Wetwang


Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated west of Driffield on the A166 road.
According to the 2011 UK census, Wetwang parish had a population of 761, an increase on the 2001 UK census figure of 672.
St Nicholas' Church is of Norman origin and was restored between 1845–1902. In 1966, the church was designated a Grade II* listed building and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England. It is on the Sykes Churches Trail devised by the East Yorkshire Churches Group.
The village is known for its Iron Age chariot burial cemetery at Wetwang Slack, and was previously known for its black swans after which the village pub, the Black Swan, is named.
The village is recorded in the Domesday Book as Wetuuangha. There are two interpretations of the name, one from the Old Norse vaett-vangr, 'field for the trial of a legal action'. Another theory is that it was the "Wet Field" compared to the nearby dry field at Driffield. It has been noted on lists of unusual place names.
It has been hypothesised that the unlocated Romano-British town of Delgovicia is located at Wetwang.

Public transport

Until 1950, the village was served by Wetwang railway station, on the Malton to Driffield Line, but this line has closed. The village is now served by an infrequent East Yorkshire Motor Services bus.

Honorary mayor

Its name often attracts mirth, even from Richard Whiteley of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown; he held the honorary title Mayor of Wetwang from 1998 until his death in 2005.
On 25 June 2006, local weather forecaster Paul Hudson from BBC Look North was invested as Whiteley's successor.