Parish History
CONSERVATION AREA for WOLSTON
On 16th July 1969, the Warwickshire County Council, formally designated an area of the village as a "Conservation Area".
In the analysis of the character of the village it was suggested that although the village does not contain a great number of listed buildings, "the variation and style and overall grouping creates a pleasing effect."
Trees. planting and brick walls help to continue the line where building frontages are interrupted. The whole street (Main Street) "has an atmosphere of complete enclosure with the trees and walls at the northern end being particularly prominent and forming a marked terminal feature to the street picture."
"The building line on the east side of the street has, unfortunately been broken in a few places although this is not readily apparent until approaching close to the actual breaks, The west side, however, has kept its line through the length of the street and the character of the buildings, the presence of the stream and some fine trees, make this an extremely attractive group."
"As the Main Street winds northwards the development on the east side breaks down further with the intrusion of modern buildings including a large housing estate and a particularly unsightly factory building".
"The large area of industry in the north of the village is completely out of context with the scale and character of the rest of the settlement. Fortunately, it is not very prominent as it is screened by the cottages of Avon Terrace and the mature wooded banks of the river so the pleasant approach to the village from the north over the narrow 18th century bridge is not marred."
"What is important however, is the area of land lying to the south-west of the road.This pleasant open meadow land has a stream and well used footpaths running through it and on down to the river, and the Church nestling in the north- west corner amid groups of trees. The area is not readily visible from the main part of the village and its presence comes as a surprise and contrast to the more intensively developed central core. The trees and planting in the meadow continue around to the south west and form a natural screen between the housing estates on the edge of the village and the open countryside beyond."
“…. in the grass, which might be levelled and kept mown, it would stand alone, in simple dignity, with ample space on every side, and picturesque surroundings which would set it off ……”
When the War Memorial was first proposed, as a tribute to the memory of those brave villagers who had gone off to fight in the Great War and failed to return, money was raised by public subscription and a generous donation by Bluemels Bros. The design was by Mr W.H. Wood, architect to the Newcastle Cathedral authorities, and the total cost was £250.
There was a difference of opinion as to where the Memorial should be located and the people subscribing to it were asked to choose between a site on the Derry next to the village pump and sign-post and the site opposite what we now call the Old Post Office.
The location chosen, away from the hustle and bustle of the Derry, on the piece of land opposite the Old Post Office near to the entrance to the road to the Church allowed people to stand to read the names and contemplate the sacrifice made in peaceful surroundings.
In September 1921 the Parish Council agreed to be responsible for the repairs to the Memorial. In April 1926, a deputation from the local branch of the British Legion attended the Annual Parish Meeting regarding the repairs they thought were required. These included cleaning the stone, picking out the letters of the names of the fallen in black, providing and fixing oak posts and painting them white, providing chain between the posts and having the path to the Memorial re-laid.
It was proposed that subscription lists be put out and if these failed to raise sufficient funds “some sort of entertainment be got up to cover same”. Repair work was completed in 1927 and in January 1928, at a Parish Council meeting, it was resolved to pay the account for the Memorial repairs and to raise money to cover the costs, owing to a lack of subscriptions, by holding a Dance.
In 1950, Dr Yardley paid to have the concrete posts installed, which are still visible today, as a thank you for the kindness shown to him by the village.
The Parish Council have arranged for the Memorial to be cleaned several times over the years, but recently the effects of weathering on the concrete rendered base have led to it requiring extensive repairs - the difficulty has been finding anyone prepared to tackle it. 
The Parish Council decided that the base should be replaced with Clipsham Stone, quarried in the same place as the original, rather than just re-rendering it and having to repair it again in 5 or 10 years.
This turned out to be a sound decision, because the poor condition of the support material, that was only revealed as the work progressed, meant that scaffolding had to be brought in and an extra section of Clipsham Stone had to be inserted to give the support to the structure, which it was lacking.
The cost of the repairs also increased, to nearly £18,000, but the end result is hopefully once again a fitting tribute to those from the village
“to whom we owe our freedom and our homes”, and to the memory of all who give their lives in conflict.
.jpg)
"A special landmark .... a tangible link with the Wolston of the past"
In 1999, a pair of heavy Millstones was recovered from the woods near the old Wolston Mill.
Several villagers had suggested that the stones should be used as a feature on the bank of The Brook, something that would act as a link with the village of the past and the village of the new Millennium.
Unfortunately one of the stones disintegrated before it could be used, but the remaining stone was safely installed in August 2000.
Mrs Kathleen Holloway (nee Lissaman), the oldest Wolstonian at the time, and Mackenzie Newman, the youngest child on the school roll, unveiled the Millstone and plaque on Saturday 30th September 2000, during a special ceremony to mark the event.