Grassington
Encyclopedia
Grassington is a market town
and civil parish in the Craven
district of North Yorkshire
, England.
The town is situated in Wharfedale
around 9 miles (14 km) from Bolton Abbey
and is surrounded by limestone
scenery. Nearby villages include Linton
, Threshfield
, Hebden, Conistone
and Kilnsey
.
Although often described by local people as a village, Grassington was granted a Royal Charter
for a market and fair in 1282 giving it market town status. The market was held regularly until about 1860. A change in land use from the early 17th century, when lead
mining began to assume more importance, brought some prosperity, but Grassington's heyday arrived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The opening of the Yorkshire Dales Railway to Threshfield in 1901 brought new visitors, many of whom settled, some finding work in Skipton or in the developing limestone quarries.
Today Grassington is the main residential and tourist centre in Upper Wharfedale
Centred around its small cobbled square is a selection of shops offering food, clothing and gifts, alongside small cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Grassington Festival http://www.grassington-festival.org.uk/ is a two-week long annual event encompassing music, performance and visual arts, held in a variety of venues around the village. In 2008 it included acts by Jo Brand
, Dara Ó Briain
, Clare Teal
and Toyah Wilcox.
A Yorkshire Dales National Park information centre
is on Hebden Road.
Three miles north of Grassington at Kilnsey
is the glacially carved overhang of Kilnsey Crag.
Grass Wood
, a large area of ancient woodland including the Iron-Age fort, Fort Gregory (also known as Gregory's Fort), is situated just over one mile northwest of Grassington.
, which continued to operate until 1948. Today, there are plans to revive the plant through an English Heritage
project, using two Archimedean screw
turbines to produce 510,000 kilowatt hours per year.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the Craven
Craven
Craven is a local government district in North Yorkshire, England that came into being in 1974, centred on the market town of Skipton. In the changes to British local government of that year this district was formed as the merger of Skipton urban district, Settle Rural District and most of Skipton...
district of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England.
The town is situated in Wharfedale
Wharfedale
Wharfedale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is the valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham, and Wetherby...
around 9 miles (14 km) from Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is the estate within which is located the ruined 12th-century Augustinian Bolton Priory in North Yorkshire, England. It gives its name to the parish of Bolton Abbey.-Bolton Priory:...
and is surrounded by limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
scenery. Nearby villages include Linton
Linton, North Yorkshire
Linton is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is to the immediate south, and across the River Wharfe, from Grassington, near Threshfield and eight miles north of the market town Skipton. The green of this small, picturesque village is set among a fine...
, Threshfield
Threshfield
Threshfield is a small village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England with a population of 980 residents. It borders Grassington, Linton Falls and Skirethorns...
, Hebden, Conistone
Conistone
Conistone is a small village in North Yorkshire, England. It lies 3 miles north of Grassington, beside the River Wharfe, in Upper Wharfedale....
and Kilnsey
Kilnsey
Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone....
.
Although often described by local people as a village, Grassington was granted a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
for a market and fair in 1282 giving it market town status. The market was held regularly until about 1860. A change in land use from the early 17th century, when lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining began to assume more importance, brought some prosperity, but Grassington's heyday arrived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The opening of the Yorkshire Dales Railway to Threshfield in 1901 brought new visitors, many of whom settled, some finding work in Skipton or in the developing limestone quarries.
Today Grassington is the main residential and tourist centre in Upper Wharfedale
Wharfedale
Wharfedale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is the valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham, and Wetherby...
Centred around its small cobbled square is a selection of shops offering food, clothing and gifts, alongside small cafes, restaurants and hotels.
Grassington Festival http://www.grassington-festival.org.uk/ is a two-week long annual event encompassing music, performance and visual arts, held in a variety of venues around the village. In 2008 it included acts by Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
, Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
, Clare Teal
Clare Teal
Clare Teal is an English jazz singer who has become famous not only for her singing, but also for having signed the biggest ever recording contract by a British jazz singer.-Biography:...
and Toyah Wilcox.
A Yorkshire Dales National Park information centre
Information centre
An information centre is a center designed specifically for storing, processing, and retrieving information for dissemination at regular intervals, on demand or selectively, according to express needs of users.-Examples:...
is on Hebden Road.
Three miles north of Grassington at Kilnsey
Kilnsey
Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone....
is the glacially carved overhang of Kilnsey Crag.
Grass Wood
Grass Wood, Wharfedale
Grass Wood is an ancient woodland of in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, that has an exceptional ground flora of woodland wildflowers.The area was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1955 for upland broadleaved woodland...
, a large area of ancient woodland including the Iron-Age fort, Fort Gregory (also known as Gregory's Fort), is situated just over one mile northwest of Grassington.
Electricity generation
In 1909, Grassington received its first electricity from a hydroelectric plant at Linton FallsLinton, North Yorkshire
Linton is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is to the immediate south, and across the River Wharfe, from Grassington, near Threshfield and eight miles north of the market town Skipton. The green of this small, picturesque village is set among a fine...
, which continued to operate until 1948. Today, there are plans to revive the plant through an English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
project, using two Archimedean screw
Archimedes' screw
The Archimedes' screw, also called the Archimedean screw or screwpump, is a machine historically used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation ditches...
turbines to produce 510,000 kilowatt hours per year.