Hellifield
Encyclopedia
Hellifield is a village and civil parish
in the Craven
district of North Yorkshire
, England
. The village once was an important railway junction on the Settle-Carlisle Railway
between the Midland Railway
and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
, but Hellifield railway station
is now a shadow of its former glory. It is situated on the A65
, between Skipton
and Settle
. Hellifield currently has a population of 1,060 residents.
, Hellifield is mentioned as Helgeflet; meaning 'Holy Marsh or Stream', translated from Saxon
, the village also could have been dedicated to the Saxon Goddess 'Hel
'. There is also the possibility that the name derives from the Norse 'The Farm of Helgi'. The village name changed over the years; in the 12th century, Hellifield was referred to as "Nether Hellifield" and in the 17th and 18th centuries the village was named "Hellifield Pele" and slightly later "Hellifield Cochins". The modern spelling of Hellifield appears in the mid-19th century, on maps and drawings.
In medieval times it seems that the area between Hellifield and Long Preston
was hunted by wolves, so men were employed to guide travellers between the two settlements. Livestock suffered until the extinction of the grey wolf.
In the mid 19th century, the village was nothing more than a hamlet. The local workforce mainly concentrated within agriculture and associated trades.
Cotton weaving did take place in the village and several weaving sheds were constructed in the area.
During the 19th century, the railway revolution reached the village, which dramatically changed the growth and population changes of the small hamlet. The original railway station was located on Haw Lane, but in 1880 a new station replaced the old one. This coincided with the opening of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Company's new line from Blackburn to Hellifield. This line and the Midland Railway's Settle
to Carlisle
Railway (opened 1876), turned Hellifield into a major passenger and freight interchange. Consequently many houses and streets were built in the early 20th century to house a large railway population.
Regular passenger services to Blackburn were cut in 1962, and the Motive Power Depot closed in 1963. New houses were constructed on top of previous railway land and the auction mart.
The Hellifield Flashes are part of the village life and history. Flash is Yorkshire dialect for a pond in a field! There are three flashes. The largest being Hellifield Flash or Gallaber Pond, the second, Dunbars and the smallest is known as either Little Dunbars or Dunbars 2! The Hellifield Flashes provide habitat for wild fowl and migratory birds. This important area provides a sanctuary for 12 species on the RSPB "red list'. Where once wolves roam, now a wildlife habitat reigns. However, the land is under threat from development and villagers desperate to preserve their countryside are fighting hard to prevent any further development. The birdlife is monitored regularly by the RSPB and features high on the 'must visit' list of ornithologists.
Hellifield nestles on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is surrounded by rolling hills, dry stone walls and agricultural land.
Currently there are plans for further housing on greenfield sites
around the village, which will see a large increase in the village population. Currently 200 houses are being built on the old auction mart site.
Hellifield is infamous among people from other villages for its over-the-top Christmas decorations that villagers adorn their houses with over the festive period.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
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
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...
. The village once was an important railway junction on the Settle-Carlisle Railway
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
between the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, but Hellifield railway station
Hellifield railway station
Hellifield railway station serves the village of Hellifield in North Yorkshire, England.The station is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line towards Carlisle and Morecambe. The Ribble Valley Line from Blackburn also meets the Leeds to Morecambe Line at Hellifield which is managed by...
is now a shadow of its former glory. It is situated on the A65
A65 road
The A65 is a major road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Ilkley and Skipton, passes west of Settle, then continues through Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale before terminating at Kendal in Cumbria....
, between Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
and Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
. Hellifield currently has a population of 1,060 residents.
History and information
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...
, Hellifield is mentioned as Helgeflet; meaning 'Holy Marsh or Stream', translated from Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
, the village also could have been dedicated to the Saxon Goddess 'Hel
Hel
Hel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...
'. There is also the possibility that the name derives from the Norse 'The Farm of Helgi'. The village name changed over the years; in the 12th century, Hellifield was referred to as "Nether Hellifield" and in the 17th and 18th centuries the village was named "Hellifield Pele" and slightly later "Hellifield Cochins". The modern spelling of Hellifield appears in the mid-19th century, on maps and drawings.
In medieval times it seems that the area between Hellifield and Long Preston
Long Preston
Long Preston is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England, in the Yorkshire Dales. It lies along the A65 road, and is 12 miles from the larger town of Skipton and four miles from the town of Settle...
was hunted by wolves, so men were employed to guide travellers between the two settlements. Livestock suffered until the extinction of the grey wolf.
In the mid 19th century, the village was nothing more than a hamlet. The local workforce mainly concentrated within agriculture and associated trades.
Cotton weaving did take place in the village and several weaving sheds were constructed in the area.
During the 19th century, the railway revolution reached the village, which dramatically changed the growth and population changes of the small hamlet. The original railway station was located on Haw Lane, but in 1880 a new station replaced the old one. This coincided with the opening of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
Company's new line from Blackburn to Hellifield. This line and the Midland Railway's Settle
Settle
Settle is a small market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is served by the Settle railway station, which is located near the town centre, and Giggleswick railway station which is a mile away. It is from Leeds Bradford Airport...
to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
Railway (opened 1876), turned Hellifield into a major passenger and freight interchange. Consequently many houses and streets were built in the early 20th century to house a large railway population.
Regular passenger services to Blackburn were cut in 1962, and the Motive Power Depot closed in 1963. New houses were constructed on top of previous railway land and the auction mart.
The Hellifield Flashes are part of the village life and history. Flash is Yorkshire dialect for a pond in a field! There are three flashes. The largest being Hellifield Flash or Gallaber Pond, the second, Dunbars and the smallest is known as either Little Dunbars or Dunbars 2! The Hellifield Flashes provide habitat for wild fowl and migratory birds. This important area provides a sanctuary for 12 species on the RSPB "red list'. Where once wolves roam, now a wildlife habitat reigns. However, the land is under threat from development and villagers desperate to preserve their countryside are fighting hard to prevent any further development. The birdlife is monitored regularly by the RSPB and features high on the 'must visit' list of ornithologists.
Hellifield nestles on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is surrounded by rolling hills, dry stone walls and agricultural land.
Currently there are plans for further housing on greenfield sites
Greenfield land
Greenfield land is a term used to describe undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture, landscape design, or left to naturally evolve...
around the village, which will see a large increase in the village population. Currently 200 houses are being built on the old auction mart site.
Hellifield is infamous among people from other villages for its over-the-top Christmas decorations that villagers adorn their houses with over the festive period.