Dringhouses
Encyclopedia
Dringhouses is a suburb, formerly a village, in York
, England
and includes the area known as Woodthorpe. It is bounded by the Knavesmire
, an open area of land on which York Racecourse
is situated, to the east, Askham Bogs and the A64 to the south, the York Outer Ring road to the west and the Unitary Authority Wards of Westfield, Acomb, and Holgate to the north. It is located approximately two and quarter miles from York City Centre.
The name derives from "Drengeshirses" (1109) and means "the houses of the drengs", a "dreng" being a man who held land by a particular kind of free tenure.
It is a mixture of housing estates and large open spaces, with the East Coast main railway line running through the middle. The population of Dringhouses and Woodthorpe is 10,733.
, the Viking
leader who had taken the area from the Angles
and had shared the land among his warriors in 876. The free land of the Drengs became a Norman manor - ultimately owned by Archbishop Walter de Gray
who granted it to his brother Robert in 1244 and thence to John, Lord Grey of Rotherfield. The title passed to Sir John Deincourt and his ancestors until it was inherited by the Wilkinson family. The last Lord of the manor, Col. Wilkinson, died on 13 January 1941. The subsequent break-up of the estate meant that most of the land in the village was no longer owned by one family.
There was a long dispute over the Wapentake of the Ainsty
- which included Dringhouses - from the early Middle Ages. In 1276 the Courts of Edward I dealt with a claim by the York Corporation that:-"... the citizens of York hold the wapentake of Ainsty and the city of York of the King...". The claim was based on a Charter of the reign of King John
and the case was lost on the grounds that the extent of the land was not specified and, more seriously, that the Charter contained erasures. For this the Mayor was held responsible and was imprisoned for a short time. The claim was revived in 1448 and upheld. From that date until 1832 the people of the Ainsty and therefore Dringhouses were under the authority of York Corporation.
Though Dringhouses was within the parish of Holy Trinity Priory, Micklegate, it formed a separate manor and thus lay outside of the City of York.
In St Helen's Road, between 1920 and 1946, the house next to the Cross Keys car park was the Club House for the 15-hole golf course on the Hob Moor, which later moved, as the York Golf Club, to Strensall
, with the railway workers who used to play there moving to Pike Hills Golf Club.
The present shops on Tadcaster Road were originally a row of cottages known as Meek's Buildings, nicknamed "Washing Tub Row" because those who lived there took in washing for the gentry.
Dringhouses village was incorporated into the City in 1937. The present Marriott Hotel (formerly the Chase Hotel) stands at the boundary of the village with the city and was the terminus for the trams in their heyday. The electric trams replaced the horse bus in 1911.
Dringhouses is currently the site of a National Trust
office, in the former home of the Terry family, famed chocolate makers.Terry's
chocolate factory, in the nearby Ward of South Bank, was closed in 2005 and its production has shifted to factories in mainland Europe.
Hob Moor, which forms part of the Knavesmire
and hence Micklegate Stray, is first mentioned in documents in 1374 as '"Yhorkesmore""' and first noted as '"Hobbe Moore"' in 1624 by the cartographer, Samuel Parsons. During the early 17th century, accommodation was constructed to house plague victims on Hob Lane, leading to the Moor. This is indicated by the Plague Stone still visible today. Next to this stone is the '"Hob Stone"' which depicts the shield and effigy of a knight of the de Ros family, who is reputed to have given his name to the area. In 1745, the York to Tadcaster Turnpike was constructed, which follows the route of the modern Tadcaster Road in the area. The Moor has been used as an area for the Military. In 1644, the Scottish troops, who were part of the Parliamentarian Army, were encamped here during the siege of York. From 1912 to 1920, the Moor was used for training Cavalry troops.
. As of 2010 it is represented by the Liberal Democrats Coucillors Tom Holvey, Ann Reid and Susan Sunderland.
It forms part of the UK Parliamentary Constituency of York Central and EU Constituency of Yorkshire & Humberside.
The population in the Ward was 10,733 of which 92.1% were born in England and 3.4% from outside the United Kingdom. The largest Age Group within the population, 22.2%, were between 30 and 44 years old with 21.6% between 45 and 59 years old. Of the total population, 96.7% described their ethnic origin as White-British. The figures show that 79.2% declared they were Christian, whilst 19.9 % declared no religious belief at all. Of the population aged between 16 and 74 years old, 69.2% declared they were in some form of employment and 17.2 % said they were retired. Of the 4,650 households, 52.3% were Semi-Detached and 31.3% were Detached. The level of household ownership was 84.1%.
The largest open area is Hob Moor which is part of the Knavesmire
, that together make up Micklegate Stray. This land was once used for growing crops as demonstrated by the ridges and furrows still evident. As of 2010, it is still used as grazing land, licensed by York City Council. Hob Moor was designated as a Local Nature Reserve
in 2003 and hosts a variety of flora and fauna. Amongst the birds that can be found here are Meadow Pipit
, Skylark
, Whinchat
, Wheatear
, Yellow Wagtail and Merlin
.
Play areas can be found at Nelsons Lane, Heron Avenue (owned by the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation), Woodthorpe Green and Leeside.
The York to Tadcaster turnpike ran through this area following the route of the modern Tadcaster Road, which formed part of the old A64
to Leeds.
has its campus at the former Tollcross at the southwestern edge of the village and caters for Sixth Form and Further Education in York. The college was built on the area previously occupied by Ashfield Secondary School, the nearby old York College of Arts & Technology being demolished for a new housing estate.
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...
, 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...
and includes the area known as Woodthorpe. It is bounded by the Knavesmire
Knavesmire
The Knavesmire is one of a number of large, marshy undeveloped areas within the city of York in North Yorkshire, England which are collectively known as Strays...
, an open area of land on which York Racecourse
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
is situated, to the east, Askham Bogs and the A64 to the south, the York Outer Ring road to the west and the Unitary Authority Wards of Westfield, Acomb, and Holgate to the north. It is located approximately two and quarter miles from York City Centre.
The name derives from "Drengeshirses" (1109) and means "the houses of the drengs", a "dreng" being a man who held land by a particular kind of free tenure.
It is a mixture of housing estates and large open spaces, with the East Coast main railway line running through the middle. The population of Dringhouses and Woodthorpe is 10,733.
History
The Old Norse name from which Dringhouses is derived, indicates the villagers were the descendants of HalfdanHalfdan
Halfdan was a late 5th and early 6th century legendary Danish king of the Scylding lineage, the son of king named Fróði in many accounts, noted mainly as the father to the two kings who succeeded him in the rule of Denmark, kings named Hroðgar and Halga in the Old English poem Beowulf and named...
, the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
leader who had taken the area from the Angles
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
and had shared the land among his warriors in 876. The free land of the Drengs became a Norman manor - ultimately owned by Archbishop Walter de Gray
Walter de Gray
Walter de Gray was an English prelate and statesman who rose to be Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor.-Life:Gray was the son of John de Gray the Elder of Eaton in Norfolk and nephew of John de Gray , Bishop of Norwich. His sister, Hawise, married the Justiciar of England, Philip Basset...
who granted it to his brother Robert in 1244 and thence to John, Lord Grey of Rotherfield. The title passed to Sir John Deincourt and his ancestors until it was inherited by the Wilkinson family. The last Lord of the manor, Col. Wilkinson, died on 13 January 1941. The subsequent break-up of the estate meant that most of the land in the village was no longer owned by one family.
There was a long dispute over the Wapentake of the Ainsty
Ainsty
The Ainsty or the Ainsty of York was a historic district of Yorkshire, England adjacent to the City of York. Originally a wapentake or subdivision of the West Riding of Yorkshire it later had a unique status as a rural area controlled by the corporation of the city.-Geography:The Ainsty covered a...
- which included Dringhouses - from the early Middle Ages. In 1276 the Courts of Edward I dealt with a claim by the York Corporation that:-"... the citizens of York hold the wapentake of Ainsty and the city of York of the King...". The claim was based on a Charter of the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and the case was lost on the grounds that the extent of the land was not specified and, more seriously, that the Charter contained erasures. For this the Mayor was held responsible and was imprisoned for a short time. The claim was revived in 1448 and upheld. From that date until 1832 the people of the Ainsty and therefore Dringhouses were under the authority of York Corporation.
Though Dringhouses was within the parish of Holy Trinity Priory, Micklegate, it formed a separate manor and thus lay outside of the City of York.
In St Helen's Road, between 1920 and 1946, the house next to the Cross Keys car park was the Club House for the 15-hole golf course on the Hob Moor, which later moved, as the York Golf Club, to Strensall
Strensall
Strensall is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England, on the River Foss north of York and north-east of Haxby. Prior to 1996 it had been part of the Ryedale district. It covers an area of 2,908 acres....
, with the railway workers who used to play there moving to Pike Hills Golf Club.
The present shops on Tadcaster Road were originally a row of cottages known as Meek's Buildings, nicknamed "Washing Tub Row" because those who lived there took in washing for the gentry.
Dringhouses village was incorporated into the City in 1937. The present Marriott Hotel (formerly the Chase Hotel) stands at the boundary of the village with the city and was the terminus for the trams in their heyday. The electric trams replaced the horse bus in 1911.
Dringhouses is currently the site of a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
office, in the former home of the Terry family, famed chocolate makers.Terry's
Terry's
Terry's was a chocolate and confectionery maker in York, England. Its history stretched back to 1823, but in 1993 it was taken over by Kraft Foods. The York factory closed in 2005 and Terry's products are now produced in other Kraft facilities in Poland, Sweden, Belgium, and...
chocolate factory, in the nearby Ward of South Bank, was closed in 2005 and its production has shifted to factories in mainland Europe.
Hob Moor, which forms part of the Knavesmire
Knavesmire
The Knavesmire is one of a number of large, marshy undeveloped areas within the city of York in North Yorkshire, England which are collectively known as Strays...
and hence Micklegate Stray, is first mentioned in documents in 1374 as '"Yhorkesmore""' and first noted as '"Hobbe Moore"' in 1624 by the cartographer, Samuel Parsons. During the early 17th century, accommodation was constructed to house plague victims on Hob Lane, leading to the Moor. This is indicated by the Plague Stone still visible today. Next to this stone is the '"Hob Stone"' which depicts the shield and effigy of a knight of the de Ros family, who is reputed to have given his name to the area. In 1745, the York to Tadcaster Turnpike was constructed, which follows the route of the modern Tadcaster Road in the area. The Moor has been used as an area for the Military. In 1644, the Scottish troops, who were part of the Parliamentarian Army, were encamped here during the siege of York. From 1912 to 1920, the Moor was used for training Cavalry troops.
Governance
Dringhouses is part of the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward in the Unitary Authority of YorkYork
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...
. As of 2010 it is represented by the Liberal Democrats Coucillors Tom Holvey, Ann Reid and Susan Sunderland.
It forms part of the UK Parliamentary Constituency of York Central and EU Constituency of Yorkshire & Humberside.
Demography
The figures below were taken from the Census 2001 Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales, from the Office of National Statistics on 29 April 2001. The next census is due in 2011.The population in the Ward was 10,733 of which 92.1% were born in England and 3.4% from outside the United Kingdom. The largest Age Group within the population, 22.2%, were between 30 and 44 years old with 21.6% between 45 and 59 years old. Of the total population, 96.7% described their ethnic origin as White-British. The figures show that 79.2% declared they were Christian, whilst 19.9 % declared no religious belief at all. Of the population aged between 16 and 74 years old, 69.2% declared they were in some form of employment and 17.2 % said they were retired. Of the 4,650 households, 52.3% were Semi-Detached and 31.3% were Detached. The level of household ownership was 84.1%.
Economy
In past years, the majority of employment was in agriculture. As of 2010, the main employment can be found in the retail and education sectors, as Dringhouses has a large Tesco Supermarket and the York College. Employment can be found in the Health Care centre as St Leonards' Hospice is located next to the York College. A small amount of employment can be found in the Leisure sector as two major chain hotels are located on Tadcaster Road. The racing stables on Hunters Way also provide employment.Geography
Dringhouses is located two and a half miles from York City Centre. The East Coast Main Line runs through the centre of the area. There are some open areas of land including Marsh farm, Chaloners Whin and Sim Hills. Council run allotments can be found at the entrance to Hob Moor on Tadcaster Road. There are areas of open water near Aintree Court, Bramble Dene and at Chapmans Pond and Hogg's Pond on Moor Lane. There are several small becks or streams in the area, namely on Hob Moor and on Chaloners Whin.The largest open area is Hob Moor which is part of the Knavesmire
Knavesmire
The Knavesmire is one of a number of large, marshy undeveloped areas within the city of York in North Yorkshire, England which are collectively known as Strays...
, that together make up Micklegate Stray. This land was once used for growing crops as demonstrated by the ridges and furrows still evident. As of 2010, it is still used as grazing land, licensed by York City Council. Hob Moor was designated as a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
in 2003 and hosts a variety of flora and fauna. Amongst the birds that can be found here are Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
The Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated...
, Skylark
Skylark
The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
, Whinchat
Whinchat
The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat...
, Wheatear
Wheatear
The wheatears are passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe. They were formerly considered to be members of the thrush family Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
, Yellow Wagtail and Merlin
Merlin (bird)
The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...
.
Play areas can be found at Nelsons Lane, Heron Avenue (owned by the Joseph Rowntree
Joseph Rowntree
Joseph Rowntree may be:*Joseph Rowntree , English grocer and educational reformer*Joseph Rowntree , son of the above, English chocolate manufacturer and philanthropist...
Foundation), Woodthorpe Green and Leeside.
The York to Tadcaster turnpike ran through this area following the route of the modern Tadcaster Road, which formed part of the old A64
A64 road
The A64 is a road in North and West Yorkshire, England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64 ring road motorway in Leeds and then is a dual carriageway for the rest of its route, except parts of the road from Malton to Scarborough.The road approximates a section of the...
to Leeds.
Transport
The area is well served by local public transport. The First Group operate the service to Acomb Park via Moor Lane, the service to Copmanthorpe along Tadcaster Road and the ftr service also along Tadcaster Road and around the Woodthorpe Estate to Acomb. They also operate the Park and Ride Service from Askham Bar next to the Tesco Superstore on Tadcaster Road. The First Group owned Coastliner service also operates along Tadcaster Road as part of the Leeds to Scarborough route. TrandsDev operate two routes through the Woodthorpe area. Pullman Coaches operate along Tadcaster Road as part of their service between York and Tadcaster. Three National Express routes all pass along Tadcaster Road, with a stopping place at the Cross Keys public house.Education
Primary education is catered for at Dringhouses Primary School on St Helens Road. The original school was founded in 1849 - adjacent to the church. In 1852 a new school was built and is now the local library. It then moved into the old school house on its present site next to the railway in 1904. There is also Woodthorpe Primary School in Summerfield Road. York CollegeYork College (York)
York College is a further and higher education college in York, England. It offers A-levels, AVCE, HND and NVQ degrees. It is an associate college of the University of York...
has its campus at the former Tollcross at the southwestern edge of the village and caters for Sixth Form and Further Education in York. The college was built on the area previously occupied by Ashfield Secondary School, the nearby old York College of Arts & Technology being demolished for a new housing estate.