The population in 1830 was 280, including seven farmers, two tailors, two shoemakers, a bricklayer, a shopkeeper, a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a lace maker, an auctioneer, and the landlord of The Anchor public house.

[4] An oilfield was discovered at the village at the end of 1953 by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (BP from 1954).

Plungar lies on bus routes to Bottesford or Bingham to the north and Melton Mowbray to the south.

All three destinations have railway stations, the nearest being at Bottesford (6.3 miles, 10 km), which has services to Nottingham and beyond, and to Grantham (for London) and Skegness.

The church was repaired in 1829, while rebuilding work in 1855–1856 added a chapel and replaced the south aisle.

[3][10] To the east of the village, in neighbouring Nottinghamshire, is the site of Plungar's disused RAF air base, for No.