Residents of ‘UK’s strictest village’ share all rules you have to follow
Would you be willing to follow some wild rules, enforced to stop you from making a house a unique home, just to live in a sought-after historic English village known as the ‘strictest’ in the UK?
You may already be aware, but Britain really is home to some weird and wonderful areas.
Take Darvell, where there’s apparently no crime, debt, or homelessness, or Knoydart, home to the most remote pub in Scotland.
And if you head to Yorkshire, you’ll find Wentworth, owned by the Fitzwilliam and Wentworth Trust.
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Overseen by Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland Bt., grandson of the 10th Earl Fitzwilliam, and Lady Juliet Tadgell, daughter of the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, Wentworth apparently has some so-called ‘Draconian rules’ that residents and local businesses must adhere to.
This includes keeping gardens in tip-top shape and probably never being able to buy a home.
Doors in the Yorkshire town must be painted green
Anyone hoping to move into the historic estate, located in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, must give up the idea of painting their door any colour other than green.
The particular shade, known as ‘Wentworth Green’, is enforced as part of the Wentworth estate’s strict desire for ‘uniformity’, local wine merchant Matt Thompson once told The Mirror.
“There’s lots of people who have lived here their entire lives. They were born here and they’ll die here,” he said.
“There are some old draconian rules where you can pass the rent down to the next generation, and that will be like peppercorn rent – but the minute a bloodline dies out, the rent goes up.”
On the aesthetic choice, Alexander Davies-Terry, the village’s Head of Estate, said that he understands ‘some people might not like the green’.
However, he explained that the colour ‘signifies’ that the residential area is an estate property.
“It’s an estate village, we’re not unique in being an estate village,” Davies-Terry noted.
“You can find villages that have all blue doors – an estate I used to work on had all marine doors. It’s an aesthetic choice, some people might not like the green, but I think a lot of people like the status of living in an estate house or living within Wentworth.”
More house uniformities
Doors aren’t the only thing that has to be uniform in Wentworth.
Homes in the tiny village, all of which are rentals and built from locally quarried honey-coloured sandstone, must paint their windows the same off-cream or white colour.
It’s ‘strongly advised’ that all lawns and trees are kept trim and neat, Stephen Ellis-Pearson, 72, a Wentworth resident of six years, told The Sun.
“The strict rules suit me and others here, and it makes the village a pleasant place to live,” he said.
Only recognised contractors, familiar with the Georgian architecture and wooden-beamed cottages, can be brought in to work on the houses.
Preserving the symmetry of the windows, doors, and even gutters is paramount, the publication reported.
Business rules in Wentworth
Commercial properties are few and far between in the village. And unlike most high streets, you won’t find any vape shops or an abundance of takeaway joints.
Instead, the only businesses in Wentworth are the George and Dragon pub, Old Smythie cafe, Rockingham Arms, and the Village Shop, run by 36-year-old Daniel Wild.
The Fitzwilliam and Wentworth Trust oversees all buildings, making sure each follows protocol.
In a statement to The Sun, Wild said that he gets ‘good trade’ from both locals and visitors.
Retired HGV driver Dave Fenton, 69, told the publication that he doesn’t feel the area would benefit from takeaways or fish and chip shops.
“It is like stepping back in time,” he commented.
Speed limits are in place in the village
Right now, a rigorous 30mph speed limit is in place through the village.
However, due to complaints about the general business — Wentworth Woodhouse, the village's grand stately home, and Wentworth Garden Centre are popular with tourists — residents are campaigning to have it lowered to 20mph.
Ella Scott