| About the Villages
Misterton and West
Stockwith
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| All Saints
Church - Misterton |
Misterton (population 2,000) lies eleven miles from the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, and nine miles from the market town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.
There are a few businesses of various types in the village. Unfortunately, Misterton’s biggest employer, Jenkins Newell Dunford Ltd.,
has closed down, transferring 90% of its workforce of 36 to Retford. Misterton has been an industrial village for many years, with this factory commencing operations 100 years ago.
This leaves Misterton Sport Social Club (formerly called Newells Social Club)
an adjunct to the factory, and a main part of local social life,
under grave threat, with the owners wanting to redevelop the
site.
The village is surrounded by mixed farmland. It is bounded to the north by the River Idle and to the east by the River Trent. The Chesterfield Canal winds through Misterton on its way to join the Trent at West Stockwith. To the west of the village lie the Carrs, a large area of land which was drained in the 18th century.
Facilities include primary school, Church of England, Methodist Church, various small shops and the larger Co-op, doctors’ group practice, library and youth & community centre and various community halls.
Two of the community halls, Misterton Victoria Institute and
Misterton Vilage Hall, are redundant and boarded up. Trusteeship
has been passed to the Parish Council with a view to
rationalisation. However a problem at the moment is that
Bassetlaw District Council is proposing that Misterton Village
Hall is listed, which effectively blights the building.
West Stockwith is a picturesque, elongated village situated on the west bank of the River Trent, four miles to the north of Gainsborough (eight by road), with a population of 300. It’s larger neighbour, Misterton, is only half a mile away as the crow flies, but two miles by road. The two villages make up the Misterton Ward of the District of Bassetlaw, and are both part of the Misterton Electoral Division of the County of Nottinghamshire.
West Stockwith’s longest-standing economic activities include market-gardening and larger scale agriculture, potato processing and turf growing. Many, especially younger people, travel considerable distances away from the village for education and employment, although there are several self-employed tradesmen, and a number of people who are able to work primarily from home using IT.
West Stockwith has attracted a certain amount of tourism via its marina, touring caravan park and two public houses, each providing accommodation, meals and entertainment.
There is an Anglican Church, which shares provision with other Churches in Misterton.
An amateur dramatic group uses the village hall for pantomimes, summer shows, etc., and a number of other groups make use of it on both regular and ad hoc bases (bingo, children’s groups, etc.) The fabric of the hall itself has recently been the subject of considerable locally-funded improvement, but requires further work to bring it to modern standards of disabled access, and to refurbish the kitchen area.
The local post office and shop have been lost during the last few years, although there are good ‘gateway’ local fruit and vegetable produce outlets. Lack of shopping facilities is compounded, especially for the elderly, by the inadequacy of public transport to either Gainsborough or Misterton during the middle part of the day, and for others by the lack of it to or from anywhere late at night.
Misterton and West Stockwith are neighbouring villages, sharing a common affinity with the historic Chesterfield Canal and the Rivers Idle and Trent. They also share the same District Councillor
Raymond Simpson and the same County Councillor,
Ken Bullivant. They also jointly publish a community news magazine, “Misterton & West Stockwith Parish News”.
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