Parish Heritage

The Wolds Historical Organisation (WHO) was founded in 1987 to promote interest in the local history of the villages on the western side of the Leicestershire Wolds, specifically Wymeswold, Burton on the Wolds, Hoton, Prestwold and Cotes.

Please click the link to access the many documents written through the decades by WHO members who have written a substantial number of articles and transcribed most of the relevant records, such as census returns. There are well over a hundred such 'pages' on the web site, all accessible via links on the left-hand side of this screen. A significant number of more substantial contributions are available as free PDFs. The 'search this site' feature (at the top of the left hand column) helps find specific information.

In the past the parish of Burton on the Wolds, Cotes and Prestwold consisted of three separate parishes. The three settlements have a long and interesting history going back to pre-Roman times.

The shape of the present parish is also slightly unusual. It is long and narrow stretching from a high point of 136m at Six Hills by the A46 to just 38m above sea level at the River Soar at Cotes. The length and variety in the terrain and vegetation across the parish means there is great diversity in the flora and fauna species here. Sadly due to a variety of factors this diversity seems to reduce year on year.

Heritage Warden for the Parish is Cath Thomson. Cath is happy to discuss with you any aspect of the history of the parish and its ecology. She is interested in building up an accessible collection of photographs past and present and happy to receive articles or research about the history or natural history of the parish. To get in touch with Cath, please contact the Clerk to the Council or email burtononthewoldsheritage@gmail.com

The relatively small parish of Burton on the Wolds, Cotes and Prestwold flanks either side of the B676 from A46 to the outskirts of Loughborough and contains two sites of scientific interest and wildlife corridor of county importance known as Burton Common. In addition, there are a number of areas designated as Local Wildlife sites. All these areas are special habitats and should be preserved.

Leicestershire Nature Spot describes these areas and is also the perfect place to record sightings of plants, animals, birds and insects found in the parish. The information gathered here informs national data bases about frequency and distribution of species.

One of the suggestions arising from the Parish Plan of 2003 was to have a woodland in Burton open for public use. In 2003, a 'Woodland for Burton' committee was set up, it's members being the Parish Heritage Wardens Paul and Linda Sutton together with Phil and Diane Simmons, Sue Warren and Barbara Stead. It's initial aims were to identify an area, either of existing woodland or other land to be planted up as a woodland.
Amazingly, an existing small woodland, privately owned in the village, came on the market in April 2004. With great haste the Heritage Wardens alerted the Parish Council.
For further details go to the Plantation page of this website.

As the parish develops, particularly the village of Burton on the Wolds, the memory of how it looked fades. If you have any photographs, illustrations or stories about past times in the parish please share them with the Heritage Warden. They can be published here so they are accessible to all.

Note there are also lots of very interesting articles with illustrations in the next section called Parish History

From 2000-2005, the Heritage Wardens kept a record of the temperatures and rainfall in Burton on the Wolds.

Below are two graphs showing the average monthly rainfall and the average maximum and minimum temperatures in a back garden in Burton on the Wolds.