Leven, Yorkshire
According to the 2011 UK census, Leven parish had a population of 2,433, an increase on the 2001 UK census figure of 2,240.
History
It is believed that the village of Little Leven - immediately west of the present village - began as far back as the days of the Ancient Britons, though Neolithic and Bronze Age human occupation of the area is known. Finds from Leven 'Carrs' (marshy land) have included axe heads, leaf-shaped swords, and a spearhead.
Three quarters of a mile west of Little Leven, at Hall Garth, is the site of Leven's former parish church - St Faith's - which was in use between 1350 and 1843. It is speculated that the original village of Leven was sited in its immediate vicinity though archaeological understanding of that area is sparse.
In 1823 Leven (then spelt 'Leaven'), was a civil parish in the Wapentake and Liberty of Holderness. The patronage of the church was under Sir William Pennyman. Population at the time was 658. Occupations included eight farmers, three wheelwrights, two blacksmiths, two butchers, three corn millers, five shoemakers, two maltsters, two grocers, a bricklayer, a schoolmaster, a parish clerk, and the landlords of The Minerva and the Blue Bell public houses. Four carriers operated between the village and Beverley and Hull twice weekly. There were two other carriers: one taking post by foot to Hornsea four times a week; and another to Hull once a week by water transport. Residents included the parish rector, three yeomen, a gentleman, and a merchant.
The 1892 Bulmer's Directory of Hull and the East Riding states that the Manor of Leven was given to the Church of St John of Beverley by Edward the Confessor, and is listed in the Domesday Book as being amongst its possessions.
After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1547, ownership of the land reverted to the crown, to be bought by Sir Marmaduke Constable in 1557. About 1612, it appears that Sir Thomas Gresham owned some of the land, having received it as a gift from Queen Elizabeth I.
There was a proposal to build a Leven railway station as part of the North Holderness Light Railway but despite appearing on tile maps at several North Eastern Railway stations, the line was never constructed.
Leven was a small village with 400 inhabitants until 1964, after which a private housing estate was built (Barley Gate, Mill Drive, Westlands Way, Balk Close), and the village expanded to become a dormitory for workers mainly from Hull and Beverley. The population is now over 2,500. The village has two public houses: The New Inn and The Hare and Hounds as well as a member's club featuring live entertainment each week. Leven has amateur football, cricket and bowling teams.
After a long campaign by residents, a bypass was built for the A165 road around the eastern side of the village and opened in May 1994.
Landmarks
The church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1968 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.
Leven Canal, a Site of Special Scientific Interest links the village to the River Hull, although it is now closed. The canal was opened in 1804 having been cut by the order of Mrs Charlotte Bethel, Lady of the Manor. The 3+1⁄4-mile long canal started at the River Hull and was constructed to allow sailing barges to reach the warehouses at Canal Head on the southern edge of the village. Two warehouses were constructed in 1825 for storing of local grain ready for barge transport, and a depository for incoming coal.
Linley Hill Airfield is nearby and is used for flying activities. Users include Hull Aero Club which was founded in the 1920s and numbered Amy Johnson among former members.
Notable people
The Canadian politician George Dinsdale was born in Leven in 1887.
References
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Leven Parish (1170211217)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ UK Census (2001). "Local Area Report – Leven Parish (00FB088)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Dennison, Ed (2011). "Erection of a single storey extension and observation tower to club house, and erection of aircraft storage building, Linley Hill Airfield, Linley Hill Road, Leven, East Yorkshire". Archaeological Series (400). Ed Dennison Archaeological Services Ltd: 2. doi:10.5284/1016216.
- ^ Baines, Edward (1823). History, Directory and Gazetteer of the County of York. p. 362.
- ^ Hoole, K (1986). A regional history of the railways of Great Britain, volume 4; the North-East (3 ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 61. ISBN 0-9465-3731-3.
- ^ "Relief at last for Leven - ProQuest". Hull daily Mail. 1 September 2014. ProQuest 1558553472. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Historic England. "Holy Trinity Church (1103456)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ^ Duckham, Baron F. (1972). The inland waterways of East Yorkshire, 1700-1900. York: East Yorkshire Local History Society. p. 35. ISBN 0900349298.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Neave, David; Neave, Susan (2005) [1972]. Yorkshire - York and the East Riding. London: Yale University Press. p. 597. ISBN 0300095937.
- ^ "Editorial" (PDF). The Windsock (8). Hull Aero Club. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ McCrea, Walter Jackson (1925). Pioneers and prominent people in Manitoba. p. 170. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- Gazetteer — A–Z of Towns Villages and Hamlets. East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 2006. p. 7.
Further reading
- Allison, K J; Baggs, A P; Cooper, T N; Davidson-Cragoe, C; Walker, J (2002). Kent, G H R (ed.). "North division: Leven". A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 7: Holderness Wapentake, Middle and North Divisions. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
External links
- Media related to Leven at Wikimedia Commons
- Leven in the Domesday Book
- Leven Village website