliːk/ is a small village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire. It is on the Kingston Brook, between the larger village of East Leake to the east and Kingston to the west; the parish of Sutton Bonington lies to the south. The parish church is St. Helena's Church, West Leake.
Map of West Leake, Loughborough, UK
As a small village West Leake has a parish meeting rather than a parish council. Its population has declined from an 1853 estimate of 190 when the village was owned by Lord Middleton to around 110 in 2007. The population taken at the 2011 census had risen again to 143.
The origin of Leake appears to be Laeke (Old Norse – brook or stream), and is consistent with West Leake's position in the heart of the Danelaw.
One of the earliest mentions of West Leake is in the Domesday book recorded as 'Leche', the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning water-meadow, since the village lies on the Kingston Brook, a tributary of the River Soar.
The Domesday Book listing is divided into four holdings which encompass what are today East and West Leake. The first property is listed to Henry de Ferrers by the King as Tenant in Chief, and Lord. Ferrers portion was inventoried with 16 villagers. 16 freemen. 1 priest. It includeded land for 6 ploughlands; 4 lord's plough teams and 17 men's plough teams. Other resources listed include; 50 acresin meadow, Woodland 2 * 1 furlongs. 1 mill, 1 church. The holding was valued at £7 to the lord in 1086.
The second listing is for Tenant-in-chief Roger of Bully (Busli) with his lord Arnold (de Bully), valued to the lord in 1086 £0.5. The holding was inventoried to include 2 villagers, land for 0.5 ploughlands, 2 lord's plough teams. 0.5 men's plough teams, and included 8 acres of meadow.
Third is a listing for Count Robert of Mortain, Tenant-in-chief and Lord in 1086. The holding has taxable value of 0.3 geld units, but no other details are shown. The last listing has taxable value 0.1 geld units, and includes 2 freemen, land for 0.5 ploughlands, 1 men's plough team. Robert son of William is listed as Tenant in Chief and Lord in 1086
There is a 200-year-old public house called The Star situated just outside the village, on the other side of the Kingston Brook on Melton Lane (and therefore in the parish of Sutton Bonington). It is also called the Leake Pit House, as it once incorporated a pit for cock-fighting.
A dew pond is situated on the hill above the village towards West Leake hills.