Wing, Rutland
Wing is a village and civil parish in the East Midlands county of Rutland, England. The population was 315 at the 2001 census and 314 at that of 2011. It features a fine church and a labyrinth made of turf. Rutland Water reservoir is nearby. Heritage. The village name, first found as "Wenge" in the 12th century, probably derives from the Old Norse "vengi", meaning field. Seventeenth-century houses in Wing were built of stone quarried at nearby Barnack and Clipsham. Many are roofed with Collyweston stone slate. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Wing was  much rebuilt in 1875, when the spire was removed. Some parts date from Norman times, including the south arcade of about 1150, the slightly later north arcade, and the north doorway. Maze. Cut into the turf beside Glaston Road is a circular "turf maze" roughly in diameter (actually a unicursal labyrinth) It is thought to date back to medieval times, based on the fact that its design is similar to the pavement maze in Chartres cathedral and those at other medieval sites. Amenities. The remaining public house is the "King's Arms". The name of the "Cuckoo Inn", closed in  2004, alluded to a legend that the people of Wing once tried to keep spring in the village forever by erecting a fence around a cuckoo to stop it from leaving. Naturally, it flew over the fence and away. As a result, people from the village were known as "Wing Fools". This is actually a widespread story, the best-known version probably appearing among the adventures the Wise Men of Gotham. There is a village hall. Wing Hall has a camping and caravan site with a shop and café. A plant outside Wing treats water extracted from Rutland Water reservoir  a few miles to the north. Proposals by Anglian Water to raise the volume of water extracted were opposed by the RSPB, fearing that water-level changes would damage adjacent wildfowl habitats. Medical, legal and other services can be found in Oakham (6 miles, 10 km). Transport. Wing has one or two daily weekday buses with Oakham. Hourly daytime buses six days a week between Melton Mowbray, Oakham and Corby pass through Manton 1.3 miles (2 km) away. The nearest railway station is at Oakham (6 miles, 10 km), but Corby (11.5 miles, 18.5 km) has hourly services seven days  a week to London St Pancras, changing at Kettering (a little over an hour). Also nearby (1.5 miles, 2.4 km) is the main A6003 road between Kettering and Oakham via Uppingham. Notable people. In birth order: See also. Wing Water Treatment Works SSSI