Nottinghamshire

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Nearby Places

West Burton

"West Burton is a small parish containing only 28 inhabitants and 936 acres of land, on the west bank of the Trent, 7 miles north-east by east of Retford, and 4 miles south by west of Gainsborough. About 60 years ago the village was more populous, and 14 houses stood near the church, but these have long since disappeared. The church, dedicated to St Helen, is a small structure, sith a turret, in which hangs a bell. The living is a perpetual curacy of the certified value of £12 13s 4d, and now at £100. It is enjoyed by the Rev. William Mee, and is in the gift of John Barrow Esq., who is also lord of the manor, owner, and occupier of all the land in the parish.

Charities. In 1621, William Clark bequeathed 20s yearly to one poor person of West Burton, out of an estate at Walkreth in Lincolnshire. In 1710, George Green left 3 acres of land on the upper Ing of Sturton, and directed the rent of it to be paid to a schoolmaster for teaching 3 poor children of West Burton. At the Sturton enclosure in 1824, the school land was augmented with an allotment of 1a 27p of land which now lets for 37s per annum."
[White's "Directory of Nottinghamshire," 1853]

Census

• The parish was in the Misterton sub-district in the Gainsborough Registration District.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Helen.
  
  
• The church was tiny and seated only 26 people.
  
  
• The church was demolished in 1895, but the churchyard continued to be used for burials.
  
  
• There is a history of St. Helen's Church on the Southwell Church History Project.
  
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish register dates from 1602.
  
  
• The church was in the rural #1 deanery of Retford.
  
  

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Civil Registration

• The parish was in the Bingham sub-district in the Bingham Registration District.
  
  
• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
  
  

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Description and Travel

This village and parish are about 3 miles south-west of Gainsborough and 1.5 miles north-east of Sturton. The River Trent forms the western county border with Lincolnshire and the village of Sturton le Steeple lies to the south. The parish covers 932 acres.

The western part of the village is cominated by the cooling towers of the West Burton Power Station. If you are planning a visit:

• By automobile, take the A631 west out of Gainsborough and turn south at Beckingham to Saundby. Pass through Bole and continue south to the power stations.
  
  
• Alan MURRAY-RUST has a photograph of West Burton village on Geo-graph, taken in 2007.
  
  

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Directories

• We have an extract from extract from White's 1853 Directory relating to this parish.
  
  

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History

• This parish was mostly pasturage for thousands of years.
  
  
• The parish was also known for the number of willow trees grown here in the old bed of the River Trent.
  
  
• The parish is known today for its power stations, built on the site of the deserted medieval village.
  
  

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Maps

• The national grid reference is SK 7885.
  
  
• You'll want an Ordnance Survey Explorer map, which has 2.5 inches to the mile scale.
  
  
• See our Maps page for additional resources.
  
  

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Politics and Government

• This place was an ancient parish in Nottingham county, and became a modern Civil Parish when those were established.
  
  
• The parish was in the North Clay division of the ancient Bassetlaw Wapentake (Hundred) in the northern division of the county.
  
  
• In September, 1895, this parish gained a small portion of Lea Civil Parish (Lincolnshire) when the border was adjusted to match the new bed of the River Trent.
  
  
• District governance is provided for by the Bassetlaw District Council, but there are virtually no constituents left in the parish.
  
  

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Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• As a result of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, the parish became part of the Gainsborough Poor Law Union.
  
  

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Population

Year	Population
1801	33
1841	35
1851	28
1861	67
1871	56
1901	51

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