Ravensworth
Encyclopedia
Ravensworth is a small village and civil parish in the Richmondshire
district of North Yorkshire
, England. It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-west of Richmond
and 10 miles (16.1 km) from Darlington
. It is situated in the Holmedale valley and is in the ward
of Gilling West
. The village has a population of c.270.
name (meaning "Raven") and "worth" which is Old Norse meaning enclosed settlement. Its name and spelling has varied over the years: in the 11th century it was Ravenesuuet, Rasueswaht in the 12th century, Raveneswade in 1201, Ravenswath from the 13th to 16th centuries, and afterwards beginning to settle on Ravensworth.
of 1086 as having a population of 21, which was then quite large for a settlement. The Lord of the Manor
in 1066 was one Thorfin, by 1086 Alan Rufus had allocated it to his relative Bodin of Middleham
. Bodin then gave up his lands to become a monk, and the estate fell to his brother Bardolph, from whom the FitzHugh line
is descended. The term "Lord of the Manor" is an official one, and according to Lord Denning:
Akarius Fitz Bardolph
, son of Bardolph donated lands for a monastery which were later to become Jervaulx Abbey
. There was a castle in Ravensworth by at least 1180, and King John stayed there in 1201. Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke
, was born in the castle, home of his uncle Henry, Lord Fitzhugh, on 18 October 1353. The FitzHughs were likely to have been patrons of the anchoress
Margaret Kirkby, who was born in the village. The village contains the Grade I listed Ravensworth Castle
believed to have been built around 1391, on the site of a previous fortress from the 11th century. It was initially inhabited by the FitzHugh family. After the end of the Fitzhugh line in 1513, ownership of the castle and estate was passed on to the Barons Dacre
, and then through descent via marriage into the hands of Sir Thomas Parr
followed by William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
, before passing to the Crown Estate
. The castle began to be pulled down in the middle of the 16th century, shortly after the visitation by the antiquarian John Leland. The castle was ruinous by 1600, largely as a result of being quarried for local building materials (despite being owned by the Crown), however the entirety of the gatehouse
remains intact. The estate passed through many hands, including in Sir Thomas Wharton
in 1667. In 1779 the estate belonged to the Legard Baronets
.
house originally sited in Ravensworth has been reconstructed at the Richmondshire Museum
in Richmond. John Leland and many others since have described Ravensworth as a "pretty" village. As with many English villages, much of the housing stock consists of Grade II listed buildings, dating from the mid to late 17th century onwards. The parish church since 1397 has been the Church of St Peter & St Felix in Kirby Hill
, about one mile (1.6 km) from the village. It is believed to have been built on the site of a much earlier Saxon church. Cuthbert Shaw (1738–1771), the ne'er-do-well poet was born in the village, the son of a poor shoemaker. James Boswell
characterised Shaw as being 'distinguished by his genius, misfortunes, and misconduct'. Robert Southey
wrote of him, "The Monodies of this writer upon his Wife and Child are well known. What other misfortunes he suffered besides their deaths, were occasioned by his own follies and vices". The mathematician and astronomer William Lax
(1761–1836) was born in the village. He would rise to the rank of Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry
at the University of Cambridge
. He was universally recognised amongst his contemporaries for his genius. Lax produced one of his most important works in the village A Method of finding the latitude by means of two altitudes of the sun. in 1799. His brother Thomas Lax (1770–1851) was a noted gentleman farmer, Chief Constable
of the ward and record-holding breeder of shorthorn cattle who lived and died in the village. In 1773, Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
made several sketches around the village. The publisher Effingham Wilson
(1785–1868), was born in the village. He published such figures as Robert Browning
, Lord Tennyson, Jeremy Bentham
, William Godwin
and Robert Owen
. In 1848, Wilson proposed the creation of a national theatre company, which led directly to the foundation of the National Theatre Company.
J. M. W. Turner
made several sketches of the castle on 13 July 1816. The Wesleyan chapel was built in 1822. The village hall was built in 1841 as a public elementary school, however the school moved into newly-built premises in 1967, and the former school became the village hall in 1987. The Blacksmith's Shop has been situated at the same site since 1841. The Bay Horse Inn dates as far back as at least 1857, although its stone door case is 17th century or earlier, almost certainly built using stone from the castle. In 1859, Whellan describes "good freestone" being quarried in the village, although a short-lived copper mine had been discontinued. In 1859, the father of Christopher Cradock
was lord of the manor, and the village was described by Whellan as "exceedingly neat". According to the 1881 and 1891 Censuses
, agriculture and mining were the main industries. The comparatively large number of distinguished people from a village of such a small size can be attributed to the excellent grammar school
in Kirby Hill that children of the village had access to for over 400 years from 1556 until 1957. The school also produced the antiquarian James Raine and the Archbishop of Canterbury
Matthew Hutton
.
. It is in the local government district of Richmondshire. William Hague
is currently the MP.
on the M1 motorway
, thus giving it excellent road links. Its nearest railway station is Darlington railway station
, less than 15 miles (24.1 km) away. Bus services which operate throughout the day connect the village to the nearby towns of Richmond and Barnard Castle. The closest settlements are Kirby Hill
, Dalton and Gayles
. Other local villages are Newsham, East Layton
, West Layton
, Gilling West
and Hartforth
. The village is situated in a mild valley on the Holme Beck, a minor tributary of the River Swale
in an area known as the Holme valley or Holmedale. Most of the land around the village is arable farmland, but animals such as horses and cows are reared as well. Sheep graze on the more rugged sides of the valley. Crops grown include wheat, barley
and oil seed rape. The village is situated close to the Yorkshire Dales
national park
. It is also only one hour from the North Yorkshire Moors and the Lake District
national parks. Newcastle
and York
are only one hour's drive away, and Leeds
is just over one hour away. The houses are generally built of sandstone and have distinctive "Yorkshire" roofs, a mix of soft red pantiles
and slate. Sandstone continues to be quarried on the outskirts of the village.
, Barnard Castle
, Northallerton
and Darlington
, but some travel further afield to the larger conurbations of Tyneside
, Teesside
and Leeds
. Property prices in the ward are higher than the average for England. There were no recorded crimes in the village in 2009–2010. The average weekly household income for the ward is £600, higher than the Yorkshire and the Humber average. The population is at the same level as it was in 1850.
primary school, a village hall
, a Methodist chapel and a public house
. A Church of England church situated at Kirby Hill
, a large garden centre
, a large farm shop
and gift shop, a 5 acre caravan park and a further three public houses are all within an approximately one mile radius. The "broad [and] pleasant" village green
is substantial, at 17 acres, and most of the one hundred or so dwellings in the village are situated around it. The green hosts the stone base of a 15th century obelisk
. As with many British villages, Ravensworth formerly had a Post Office, but it closed down some years ago. There is a village quoits
club that operates during the summer, and the region is a real heartland for the game, with the world's oldest quoits club formed in nearby Darlington. There are regular community events held on the green and around the village during summer, such as the Scarecrow Trail and car boot sales, and other events held in the village hall. The area falls within the television reception area of ITV Tyne Tees. Newspaper media is covered by The Northern Echo
and The Teesdale Mercury. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water
. The water is the area is classified as hard water
and derives from a spring/borehole
source.
most successful horticultural businesses. Founded by Doug Bradbrook and William Hannah in 1966, by 2006 it had a £1.8 million annual turnover and employed around 35 people. It supplies garden centres and retailers across the United Kingdom as well as its own on-site sales. It once held the world's largest hanging basket
.
, the former England cricketer and current Sky Sports
commentator lives in the village. Local and national media refer to him as "The Squire of Ravensworth". His son Liam Botham
also lives in the village.
Richmondshire
Richmondshire is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. It covers a large northern area of the Yorkshire Dales including Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale, with the prominent Scots' Dyke and Scotch Corner along the centre. Teesdale lies to the north...
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. It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-west of Richmond
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
and 10 miles (16.1 km) from Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
. It is situated in the Holmedale valley and is in the ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Gilling West
Gilling West
Gilling West is a large village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury....
. The village has a population of c.270.
Etymology
The name of the village probably derives from Hrafn's worth, the former an Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name (meaning "Raven") and "worth" which is Old Norse meaning enclosed settlement. Its name and spelling has varied over the years: in the 11th century it was Ravenesuuet, Rasueswaht in the 12th century, Raveneswade in 1201, Ravenswath from the 13th to 16th centuries, and afterwards beginning to settle on Ravensworth.
Lords of the manor and early settlement
The village is documented in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
of 1086 as having a population of 21, which was then quite large for a settlement. The Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
in 1066 was one Thorfin, by 1086 Alan Rufus had allocated it to his relative Bodin of Middleham
Middleham
Middleham is a small market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in Wensleydale, in the Yorkshire Dales, on the north-facing side of the valley just above the junction of the River Ure and River Cover. There has been a settlement there since Roman...
. Bodin then gave up his lands to become a monk, and the estate fell to his brother Bardolph, from whom the FitzHugh line
Baron FitzHugh
The title Baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth was created in the Peerage of England in 1321, for Henry FitzHugh. The title passed through the male line until the death of the seventh baron in 1513 when it became abeyant between his great-aunts Alice, Lady Fiennes and Elizabeth, Lady Parr, and their...
is descended. The term "Lord of the Manor" is an official one, and according to Lord Denning:
- "In mediaeval times the manor was the nucleus of English rural life. It was an administrative unit of an extensive area of land. The whole of it was owned originally by the lord of the manor. He lived in the big house called the manor house. Attached to it were many acres of grassland and woodlands called the park. These were the "demesne lands" which were for the personal use of the lord of the manor. Dotted all round were the enclosed homes and land occupied by the "tenants of the manor"".
Akarius Fitz Bardolph
Akarius Fitz Bardolph
Akarius Fitz Bardolph, Lord of Ravensworth, was the son of Bardolph an 11th century nobleman living in Richmondshire, the area encompassing the Ure, Tees and Swale valleys in northern England. He was a sub-feudatory of Alan, Earl of Richmond. Akarius gave land at Fors in Wharfedale for the founding...
, son of Bardolph donated lands for a monastery which were later to become Jervaulx Abbey
Jervaulx Abbey
Jervaulx Abbey in East Witton near the city of Ripon, was one of the great Cistercian abbeys of Yorkshire, England, founded in 1156. Initially a Savigniac foundation, the abbey was later taken over by the Cistercian order and responsibility for it was taken by Byland Abbey. Originally founded in...
. There was a castle in Ravensworth by at least 1180, and King John stayed there in 1201. Ralph de Greystoke, 3rd Baron Greystoke
Baron Greystock
The title Baron Greystock has been created twice in the Peerage of England. It was first created when John de Greystock was summoned to parliament in 1295 and it became extinct on his death...
, was born in the castle, home of his uncle Henry, Lord Fitzhugh, on 18 October 1353. The FitzHughs were likely to have been patrons of the anchoress
Anchoress
Anchoress is a Canadian hardcore punk band that was formed in 2010.The band released their debut EP, Set Sail, via Bandcamp on 4 March 2011.-Members:* Rob Hoover – vocals* Keenan Federico – guitar* Chris Lennox-Aasen – drums* Ricky Castanedo – bass...
Margaret Kirkby, who was born in the village. The village contains the Grade I listed Ravensworth Castle
Ravensworth Castle (North Yorkshire)
Ravensworth Castle is a ruined 14th century castle in the village of Ravensworth, North Yorkshire, England. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage.-History:...
believed to have been built around 1391, on the site of a previous fortress from the 11th century. It was initially inhabited by the FitzHugh family. After the end of the Fitzhugh line in 1513, ownership of the castle and estate was passed on to the Barons Dacre
Baron Dacre
Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Multon of Gilsland, heiress of a large estate in Cumbria centred on...
, and then through descent via marriage into the hands of Sir Thomas Parr
Sir Thomas Parr
Sir Thomas Parr was an English knight, courtier and Lord of the Manor of Kendal in Westmorland during the Tudor period. He is best known as the father of Catherine Parr, queen consort of England and the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII.-Life:Thomas was the son of Sir William Parr of Kendal...
followed by William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
, before passing to the Crown Estate
Crown Estate
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
. The castle began to be pulled down in the middle of the 16th century, shortly after the visitation by the antiquarian John Leland. The castle was ruinous by 1600, largely as a result of being quarried for local building materials (despite being owned by the Crown), however the entirety of the gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
remains intact. The estate passed through many hands, including in Sir Thomas Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton PC was an English nobleman and politician. He was the son of Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton and his second wife, Jane Goodwin, only daughter of Colonel Arthur Goodwin of Upper Winchendon, Buckinghamshire, and heiress to the extensive Goodwin estates in...
in 1667. In 1779 the estate belonged to the Legard Baronets
Legard Baronets
The Legard Baronetcy, of Ganton in the County of York, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 29 December 1660 for John Legard. The member of an ancient Yorkshire family, he fought as a Royalist in the Civil War and sat as Member of Parliament for Scarborough after the Restoration...
.
Village history
A 15th century cruckCruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which supports the roof of a building, used particularly in England. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally bent, timber beams that lean inwards and form the ridge of the roof. These posts are then generally secured by a...
house originally sited in Ravensworth has been reconstructed at the Richmondshire Museum
Richmondshire Museum
The Richmondshire Museum is a museum located in Richmond in North Yorkshire, England.The Museum Trust was founded in 1974 by the Soroptimists of Richmond and the Dales; the Museum opened in 1978 in a former joiner's workshop, and has expanded its collections ever since.The Museum incorporates a...
in Richmond. John Leland and many others since have described Ravensworth as a "pretty" village. As with many English villages, much of the housing stock consists of Grade II listed buildings, dating from the mid to late 17th century onwards. The parish church since 1397 has been the Church of St Peter & St Felix in Kirby Hill
Kirby Hill, Richmondshire
Kirby Hill is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of around 60. It is notable for its large medieval parish church of St Peter and St Felix which is a Grade I listed building. It was built in 1397, on the site of a Saxon church...
, about one mile (1.6 km) from the village. It is believed to have been built on the site of a much earlier Saxon church. Cuthbert Shaw (1738–1771), the ne'er-do-well poet was born in the village, the son of a poor shoemaker. James Boswell
James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson....
characterised Shaw as being 'distinguished by his genius, misfortunes, and misconduct'. Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
wrote of him, "The Monodies of this writer upon his Wife and Child are well known. What other misfortunes he suffered besides their deaths, were occasioned by his own follies and vices". The mathematician and astronomer William Lax
William Lax
William Lax AM FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.Lax was born in Ravensworth, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of William and Helen Lax. He was educated at the local grammar school at Kirby Hill. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge University in 1780 at the age of 19 as...
(1761–1836) was born in the village. He would rise to the rank of Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry
Lowndean Professor of Astronomy and Geometry
The Lowndean chair of Astronomy and Geometry is one of the two major Professorships in Astronomy at Cambridge University, alongside the Plumian Professorship...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He was universally recognised amongst his contemporaries for his genius. Lax produced one of his most important works in the village A Method of finding the latitude by means of two altitudes of the sun. in 1799. His brother Thomas Lax (1770–1851) was a noted gentleman farmer, Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
of the ward and record-holding breeder of shorthorn cattle who lived and died in the village. In 1773, Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm was an 18th century Swiss topographical artist who worked in oils , watercolours, and pen and ink media.-Life and work:...
made several sketches around the village. The publisher Effingham Wilson
Effingham Wilson
Effingham William Wilson was a 19th-century British publisher and bookseller...
(1785–1868), was born in the village. He published such figures as Robert Browning
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
, Lord Tennyson, Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...
, William Godwin
William Godwin
William Godwin was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism, and the first modern proponent of anarchism...
and Robert Owen
Robert Owen
Robert Owen was a Welsh social reformer and one of the founders of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement.Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars:...
. In 1848, Wilson proposed the creation of a national theatre company, which led directly to the foundation of the National Theatre Company.
J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
made several sketches of the castle on 13 July 1816. The Wesleyan chapel was built in 1822. The village hall was built in 1841 as a public elementary school, however the school moved into newly-built premises in 1967, and the former school became the village hall in 1987. The Blacksmith's Shop has been situated at the same site since 1841. The Bay Horse Inn dates as far back as at least 1857, although its stone door case is 17th century or earlier, almost certainly built using stone from the castle. In 1859, Whellan describes "good freestone" being quarried in the village, although a short-lived copper mine had been discontinued. In 1859, the father of Christopher Cradock
Christopher Cradock
Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher "Kit" George Francis Maurice Cradock KCVO CB was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He was born at Hartforth, Richmond, North Yorkshire...
was lord of the manor, and the village was described by Whellan as "exceedingly neat". According to the 1881 and 1891 Censuses
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
, agriculture and mining were the main industries. The comparatively large number of distinguished people from a village of such a small size can be attributed to the excellent grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Kirby Hill that children of the village had access to for over 400 years from 1556 until 1957. The school also produced the antiquarian James Raine and the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
Matthew Hutton
Matthew Hutton (Archbishop of Canterbury)
Matthew Hutton was a high churchman in the Church of England, serving as Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury...
.
Governance
Ravensworth is in the civil parish of Kirkby Ravensworth. It is within the ward of Gilling WestGilling West
Gilling West is a large village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury....
. It is in the local government district of Richmondshire. William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
is currently the MP.
Topography
The village is situated near to the A66 and Scotch CornerScotch Corner
Scotch Corner is an important junction of the A1 and A66 trunk roads near Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It has been described as "the modern gateway to Cumbria, the North East and Scotland".-Geography:...
on the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, thus giving it excellent road links. Its nearest railway station is Darlington railway station
Darlington railway station
Darlington railway station, also known as Darlington Bank Top, is the main railway station for the town of Darlington, in the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The station is located on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross....
, less than 15 miles (24.1 km) away. Bus services which operate throughout the day connect the village to the nearby towns of Richmond and Barnard Castle. The closest settlements are Kirby Hill
Kirby Hill, Richmondshire
Kirby Hill is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of around 60. It is notable for its large medieval parish church of St Peter and St Felix which is a Grade I listed building. It was built in 1397, on the site of a Saxon church...
, Dalton and Gayles
Gayles
Gayles is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Gayles is also the surname of the smartest African-American individuals in Peoria, Illinois one of which is going to be a pioneering electrical engineer....
. Other local villages are Newsham, East Layton
East Layton
East Layton is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, close to the border with County Durham and a few miles west of Darlington....
, West Layton
West Layton
West Layton is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, close to the border with County Durham and a few miles west of Darlington....
, Gilling West
Gilling West
Gilling West is a large village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury....
and Hartforth
Hartforth
Hartforth is a small village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury.Families recorded in the 1861 and 1891 census's can be viewed here: http://www.whashton.net/...
. The village is situated in a mild valley on the Holme Beck, a minor tributary of the River Swale
River Swale
The River Swale is a river in Yorkshire, England and a major tributary of the River Ure, which itself becomes the River Ouse, emptying into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary....
in an area known as the Holme valley or Holmedale. Most of the land around the village is arable farmland, but animals such as horses and cows are reared as well. Sheep graze on the more rugged sides of the valley. Crops grown include wheat, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and oil seed rape. The village is situated close to the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. It is also only one hour from the North Yorkshire Moors and the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
national parks. Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and 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...
are only one hour's drive away, and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
is just over one hour away. The houses are generally built of sandstone and have distinctive "Yorkshire" roofs, a mix of soft red pantiles
Pantile (roof material)
A pantile is a type of fired roof tile, normally made from clay. It is S-shaped in appearance and is single lap, meaning that the end of the tile laps only the course immediately below...
and slate. Sandstone continues to be quarried on the outskirts of the village.
Demographics
Approximately 20 per cent of the village are of pensioner age, 20 per cent are under 18 and the remaining 60 per cent are of working age. The majority of villagers are commuters, with only around 20 people employed within the village itself, mostly in agriculture. Many people commute to the local market towns of RichmondRichmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
, Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
, Northallerton
Northallerton
Northallerton is an affluent market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It has a population of 15,741 according to the 2001 census...
and Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, but some travel further afield to the larger conurbations of Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
, Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. Property prices in the ward are higher than the average for England. There were no recorded crimes in the village in 2009–2010. The average weekly household income for the ward is £600, higher than the Yorkshire and the Humber average. The population is at the same level as it was in 1850.
Facilities
Ravensworth contains a 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...
primary school, a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, a Methodist chapel and a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. A Church of England church situated at Kirby Hill
Kirby Hill, Richmondshire
Kirby Hill is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of around 60. It is notable for its large medieval parish church of St Peter and St Felix which is a Grade I listed building. It was built in 1397, on the site of a Saxon church...
, a large garden centre
Garden centre
A garden centre is a retail firm that sells plants and products related to gardens as its primary business. It is open to the public, with facilities to care for and display plants.- UK :...
, a large farm shop
Farm shop
A Farm shop is a type of retail outlet which usually sells produce directly from a farm. Some farm shops also resell related goods such as locally produced groceries, foods, drinks and delicatessen products....
and gift shop, a 5 acre caravan park and a further three public houses are all within an approximately one mile radius. The "broad [and] pleasant" village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
is substantial, at 17 acres, and most of the one hundred or so dwellings in the village are situated around it. The green hosts the stone base of a 15th century obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
. As with many British villages, Ravensworth formerly had a Post Office, but it closed down some years ago. There is a village quoits
Quoits
Quoits is a traditional game which involves the throwing of metal, rope or rubber rings over a set distance, usually to land over or near a spike . The sport of quoits encompasses several distinct variations.-The history of quoits:The history of quoits is disputed...
club that operates during the summer, and the region is a real heartland for the game, with the world's oldest quoits club formed in nearby Darlington. There are regular community events held on the green and around the village during summer, such as the Scarecrow Trail and car boot sales, and other events held in the village hall. The area falls within the television reception area of ITV Tyne Tees. Newspaper media is covered by The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo is a leading daily regional morning newspaper, serving the North East of England. The paper is based in Priestgate, Darlington. Its covers national as well as regional news. It is one of the UK's most famous provincial newspaper titles....
and The Teesdale Mercury. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water is a water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company has its origins in the Yorkshire Water Authority, one of ten...
. The water is the area is classified as hard water
Hard water
Hard water is water that has high mineral content . Hard water has high concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one's health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling...
and derives from a spring/borehole
Borehole
A borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
source.
Ravensworth Nurseries
Ravensworth Nurseries, situated just outside the village, is one of Yorkshire'sYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
most successful horticultural businesses. Founded by Doug Bradbrook and William Hannah in 1966, by 2006 it had a £1.8 million annual turnover and employed around 35 people. It supplies garden centres and retailers across the United Kingdom as well as its own on-site sales. It once held the world's largest hanging basket
Hanging basket
A hanging basket is a suspended container used for growing decorative plants. Typically they are hung from buildings, where garden space is at a premium, and from street furniture for environmental enhancement. They may also be suspended from free standing frames sometimes called hanging basket trees...
.
"The Squire of Ravensworth"
Ian BothamIan Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
, the former England cricketer and current Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
commentator lives in the village. Local and national media refer to him as "The Squire of Ravensworth". His son Liam Botham
Liam Botham
Liam James Botham is a former rugby player who played rugby union and later rugby league. He is the son of English Test cricketer Ian Botham. His godfather is the former West Indian cricket captain Viv Richards....
also lives in the village.