Arncliffe, North Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Arncliffe is a small village and civil parish the largest of Littondale
's four settlements. Littondale is a small valley beside Upper Wharfedale
, 3 miles beyond Kilnsey
and its famous crag
. It is part of the Craven
district
of the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire
, England
but is in the historic
West Riding of Yorkshire
.
Situated on a gravel delta above the flood-plain of the River Skirfare
, Arncliffe's houses, cottages, and other buildings face in towards a large green, and outwards to green hillsides etched with limestone scars. A barn to the north of the green is a good example of the local style, with an unusual entrance, and a datestone of 1677.
Behind the village buildings are several small crofts, nearly one to each house, and beyond these, limestone walls climb the surrounding hills separating higher fields. St Oswald's church lies close to the river a little North of the village, and the road up the dale crosses the river past Bridge End where Charles Kingsley stayed, and Old Cotes, built in 1650, whose gabled porch has a 3-light window somewhat characteristic of late 17th-century houses in this area of the dales. A narrow, winding road climbs steeply southwards from the village, across the fells towards Malham
. Paths also go towards Kettlewell
and Starbotton
.
Arncliffe was the original setting for the fictional village of Beckindale in the ITV
soap opera
Emmerdale Farm
, from its inception in 1972 until the relocation to Esholt
.
In the 7 Up documentary series, Nick Hitchon was shown growing up on a farm in Arncliffe and being educated in a one-room school. Nick went on to become an engineering professor.
Littondale
Littondale is a dale in the Craven district of the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. It comprises the main settlements of Hawkswick, Arncliffe, Litton, Foxup and Halton Gill, and farmhouses that date from the 17th century...
's four settlements. Littondale is a small valley beside 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...
, 3 miles beyond 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....
and its famous crag
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
. It is part of 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
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
of the non-metropolitan county 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...
but is in the historic
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
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...
.
River Skirfare
River Skirfare is a small river that flows through Littondale and ends where it joins the larger River Wharfe. The sourceis the confluence of Foxup Beck and Cosh Beck at the hamlet of Foxup.-Course:...
, Arncliffe's houses, cottages, and other buildings face in towards a large green, and outwards to green hillsides etched with limestone scars. A barn to the north of the green is a good example of the local style, with an unusual entrance, and a datestone of 1677.
Behind the village buildings are several small crofts, nearly one to each house, and beyond these, limestone walls climb the surrounding hills separating higher fields. St Oswald's church lies close to the river a little North of the village, and the road up the dale crosses the river past Bridge End where Charles Kingsley stayed, and Old Cotes, built in 1650, whose gabled porch has a 3-light window somewhat characteristic of late 17th-century houses in this area of the dales. A narrow, winding road climbs steeply southwards from the village, across the fells towards Malham
Malham
Malham is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Situated in the Yorkshire Dales with a population of approximately 150. The surrounding countryside is well known for its limestone pavements and other examples of limestone scenery...
. Paths also go towards Kettlewell
Kettlewell
Kettlewell is a village in Upper Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies between the villages of Grassington, Kilnsey and Conistone to the south, Starbotton to the north west, the hamlet of Horsehouse to the north east, and later on Coverdale...
and Starbotton
Starbotton
Starbotton is a hamlet and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, by the River Wharfe in Wharfedale. The resident population is only around 75 with many of the village houses being used as holiday accommodation...
.
Arncliffe was the original setting for the fictional village of Beckindale in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Emmerdale Farm
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, from its inception in 1972 until the relocation to Esholt
Esholt
Esholt is a village between Shipley and Guiseley, in the metropolitan district of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.- Derivation of name :The name "Esholt" indicates that the village was first established in a heavily wooded area of ash trees....
.
In the 7 Up documentary series, Nick Hitchon was shown growing up on a farm in Arncliffe and being educated in a one-room school. Nick went on to become an engineering professor.