Kettlewell
Encyclopedia
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
. Kettlewell nestles at the feet of Great Whernside
, and Buckden Pike
, where Park Gill Beck joins the River Wharfe
, and set to the east of the Wharfe. Both river and beck are joined by attractive stone bridges there.
It is believed that the name Kettlewell is Anglo Saxon and comes from Chetelewelle which means a bubbling spring or stream. Signs of their farming methods can still be seen in terraced fields to the south of the village.
In the 13th century a market was established in Kettlewell, which became a thriving community. Textiles (and, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, lead
mining) revitalised the village and Kettlewell's appearance today derives much from its past 200 years. The remains of the smelting-mill, used from 1700 to 1880, can be seen near the meeting of the rivers Cam and Dowber Becks half a mile above the village.
The B6160 crosses the River Wharfe into Kettlewell by a stone bridge. Three inns - the Racehorses, the Blue Bell and the King's Head - testify to the village's popularity with visitors, as do its numerous guesthouses, holiday cottages, Youth Hostel (which also houses the village post office) and Village Store.
There are good examples of both 17th and 18th century houses in Kettlewell, including the vicarage. The church, however, is late Victorian.
In August Kettlewell hosts an annual scarecrow
festival where a variety of scarecrows, dressed up as different characters are placed around the village.
Scargill House
Christian conference centre is less than a mile from the centre of Kettlewell village.
Kettlewell was the location used to represent the village of Knapely in the 2003 film Calendar Girls
. A "Calendar Girls Trail" brochure is available for a nominal fee at local shops and public houses, and gives information about local landmarks and buildings used in many of the scenes.
The village is part of the Kettlewell with Starbotton
parish in the Craven
district of North Yorkshire
.
Official Website
http://www.kettlewellvillage.co.uk
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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...
, 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...
. It lies between the villages of Grassington
Grassington
Grassington is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England.The town is situated in Wharfedale around from Bolton Abbey and is surrounded by limestone scenery...
, 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 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....
to the south, 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...
to the north west, the hamlet of Horsehouse
Horsehouse
Horsehouse is a village in the Coverdale region of the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The River Cover runs near the village. Although the village is extremely small and remote, it is home to St. Botolph's Church, which is a beautifully maintained gem of a building with a vibrant...
to the north east, and later on Coverdale
Coverdale (dale)
Coverdale is a dale in the far east of the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It gets its name from the River Cover and the small settlement of Coverham, which is situated on its Northern edge...
. Kettlewell nestles at the feet of Great Whernside
Great Whernside
Great Whernside is a mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, England, not to be confused with the better known Whernside, some to the west. Its summit is the highest point of the eastern flank of Wharfedale above Kettlewell...
, and Buckden Pike
Buckden Pike
Buckden Pike is a mountain at the head of Wharfedale, a valley in the Yorkshire Dales, that stands above the village of Buckden. At , it narrowly misses out on being the highest peak in the area, the title instead going to nearby Great Whernside...
, where Park Gill Beck joins 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...
, and set to the east of the Wharfe. Both river and beck are joined by attractive stone bridges there.
It is believed that the name Kettlewell is Anglo Saxon and comes from Chetelewelle which means a bubbling spring or stream. Signs of their farming methods can still be seen in terraced fields to the south of the village.
In the 13th century a market was established in Kettlewell, which became a thriving community. Textiles (and, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, 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) revitalised the village and Kettlewell's appearance today derives much from its past 200 years. The remains of the smelting-mill, used from 1700 to 1880, can be seen near the meeting of the rivers Cam and Dowber Becks half a mile above the village.
There are good examples of both 17th and 18th century houses in Kettlewell, including the vicarage. The church, however, is late Victorian.
In August Kettlewell hosts an annual scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
festival where a variety of scarecrows, dressed up as different characters are placed around the village.
Scargill House
Scargill house
Scargill House is a Christian Conference Centre run by the Scargill Movement and located in Wharfedale, in the county of North Yorkshire, England....
Christian conference centre is less than a mile from the centre of Kettlewell village.
Kettlewell was the location used to represent the village of Knapely in the 2003 film Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
. A "Calendar Girls Trail" brochure is available for a nominal fee at local shops and public houses, and gives information about local landmarks and buildings used in many of the scenes.
The village is part of the Kettlewell with Starbotton
Kettlewell with Starbotton
Kettlewell with Starbotton is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England.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...
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...
.
External links
- The ancient parish of Kettlewell, historical and genealogical information at GENUKIGENUKIGENUKI is a genealogy web portal, run as a charitable trust. Its aim is "to serve as a "virtual reference library" of genealogical information that is of particular relevance to the UK & Ireland"...
Official Website
http://www.kettlewellvillage.co.uk