Wray, Lancashire

Human settlement in England
  • Wray-with-Botton
District
  • Lancaster
Shire county
  • Lancashire
Region
  • North West
CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townLancasterPostcode districtLA2Dialling code01524PoliceLancashireFireLancashireAmbulanceNorth West UK Parliament
  • Lancaster and Fleetwood
List of places
UK
England
Lancashire
54°06′11″N 2°36′32″W / 54.103°N 2.609°W / 54.103; -2.609

Wray is a small village in Lancashire, England, part of the civil parish of Wray-with-Botton, in the City of Lancaster district. Wray is the point at which the River Roeburn joins the River Hindburn.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census[1] Wray-with-Botton had 521 residents, 269 male, 252 female and 200 homes.

Facilities

The village has a general store with a post office. The village also has a pub, The George and Dragon; a tearoom, Bridge House Farm Tearooms; and the Bridge House Bistro.

Wray has a wireless broadband network maintained by Lancaster University with a wireless mesh network.[2] The village is also working with the university to trial a digital TV network through the mesh.

Wray is the Scarecrow village of Lancashire and has a website[3] one of the earliest villages to so. Wray is home to the "maggot races", an annual event which raises money for local charities.

History

1967 Wray Flood

A flash flood on 8 August 1967 of the river Roeburn resulted in the loss of houses, bridges, livestock, vehicles, and personal possessions. Despite the scale of the devastation, no serious injury was done to any residents. The flood is illustrated in the Millennium Mosaic, completed in September 2000, which represents the wind and storm spewing out a great tide of water. The mosaic is in the 'Flood Garden' on Main Street, the site of some of the houses demolished by the flood. Photos of the flood are village website and displayed the post office.[4]

Railway

Wray railway station was between Hornby and Wennington on the "little" North Western Railway. It opened in 1849 and closed six months later.[5]

Scarecrow Festival

The Scarecrow Festival, established 1992, takes place every year during the week leading up to May Day when there is a fair. During the week there are refreshments served daily in the village hall and a parade of the giants. Many villagers erect scarecrows outside their homes, and these are all photographed and added to the digital noticeboard online via the village website. On Easter Monday 2011, the festival's cricket match, Twicket, was live-streamed on the internet.[6][7][8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Parish headcount" (PDF). Lancashire County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  2. ^ Mesh delivers broadband to DSL "Black spots" in UK Villages
  3. ^ Wray Village website
  4. ^ Garnett, Emmeline (2002). The Wray Flood of 1967: Memories of a Lune Valley Community. Lancaster University. ISBN 1-86220-119-6.
  5. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  6. ^ "Visit Lancashire". visitlancashire.com. Visit Britain, Visit England. 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Kirkby Lonsdale". kirkbylonsdale.info. Kirkby Lonsdale Information and Gift Shop. 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  8. ^ Butler, Debbie (6 April 2023). "Here's when hugely popular Wray Scarecrow Festival takes place this year plus key dates for the event". Lancaster Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wray.
  • Virtual Tour of the Village with panoramas and hundreds of photos, plus video history of the Scarecrow Festival and Wray Fair.
  • Wray Methodist Church
  • v
  • t
  • e
Geography of the City of Lancaster
Cities & townsVillages
& suburbsParishesTopography
Footpaths
Hills
Rivers
River features
Other waterways