Demography

In the 1991 census the population of the village was 224. Now it is probably at its highest for some seventy years, thanks to some recent (small scale) building developments. Leavening’s population has been relatively static in recent history, varying between 267 in 1951 to a low of 212 in 1981, rising and falling in the intermediate years. The current figure as of 2006 is 390. There are still a core of families who have lived in Leavening for many, many years namely the Midgleys, and Milburns. There are many young families in the village, some grew up here, some have moved in from the surrounding area, others from further afield.

Geology

The Wolds are the northernmost outcropping of a huge chalk deposit, which covers most of eastern England. Its southern edge is the White Cliffs of Dover, and it finishes in Flamborough Head. The gently, undulating Wolds were created by the same earth movement which created the European Alps. In the south of England they are called ‘Downs’.
Just below this chalk face is the exit of the Beck from the limestone.
Man first arrived in the area about 12000 years ago towards the end of the last Ice Age. Man has been a major factor in changing the character of the countryside ever since. It was not until the Bronze Age (1800-800 BC), that this process really began, when Man began to domesticated animals and cultivate crops. They lived in settled, ordered communities and the population began to increase dramatically. This resulted in woodland being cleared to grow crops, for pasture and for timber to build with and for fuel. This was the beginning of a process of changes which have continued ever since.