Letwell
The name Letwell is of Middle English origin and seems to mean blocked well. It first appeared in a document of about 1150 where Thomas de Letwell is recorded as holding an acre at Letwell as tenant of the Honour of Tickhill.
"Letwell is a small village on the Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire border, surrounded by farmland, some five miles north-northeast of Worksop. The first known reference to Letwell occurred in the 12th century when the area was in the possession of the lords of Tickhill Castle. From then on Letwell, together with other neighbouring villages, was in the hands of local landowners until the estate was sold up in 1926. The village has many listed Georgian buildings dating mainly from the 18th century made up of former farm cottages, an old rectory, two farms and a village hall. Pride of place must go to the excellent and fully restored dovecote which stands proudly in a nearby field. The newer part of the village consists of some twenty houses and bungalows, mainly built during the 1960's and 70's, and extends up to the church."
The Poll Tax returns of 1379 indicate that there were 42 adult inhabitants of Letwell. The most important inhabitants were John de Sutton, merchant, and Dionisia his wife, who paid 12d. Everyone else paid the standard 4d.
The manor of Letwell belonged to the de Laughton family who sold it to the Mauleverers in the 15th century. In 1662 the manor was sold to Sir Ralph Knight who had purchased an estate at Langold. Knight's daughter married Richard Taylor of Wallingwells. Bridget, their daughter and heiress, married Thomas White of Tuxford in 1698. Letwell remained part of the White's estates until they were sold in 1926.
The church of St Peter was built by John Mauleverer about 1375. The church was later rebuilt in 1820 at the expense of Henry Gally Knight. However in 1867 there was a fire that destroyed both the church, except the tower, and the church records. The rebuilding of the church was paid for by Sir Thomas Wollaston White. The Church Hall started life as the South Farm malthouse. In 1870 Mrs Gally Knight had the building converted into a school for the village children. The village has never been large and there was only 107 in 1811 and it was never higher than about 140. Having said this there must have been a fair bit of brass about, certainly in the 18th Century when much of the village was rebuilt to a very high standard.
Langold Stables
The Langold Stables on the Gally Knight Estate at Letwell have been converted into a very nice property up for sale in 2008 for over three quarters of a million quid if you fancy somewhere in the back end of beyond.
The stables were built by Ralph Knight as a precursor to a wonderful new manor house. This was never built so later his descendant Henry Gally Knight commissioned a great country house. That never got beyond the footings due to arguments in the family.