Stutton, North Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Stutton is a small village in the Selby
district of North Yorkshire
, England
, a mile southwest of Tadcaster
.
It lies in the valley of the Cock Beck
which discharges into the River Wharfe
one mile to the east of the village. It is in the parliamentary constituency of Selby
, the civil parish of Stutton-cum-Hazlewood and ecclesiastical parish of Tadcaster
.
It has an ancient history, likely founded by a Viking
settler named Stuft in the late 800s. By the time of William the Conqueror’s Domesday survey in 1086 it had a mill, meadow and woodland along with a number of villagers. It remained a small hamlet until major residential development occurred in the 1960s and 70s.
From Norman times until 1907/8 a substantial part of the village was owned by the Vavasour
family of Hazlewood Castle
as part of the Stutton-cum-Hazlewood estate. The castle is now a prestigious hotel.
The district close to the village is famous for the milk white magnesium limestone
quarried since Roman
times and used in the construction of York Minster
and much local property. The most famous quarry “Jack Daw” is located ½ mile to the west.
Traditionally villagers would make a living working in agriculture on the productive soils which overlie the limestone
. The marshy area in the village close to the Cock Beck contained many willow groves and willow harvesting, drying and stripping was a cottage industry until the 1930s. The long straight willow stems were used for basket making.
A railway line was authorised by Act of Parliament between Church Fenton
and Harrogate
in July 1845 to the Yorks and North Midland Railway Company, later becoming the North Eastern Railway
. The route of the line passed through Stutton and a station and goods yard was built. Construction took place between 1845 and 1847 with the line opening from Church Fenton
to Spofforth including Stutton on 10 August 1847 and Harrogate
on 20 July 1848.
The station building is Tudor style, two stored, brick with sandstone edging. It was designed by the famous railway architect George Townsend Andrews (1805–1855). Andrews was a close associate of George Hudson
the York railway ‘King’ who was a one-time sheriff of York but later disgraced due to fraudulent business practices. Andrews designed many high-quality stations in the north-east and favoured classical and Gothic styles.
Passenger traffic at Stutton was never commercially successful due to the small size of the village and proximity to Tadcaster
Station. Some effort was made post 1847 in the village to stimulate development and roads were moved and building sized plots laid out but most were not taken. The station closed to passenger traffic on 30 June 1905, although occasional holiday charters continued to call at the Station until the 1960s.
Railway staff continued to occupy the building to work the adjacent level crossing over the road Weeding Gate and the signal box built of wood at the northern end of the property. The signal box was demolished in the late 1960s.
The civil Parish Council of Stutton-cum-Hazlewood met in the waiting room of the building from the 22 May 1908 (and likely before) until 4 February 1960 when it transferred to the then new Stutton Village Hall. The building was also used as the local polling station.
On 4 January 1964 the whole line was closed to passenger traffic and on 2 April 1966 closed to goods traffic and the track lifted as part of the Beeching
era railway closures.
In 1970 the British Railways board put the Station building up for sale and, after some time, it was sold and sympathetically converted into a private house.
In 1900 the village had a water mill, railway station and goods yard, blacksmiths workshop, large purpose built malting building, two shops, C of E mission church, a public house and a collection of ancient limestone built houses.
Today, the village has a public house the Hare and Hounds, owned by Samuel Smith Brewery
, about 70 houses, mostly modern, but with at least 1 dating back to 1697 (Manor House farm), a small village hall, and the C of E Church St. Aidans, but few other services are available locally.
Just southwest of Stutton is Wingate Hill, the site of the Saxon court for the West Riding. (Stutton was historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire
.)
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....
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
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...
, a mile southwest of 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...
.
Cock Beck
Cock Beck is a stream in the outlying areas of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from its source due to a runoff north-west of Whinmoor, skirting east of Swarcliffe and Manston , past Pendas Fields, Scholes, Barwick-in-Elmet, Aberford, Towton, Stutton, and Tadcaster, where it flows...
which discharges into the River Wharfe
River Wharfe
The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England. For much of its length it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. The name Wharfe is Celtic and means "twisting, winding".The valley of the River Wharfe is known as Wharfedale...
one mile to the east of the village. It is in the parliamentary constituency of Selby
Selby (UK Parliament constituency)
Selby was a parliamentary constituency in North Yorkshire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, the civil parish of Stutton-cum-Hazlewood and ecclesiastical parish of 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...
.
It has an ancient history, likely founded by a 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...
settler named Stuft in the late 800s. By the time of William the Conqueror’s Domesday survey in 1086 it had a mill, meadow and woodland along with a number of villagers. It remained a small hamlet until major residential development occurred in the 1960s and 70s.
From Norman times until 1907/8 a substantial part of the village was owned by the Vavasour
Vavasour (family)
The Vavasour family are an English Catholic family whose history dates back to Norman times. They are featured on the Battle Abbey Roll and lived at Hazlewood Castle from the time of the Domesday Book until 1908....
family of Hazlewood Castle
Hazlewood Castle
Hazlewood Castle is a country residence situated in North Yorkshire, England by the A1 and A64 between Aberford and Tadcaster.The first records of the house are to be found in the Domesday Book...
as part of the Stutton-cum-Hazlewood estate. The castle is now a prestigious hotel.
The district close to the village is famous for the milk white magnesium 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....
quarried since Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times and used in the construction of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
and much local property. The most famous quarry “Jack Daw” is located ½ mile to the west.
Traditionally villagers would make a living working in agriculture on the productive soils which overlie the 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....
. The marshy area in the village close to the Cock Beck contained many willow groves and willow harvesting, drying and stripping was a cottage industry until the 1930s. The long straight willow stems were used for basket making.
A railway line was authorised by Act of Parliament between Church Fenton
Church Fenton
Church Fenton is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is home to many commuters and is served by a railway station; Church Fenton railway station. Neighbouring villages include Cawood and Ulleskelf. It is about from Tadcaster and from...
and Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
in July 1845 to the Yorks and North Midland Railway Company, later becoming the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. The route of the line passed through Stutton and a station and goods yard was built. Construction took place between 1845 and 1847 with the line opening from Church Fenton
Church Fenton
Church Fenton is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is home to many commuters and is served by a railway station; Church Fenton railway station. Neighbouring villages include Cawood and Ulleskelf. It is about from Tadcaster and from...
to Spofforth including Stutton on 10 August 1847 and Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
on 20 July 1848.
The station building is Tudor style, two stored, brick with sandstone edging. It was designed by the famous railway architect George Townsend Andrews (1805–1855). Andrews was a close associate of George Hudson
George Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
the York railway ‘King’ who was a one-time sheriff of York but later disgraced due to fraudulent business practices. Andrews designed many high-quality stations in the north-east and favoured classical and Gothic styles.
Passenger traffic at Stutton was never commercially successful due to the small size of the village and proximity 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...
Station. Some effort was made post 1847 in the village to stimulate development and roads were moved and building sized plots laid out but most were not taken. The station closed to passenger traffic on 30 June 1905, although occasional holiday charters continued to call at the Station until the 1960s.
Railway staff continued to occupy the building to work the adjacent level crossing over the road Weeding Gate and the signal box built of wood at the northern end of the property. The signal box was demolished in the late 1960s.
The civil Parish Council of Stutton-cum-Hazlewood met in the waiting room of the building from the 22 May 1908 (and likely before) until 4 February 1960 when it transferred to the then new Stutton Village Hall. The building was also used as the local polling station.
On 4 January 1964 the whole line was closed to passenger traffic and on 2 April 1966 closed to goods traffic and the track lifted as part of the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
era railway closures.
In 1970 the British Railways board put the Station building up for sale and, after some time, it was sold and sympathetically converted into a private house.
In 1900 the village had a water mill, railway station and goods yard, blacksmiths workshop, large purpose built malting building, two shops, C of E mission church, a public house and a collection of ancient limestone built houses.
Today, the village has a public house the Hare and Hounds, owned by Samuel Smith Brewery
Samuel Smith Brewery
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, popularly known as Samuel Smith's or Sam Smith's, is an independent brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It is Yorkshire's oldest brewery, founded in 1758.-History:...
, about 70 houses, mostly modern, but with at least 1 dating back to 1697 (Manor House farm), a small village hall, and the C of E Church St. Aidans, but few other services are available locally.
Just southwest of Stutton is Wingate Hill, the site of the Saxon court for the West Riding. (Stutton was historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
.)