Introduction

Whissendine was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086, recorded variously as Whichingendien, Wixenden, Wicsunden and Wissenden, though the first settlement was probably four to five hundred years earlier. The oldest part of the village grew up on high ground around the church and manor. There were once four manor houses — one of which had a round tower — though only one remains today. The footings of two others were uncovered during the last century; one now lies buried under Hall Close/Horton's Lane. The Whissendine Brook, from which the village takes its name, remains a central feature to this day.

In the early 19th century, Robert, 6th Earl of Harborough, owned the village and all the surrounding lands. After his death, the estate was split up in 1861 and the tenants had the opportunity to buy their own farms and cottages, bringing many new families into the village.

The navvy yard on Stapleford Road was built to house the men who constructed the railway. Twenty small houses were installed (of which four remain) and the railway opened in 1848, following a dispute between the Earl of Harborough — principal shareholder of the Melton Navigation Canal — and the Midland Railway.

The Methodist Chapel was built in 1868, and a Wesleyan Chapel stood on the Oakham Road before falling into disrepair and eventually being used as a builder's store. A further three chapels were situated on Stapleford Road, Ashwell Road and Main Street, the last of which stood on the site now occupied by the Village Hall. The King George V Memorial Hall itself was made possible by the generosity of Mr Frank Chaplin in 1937 and continues to serve the village today.

The same year as the Methodist Chapel — 1868 — the Rev EL Horne gave the school on the green, with its associated land, to the village. That school closed in 1970 when the new school opened further up Main Street, on the butcher's field opposite the Old Butcher's Shop.

The church is one of the largest in Rutland. Its impressive 100-foot tower, built of Barnack stone, can be glimpsed across the rolling countryside from several miles away. The earliest parts date from the 13th century, with major building work in the 14th century doubling the height of the roof and adding the tower. A Victorian restoration was overseen by Sir Gilbert Scott. Notable features include numerous carved gargoyle heads and a medieval wooden screen originally from the old chapel of St John's College, Cambridge.

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The history above is drawn from the Whissendine Village Design Statement.