Discover Whatton

The village layout and its varied historical features provide useful points of reference when choosing a place to stay in Whatton. The old village has no clearly defined main street; narrow lanes, tall hedges and scattered cottages shape its appearance. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Whatton, these themes can help guide your view of the place: its historic village character, the architectural history of its church and a landscape shaped by archaeology.

Village Character and Landscape

From the edges of the Whatton-in-the-Vale conservation area, views stretch over large gardens, paddocks and fields into the open countryside of the South Nottinghamshire Farmlands. In this way, the intimate village scene of lanes and cottages and the expansive landscape views sit side by side from different perspectives. The village layout and the views offer two ways to understand Whatton: through its settlement pattern or its open countryside character.

St John of Beverley: Architectural History and Details

St John of Beverley was built predominantly in the style of the late 12th to late 13th centuries. The chancel was completely rebuilt in 1846; an extensive restoration of the church followed in 1870–1871. These dates distinguish the main building phase from later changes: the chancel was rebuilt, while the restoration affected the church as a whole.

At the east end of the south aisle is an effigy of Sir Hugh de Newmarch dating from around 1400. The churchyard also contains seven Grade II listed gravestones made of Leicestershire slate. They were created for the Carpendale family between 1710 and 1748. The effigy and gravestones therefore belong to different centuries and offer specific points of connection with the history of the church and its churchyard.

A one-hour Holy Communion service is held at St John of Beverley every month on the first Sunday at 9 am. If this service is important to your travel plans, check the details before you arrive.

Moated Site and Windmill

Whatton’s moated site is designated a Scheduled Monument. It includes a moat, two fishponds—one of them on the moat island—two watercourses, and a section of a boundary bank and ditch. The named features make clear that the site consists of several elements and is not limited to the moat alone.

A second watercourse is still visible as a shallow depression running southwest. Its surviving form and direction add a specific landscape feature to the description of the other elements.

Another architectural feature is the windmill near Hillyside House. Built around 1820, it is a five-storey circular brick tower with a flat roof and tapering masonry. The tapering describes how the masonry structure becomes narrower towards the top; together with its circular form and flat roof, this gives the tower a clearly defined architectural design.

Discover more places to visit: Blyth, Cuckney, Edwinstowe, Carlton, Torworth, Southwell, Clayworth, West Stockwith.

For the wider travel overview: Nottinghamshire.