The village is notable for its association with
Samuel Hole, who is buried in the churchyard of
St. Andrew's Church. He was the village's vicar for a short while before becoming Dean of Rochester and lived in the manor. The manor house now has its own equestrian centre and a
mini golf course. Caunton Mill, also known as Sharp's Mill, was a 43 ft brick tower windmill, with an ogee cap, built before 1825. It was out of use in the 1930s. The mill survives without its cap, machinery and gallery.
Second World War As part of the
East Midlands Oil Province, oil imports from the
Abadan Refinery in Iran were hampered, until Sicily was invaded in July 1943. So the only alternative was oil from England. The
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (BP) drilled at
Eakring, and at Caunton. Oil was discovered in March 1943, and produced from May 1943. Another oil field later in 1943 was at
Nocton, in North Kesteven. BP required 100,000 tons of crude oil from the Nottinghamshire fields, per year. In 1950 the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company would set up its
Kirklington Hall Research Station, nearby to the west, to investigate geophysical exploration.
Filming Caunton was used as a filming location for the majority of the
second-series episodes of the popular British comedy drama
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, about a group of seven British migrant construction workers, with Beesthorpe Hall being used as Thornely Manor which was being renovated as part of the storyline. ==Geography==