About Whitwick

Whitwick is first recorded as Witewic in the Domesday Book in 1086 as an estate given to Hugh de Grantmesnil by William I. The name is a combination of two Old English words: the first part deriving from the word “Hwit” meaning “white” or “Hwita”, a man’s name; the second part from the word “wic” meaning a dairy farm. Therefore, the village name could be a reference to “Hwita’s dairy farm” or the “white dairy farm”.

Isolated archaeological finds and artefacts reveal ancient sites in and around Whitwick but the historic core of the village is medieval. Whitwick Castle, a Norman motte and bailey castle, stood in the area now known as Castle Hill. It is the only scheduled monument in the village although there are no remains of the building. The castle was held by a keeper named William de Seneville in 1204 for King John and by the end of the 13th century by John Comyn, Earl of Buchan. In 1321, Henry Beaumont had a licence to crenellate. Later in the 14th century the castle was out of use and in a ruinous state by 1427. Foundations of the castle were noted as visible in 1800, however parts of the castle site were destroyed or damaged by the construction of the railway in the 1880s. 

Whitwick was one of the four ancient manors whose lands made up the interior of Charnwood Forest. The story of the Lords of the Manor of Whitwick before the 1600s is intriguing, complex and subject to ongoing research. From the early 17th century until the 19th century, members of the Hastings family were Lords of the Manor until most of their land in Whitwick was sold.  (Thanks to Whitwick Historical Group for this information.)

The 2011 Census showed the population as 8,612. Please click on the link below for full Census data on the Parish.

The Community Office was opened in April 2016 and the address is 3A Market Place, Whitwick, LE67 5DT.  Opening hours are normally Wednesday afternoons 13.00 to 16.00, Thursday and Friday mornings 10.00 to 13.00.  Appointments may be available outside these times if arranged in advance.  If you would like to see how decisions are made within the council and the structure of the council including its committee’s please view this document.