Acaster Malbis
Encyclopedia
Acaster Malbis is a village
and civil parish in the unitary authority
of the City of York, England
. It is located on the River Ouse
, almost 5 miles south of York
. Nearby are the villages of Copmanthorpe
2 miles to the northwest, Bishopthorpe
2 miles to the north and Appleton Roebuck 3.5 miles to the southwest.
The Latin word for a camp is castra indicating that the Roman
army may once have been based here. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
as Acastre. The Malbis is derived from the Norman Malbysse or De Malebys family. Malbis was a Norman personal name that in French means "very swarthy".
There was a Royal Air Force station in the village during and immediately after the Second World War.
According to the 2001 census
the parish had a population of 578. Until 1996 the parish was part of the district of Selby
. There are two churches and an inn in the village. The village is also the home for a holiday park.
as Val-Caester. In Latin, Val means "a wall" and Castrum means a "camp". When the Romans departed the land was acquired by an Anglo-Saxon
called Aca.
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
as "Acastre" and ownership passed to the Malbysse family during the reign of Richard I. The family held the lands for about 200 years. In 1190, Richard Malebysse was a leader involved in the massacre of the Jews at Cliffords Tower in York. Richard I
dismissed the sheriff and constable of York and imposed severe penalties on the city and arrested many of those who had taken part. Richard Malbysse had been described by a Hebrew scribe eight years earlier as 'the evil beast'. As punishment, the King ordered his estates seized into the king's hand and two of his esquires were thrown into prison.
In 1314, John De Malbysse was appointed as a Sheriff
of the County. His daughter married into the Fairfax family who then inherited the lands after the deaths of John De Malbysse and his son Walter.
During the English Civil War
, the city of York was under siege from Scottish and Parliamentarian Armies. They had settled around the city in a great arc, with Lord Thomas Fairfax's army to the east and the Scots to the south and west. A bridge of boats, similar to those constructed at Nether Poppleton
, was constructed over the River Ouse at Acaster Malbis to allow communications between the two armies.
, was commissioned in 1942. Originally it was a grass airfield used by the No 601 Squaron Auxilary Air Force from 6 January 1942 until April of that year. They flew American Bell P39 Airacobra fighter planes. From 6 April 1942 until the beginning of 1943 No 15 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit was established here to train recently qualified pilots to convert to twin-engine aeroplanes using the Airspeed Oxford
aircraft.
On 25 January 1943 the airfield was reconstructed into a full size ‘Class A’ bomber station, with three concrete runways, steel hangars and new administration buildings. Initially the airfield was used as a relief landing ground for heavy bombers stationed at Rufforth
and Marston Moor. From November 1944, No 4 Aircrew School took over for pilots, navigators, and air gunners to complete their ground training whilst waiting for a posting to a squadron. In 1945 there were between 200 and 300 RAF personnel living on the camp.
After the end of the war, RAF Acaster Malbis was home to No 91 MU (Maintenance Unit)
who were responsible for the storage and disposal of vast amounts of ammunition. This function was not complete until well into the 1950s. RAF Acaster Malbis was decommissioned in 1963 and the land sold by public auction. It resumed operations as a private airfield in the mid-1970s until the mid 1980s. Large parts of the runways have since been dug up and the buildings have fallen into disuse with many being demolished, although one hangar and the control tower
still remain.
Ward of the Unitary Authority of the City of York. It forms part of the UK Parliamentary Constituency of York Outer and EU Constituency
of Yorkshire & Humberside. As of 2011 the Ward is represented by Councillor John Gavin, a member of the local Conservative Party.
the parish had a population of 578.
The owners of the inn have reported a number of ghostly incidents.
operate a service through the village as part of the York Askham Bar to Tadcaster
route.
.
The village is in the Secondary School catchment area for Fulford School in York.
parish church, stands on the site of the original Norman Church. In 1360 the estates of the Malbysse family passed into the hands of the Fairfax family, who pulled the old church down. The church stands a little way out of the village on the road to Bishopthorpe
.
There is also a Methodist Church
in the centre of the village, founded in 1880.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the unitary authority
Unitary authorities of England
Unitary authorities of England are areas where a single local authority is responsible for a variety of services for a district that elsewhere are administered separately by two councils...
of the City of York, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located on the River Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
, almost 5 miles south of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. Nearby are the villages of Copmanthorpe
Copmanthorpe
Copmanthorpe is a village and civil parish in the City of York in the English county of North Yorkshire, south west of York, west of Bishopthorpe and close to Acaster Malbis, Askham Bryan and Askham Richard. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,262. Until 1996 it had...
2 miles to the northwest, Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe is a village and civil parish three miles south of York in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ouse, and has a population of 3,174. Prior to 1996 it was part of the Selby district...
2 miles to the north and Appleton Roebuck 3.5 miles to the southwest.
The Latin word for a camp is castra indicating that the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
army may once have been based here. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Acastre. The Malbis is derived from the Norman Malbysse or De Malebys family. Malbis was a Norman personal name that in French means "very swarthy".
There was a Royal Air Force station in the village during and immediately after the Second World War.
According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the parish had a population of 578. Until 1996 the parish was part of the district of Selby
Selby (district)
Selby is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby and provides services to an area which includes Tadcaster and a host of villages....
. There are two churches and an inn in the village. The village is also the home for a holiday park.
Early History
The land on which the village stands was named by the RomansRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
as Val-Caester. In Latin, Val means "a wall" and Castrum means a "camp". When the Romans departed the land was acquired by an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
called Aca.
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as "Acastre" and ownership passed to the Malbysse family during the reign of Richard I. The family held the lands for about 200 years. In 1190, Richard Malebysse was a leader involved in the massacre of the Jews at Cliffords Tower in York. Richard I
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
dismissed the sheriff and constable of York and imposed severe penalties on the city and arrested many of those who had taken part. Richard Malbysse had been described by a Hebrew scribe eight years earlier as 'the evil beast'. As punishment, the King ordered his estates seized into the king's hand and two of his esquires were thrown into prison.
In 1314, John De Malbysse was appointed as a Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of the County. His daughter married into the Fairfax family who then inherited the lands after the deaths of John De Malbysse and his son Walter.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, the city of York was under siege from Scottish and Parliamentarian Armies. They had settled around the city in a great arc, with Lord Thomas Fairfax's army to the east and the Scots to the south and west. A bridge of boats, similar to those constructed at Nether Poppleton
Nether Poppleton
Nether Poppleton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated by the West bank of the River Ouse adjacent to Upper Poppleton, and west of York close to the A59 road from York to Harrogate...
, was constructed over the River Ouse at Acaster Malbis to allow communications between the two armies.
RAF Acaster Malbis
RAF Acaster Malbis, situated between the villages of Acaster Malbis and Acaster SelbyAcaster Selby
Acaster Selby is a village in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about 6 miles south of York and nearby settlements include Stillingfleet and Appleton Roebuck....
, was commissioned in 1942. Originally it was a grass airfield used by the No 601 Squaron Auxilary Air Force from 6 January 1942 until April of that year. They flew American Bell P39 Airacobra fighter planes. From 6 April 1942 until the beginning of 1943 No 15 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit was established here to train recently qualified pilots to convert to twin-engine aeroplanes using the Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
aircraft.
On 25 January 1943 the airfield was reconstructed into a full size ‘Class A’ bomber station, with three concrete runways, steel hangars and new administration buildings. Initially the airfield was used as a relief landing ground for heavy bombers stationed at Rufforth
Rufforth
Rufforth is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of York. The village is mentioned in the "Domesday Book" and dates from Saxon times....
and Marston Moor. From November 1944, No 4 Aircrew School took over for pilots, navigators, and air gunners to complete their ground training whilst waiting for a posting to a squadron. In 1945 there were between 200 and 300 RAF personnel living on the camp.
After the end of the war, RAF Acaster Malbis was home to No 91 MU (Maintenance Unit)
RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
who were responsible for the storage and disposal of vast amounts of ammunition. This function was not complete until well into the 1950s. RAF Acaster Malbis was decommissioned in 1963 and the land sold by public auction. It resumed operations as a private airfield in the mid-1970s until the mid 1980s. Large parts of the runways have since been dug up and the buildings have fallen into disuse with many being demolished, although one hangar and the control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
still remain.
Governance
Acaster Malbis lies in the BishopthorpeBishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe is a village and civil parish three miles south of York in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ouse, and has a population of 3,174. Prior to 1996 it was part of the Selby district...
Ward of the Unitary Authority of the City of York. It forms part of the UK Parliamentary Constituency of York Outer and EU Constituency
European Parliament constituency
Members of the European Parliament are elected by the population of the member states of the European Union , divided into constituencies....
of Yorkshire & Humberside. As of 2011 the Ward is represented by Councillor John Gavin, a member of the local Conservative Party.
Demography
In 1848 the population of the village was recorded as 322, just under half of the whole population of the parish of the same name. According to the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the parish had a population of 578.
Community
There are few amenities in the village save for the 17th century public house, "The Ship Inn". This Inn features in the book, "The Girl with the Red Suspenders" by Barbara Whitehead. The inn reopened in May 2009 after nine months of major refurbishment, following serious flooding when the River Ouse burst its banks.The owners of the inn have reported a number of ghostly incidents.
Transport
Harrogate Coach TravelHarrogate Coach Travel
-History:The company was established in 2002 by Craig and Julie Temple, the directors of the company, as Harrogate Coach Travel. The company is based in Green Hammerton, which has a York postcode even if it is under the Harrogate district...
operate a service through the village as part of the York Askham Bar to Tadcaster
Tadcaster
Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Lying on the Great North Road approximately east of Leeds and west of York. It is the last town on the River Wharfe before it joins the River Ouse about downstream...
route.
Education
Acaster Malbis used to have brick built school, founded by John Knowles in 1603. As of 2010, primary school education is provided at Archbishop of York's CE Junior School in BishopthorpeBishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe is a village and civil parish three miles south of York in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ouse, and has a population of 3,174. Prior to 1996 it was part of the Selby district...
.
The village is in the Secondary School catchment area for Fulford School in York.
Religion
There are two churches in the village. Holy Trinity Church, the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church, stands on the site of the original Norman Church. In 1360 the estates of the Malbysse family passed into the hands of the Fairfax family, who pulled the old church down. The church stands a little way out of the village on the road to Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe
Bishopthorpe is a village and civil parish three miles south of York in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ouse, and has a population of 3,174. Prior to 1996 it was part of the Selby district...
.
There is also a Methodist Church
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
in the centre of the village, founded in 1880.