Lealholm
Encyclopedia
Lealholm, sometimes known as Lealholm Bridge, is a small village in the Glaisdale
civil parish
of the Borough of Scarborough
, in North Yorkshire
, England
. It is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale
which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is 9.5 miles (15.3 km) by road from the nearest town of Whitby, and approximately 27 miles (43.5 km) from both Middlesbrough
and Scarborough. The village is typical of those found all across the North York Moors which straddle the main through-routes along the valley bottoms. It is mostly built of local stone with pantiled or slate roofs.
Settlement around modern-day Lealholm can be traced back to the Domesday Book
of 1086, with entries concerning the Manor of Crumbeclive and "Lelum" at the site of Lealholm Hall, Lealholmside. Lealholmside is a hamlet
by Lealholm, and was a popular location with the photographer Francis Meadow Sutcliffe
.
A honeypot
during the summer months, Lealholm is located midway along the Esk valley between the villages of Glaisdale
, to the east and Danby
to the west. Lealholm is on the route of the Esk valley railway line
, which runs from Whitby to Middlesbrough, and is served by Lealholm railway station
. A large part of the community is involved in farming due to the high fertility of the slopes in Eskdale, whilst other members of the community are involved in tourism or commute to industrial centres such as Middlesbrough. This led to the economy of the area being hard hit by the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
.
Lealhom was a place of affection for Irish
-born poet John Castillo
, who wrote
"Ah lovely Lealholm! Where shall I begin. To say what thou art now and once hast been?".
The etymology
of the Lealholm name is uncertain but "lǣl" was the word for a willow twig or withy in the Old English language
and holm was a settlement, thus the settlement by or near the willow trees.
At the time of the Domesday survey, the site of the current village was heavily wooded, but with five charcoal-hungry iron smelting furnaces operating at the manor by 1274 A.D, the valley floor was cleared quickly of trees enabling drainage, cultivation and settlement of the land. Fulling
mills, hostelries and other traders set up bases around this river crossing and thereby formed the nucleus of today's village centre. Until the middle of the 19th century Lealholm was the main centre of the parish of Glaisdale
and many of the parish offices and functions were administered from here. Lealholm was home to at least one mill for centuries, and the earliest records show a water mill
located within the village in 1336 belonging to the Lord of the Manor, William le Latimer, 3rd Baron of Danby
. As the mill was fed by the small Cow Beck, water could have been in short supply during dry summer months, and by 1709 it was demolished. A Quaker
, Thomas Whatson, built a new mill on the old site, constructing a long mill-race
from Crunkly Ghyll through the village to join Cow Beck. The mill-race now forms the boundary of the cricket pitch surrounding it on most sides as it passes the mill. The mill owners had the authority to clean and remove any woodland, earth or rubbish within 40 yards (36.6 m) of the mill-race. Also, "all persons that shall grind corn and grain at the mill" had the right "to sieve and sift on two parcels of ground called Adam Rigg and Ellergates". Thus, the outcrop of hillside rising towards the station became known as Oatmeal
Hill. When the semi-detached houses at 3 and 4 Railway Cottages were purchased 1970, they were combined and the building became known as "Oatmill Cottage". The village also had a paper mill
, which employed up to 20 people in its heyday. The site is now a garden centre, known as "Poet's Cottage" after John Castillo
, who lived in a cottage on the site, now demolished. In more recent times, a mill, owned by the Nelson family, was used as the village hall, and became known as Nelson Hall. In the late 1980s it was sold and converted into a house.
The way of life in the village changed little over the centuries as the farming was always the mixed inbyland and open moors system. Village craftsmen such as blacksmith
s and joiner
s provided for the needs of their own farming community and combined their specialist skills with subsistence farming. An 1823 trade directory lists 17 farmers, four shoemakers, three corn millers, two blacksmiths, two butchers, two victuallers (one also a tallow chandler), a tailor, a wheelwright, and a "blue, brown, and shop paper manufacturer" in Lealholm.The Industrial Revolution absorbed some of the local population as the nearby boom town of Middlesbrough expanded its iron and steel industry but essentially, in this remote area, the farming economy survived until after World War II
and the mechanisation of agriculture.
Despite Queen Elizabeth I's Penal laws, Catholicism flourished across many parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the 1600s, thanks to the support of local gentry and priests such as Fr. Nicholas Postgate
. Today, Catholic churches are sited at both Lealholm and Egton Bridge
along the Esk Valley.
On Friday 27 April 1979, an USAF Phantom
aircraft from Alconbury
was performing low level tactical reconnaissance over the North York Moors when the engine stalled. The aircraft banked left, striking the ground to the west of Lealholmside before cartwheeling in a fireball across fields for almost half a mile below the houses. Pilot Major Donald Lee Schuyler and Navigator Lt Thomas Wheeler were killed in the crash. It is believed that the crew carefully guided the stricken craft away from the village where the local primary school was full of children, who began classes just half an hour before the accident. A memorial stone, erected by villagers, stands on the site of the crash alongside the road between Lealholm and Lealholmside.
Parish Council, where Lealholm ward
elects three of the seven councillors, the others representing Glaisdale ward. Unusually, the two wards are represented separately at the next tier of government, the borough (non-metropolitan district).
Lealholm is in the non-metropolitan district
of Scarborough
, within which it is in the Danby
ward, represented as of May 2008 by one Conservative councillor. It is in North Yorkshire
non-metropolitan county, within which it is in the Esk Valley electoral district, represented as of May 2008 by one Conservative
councillor.
Lealholm is in the Scarborough and Whitby parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Conservative Robert Goodwill
, who won the seat from Labour
in 2005
. It is in the European constituency of Yorkshire and the Humber
, represented since 2004 by two Labour, two Conservative, one Liberal Democrat
and one UKIP
MEP
s.
The main village of Lealholm is situated at the bottom of Crunkly Ghyll (sometimes spelled "Crunkley" and "Gill"), a deep cutting where the river emerges into the flat bottom of a glacial U-shaped valley. This was crucial to its development as a settlement, becoming an important crossing point over the River Esk where the valley flattens out, becoming shallow at end of a sharp bend in the river before slowing to a deeper meandering course further downstream. The remains of the fording point are still visible next to the arched bridge used today, which dates back to the 17th Century. Three roads lead from the centre of the village, one follows the river up the valley towards Danby
; the second heads north past the hamlet of Lealholmside and across the moors towards Whitby; and the third leads south, towards Fryup
and Rosedale
.
Typical of the area are the medieval cruck
-built longhouses of Lealholm. These were constructed as single storey combined dwelling and beast houses and made of the local Jurassic
limestone
. Originally they had ling
thatched roofs, but they were mostly re-roofed in the 19th century with slate or pantiles.
Despite having less than 50 houses within the boundaries of the main settlement, Lealholm has a selection of amenities, including a village shop, post office, petrol station and farm goods store. It also has the Forge Art Gallery (formerly a pottery), an Infant and Primary school, the Shepherd's Hall cafe, a cricket and football pitch, and three churches. A village green
, where the local team play quoits
, sits alongside the river. The Ley Hall is the venue for public gatherings. It is used for the local playgroup, young farmers
, the parish council and the WI among others. The Board Inn public house - a former coaching inn. - dates from the 18th century, and as the only public house in the village and it is a popular venue and regularly holds domino drives.
Lealholm is in the Anglican parish of Glaisdale
, within the deanery
of Whitby
, the Archdeaconry of Cleveland
, and the Diocese of York
. There are three churches located within the main settlement, the Roman Catholic church of "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", the Church of England
church of St James the Greater, and a Methodist Chapel. Close to the chapel, between the River Esk and the mill race stands a Quaker Friends Burial Ground, donated by Thomas Whatson.
Due to its proximity to the river Esk and its tributaries, flooding has long been a problem for some of the lower lying houses in the village. Marks carved into the side wall of the Methodist chapel show the heights of floods in the past. At the lowest level, the floods in November 2000 stand just short of the floods in July 1840. However, these were low compared to major flooding on 23 July 1930 when the Methodist chapel stood more than a metre under water, even though the chapel itself stands approximately 7 feet (2.1 m) above the normal water level of the river. This same flood caused the collapse of bridges over the river at Glaisdale
, Egton
and Sleights
, further down the valley.
, who took many pictures in the area, although few of the village itself are in publication. It is here that the site of Lelum was located, at or near the present site of Lealholm Hall and home to the de Lelum family in 1274.
of Glaisdale
(including settlements of Glaisdale, Houlsyke
, Lealholm and Street) was 974 living in 404 households in the UK 2001 Census
.
Of this number, 73% live in the 1% of the area which is classified as "urban", while 27% of the population lives in the 99% "rural" area.
Lealholm remained a traditional, labour intensive, mixed farming community until the 1970s. In the second half of twentieth century increasing mechanization of farming operations led to a rapid decline of employment opportunities in agriculture in the surrounding area. However, the rise in the ownership of cars brought tourism
into the North York Moors
area and the village is a tourist honeypot
in the summer months. Employment in tourism has risen rapidly and the village now has guest houses, holiday cottages, bed and breakfast
accommodation and catering establishments providing jobs and income along with services and retailers. Lealholm had a typical NER
goods shed and coal yard close to the railway station, which became a factory base when the company Lightspeed panels were setup in 1972. They produced the Magenta kit car, a fiberglass body kit based on a Mini chassis. Today the site is a car repair garage.
and sea trout being caught in abundance.
Lealholm Village Show and sports day is held by the Lealholm Farm Produce and Horticultural Society on the first Saturday in September. The show, known as the Lealholm Agricultural Show, takes place on the village sports field, usually reserved for cricket during the summer months, and football during winter. It held its 87th show in 2007. There was no show in 1970, and in 2001 the organisers decided it would be inappropriate to hold the show due to the Foot and mouth outbreak. In 2008, the show was cancelled for the first time in its history. Due to bad weather, the cricket pitch became waterlogged after weeks of heavy rain and a torrential downpour in the days leading up to the show.
The show has over 200 exhibitions of crafts, wine making, fruit, vegetables and farm produce for competition including categories for children. Children's sports and a fancy dress parade are held on the cricket pitch and are always well supported, although there usually has to be a lot of persuasion for entries into the adult's "Twice round the field" competition.
Side stalls include "Bowl for a Goose", where competitors attempt to bowl five balls through holes in a frame at the end of a short but bumpy pitch. The winner can take home a live goose, have it delivered for Christmas or receive a cash prize.
In the past few years the village show has been expanded to feature displays of steam engine
s, fire safety and brass band
performances, demonstrations by St John Ambulance and a bouncy castle. Entries to the show's various competitions are made during the morning ready for judging prior to the show opening to the public in the afternoon. A Domino Drive in aid of show funds is usually held the Thursday evening following the village show at the Board Inn public house
in the village.
The biggest event of the afternoon is the Grand Duck Race on the River Esk,
where 1000 numbered plastic ducks are launched along the river towards a finishing point some 250 yards (228.6 m) downstream. The six fastest ducks are then picked out at the finishing line to win cash prizes. The ducks are launched from the top of the village bridge.
The Whitby Gazette
, published on a Tuesday and Friday, as well as the Middlesbrough
& Teesside
based daily - The Evening Gazette
. Despite being located in North Yorkshire, Lealholm's location at the bottom of the valley prevents BBC Local Radio
transmissions broadcast by Radio York
, which serves the rest of the region, being received. Instead, local radio broadcast service is relayed on BBC Tees from Bilsdale to the southwest. Due to the same geographic restrictions, regional terrestrial television
is provided by Tyne Tees Television
and BBC North East and Cumbria
from Newcastle upon Tyne
. Digital radio
stations and digital television
channels are also broadcast from Bilsdale but reception is often difficult also due to the village's geography. Reception of television for most houses in the bottom of the valley comes from the Limber Hill relay transmitter, between Egton
and Glaisdale
further down the valley.
Independent Local Radio
is provided from Bilsdale by TFM
, Galaxy North East and Century Radio
. Yorkshire Coast Radio
is also available locally; broadcast from Scarborough via the Whitby
transmitter.
.
(1792 - 1845), poet and lay preacher, often referred to as "The Bard of the Dales", lived in Lealholm on the site now known as "Poets Corner", which today operates as a plant nursery.
John Davidson (1889 - 1988), "The Chronicler of Lealholm", chronicled the history of the village in books and correspondence in the Whitby Gazette
. He was a shipbroker originally from Stockton-on-Tees, who held a great deal of affection for the village and carried out much research on the area. His published books include The Manor, Lordship and Castle of Danby and Chronicles of Lealholm & Glaisdale. The books are out of print, but his painstaking research has been much copied and there are various publications in print today covering the history of the village.
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
civil parish
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...
of the Borough of Scarborough
Scarborough (borough)
Scarborough is a non-metropolitan district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. In addition to the town of Scarborough, it covers a large stretch of the coast of Yorkshire, including Whitby and Filey....
, in 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 is sited at a crossing point of the River Esk, in Eskdale
Eskdale, North Yorkshire
Eskdale is a valley running west to east from Westerdale on the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby on the east coast of England.Formed during the last major ice age, it has a classic U-shaped valley formation caused by the action of glaciers carving away the rock.Eskdale carries the River Esk from the...
which is within the North York Moors National Park. It is 9.5 miles (15.3 km) by road from the nearest town of Whitby, and approximately 27 miles (43.5 km) from both Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and Scarborough. The village is typical of those found all across the North York Moors which straddle the main through-routes along the valley bottoms. It is mostly built of local stone with pantiled or slate roofs.
Settlement around modern-day Lealholm can be traced back to the Domesday Book
Domesday 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, with entries concerning the Manor of Crumbeclive and "Lelum" at the site of Lealholm Hall, Lealholmside. Lealholmside is a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
by Lealholm, and was a popular location with the photographer Francis Meadow Sutcliffe
Francis Meadow Sutcliffe
Francis Meadow Sutcliffe was an English pioneering photographic artist whose work presented an enduring record of life in the seaside town of Whitby, England, and surrounding areas, in the late Victorian era and early 20th century.-Early life:He was born in Headingley, Leeds, to the painter...
.
A honeypot
Honeypot (geography)
In geography, a honeypot is a particularly popular visitor attraction which attracts tourists in large numbers. The term 'honeypot' originates from bees buzzing around a hive.-Tourism planning:...
during the summer months, Lealholm is located midway along the Esk valley between the villages of Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
, to the east and Danby
Danby, North Yorkshire
Danby is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Danby parish had a population of 1,515. Karl Pearson spent a lot of time there....
to the west. Lealholm is on the route of the Esk valley railway line
Esk Valley Line
The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half....
, which runs from Whitby to Middlesbrough, and is served by Lealholm railway station
Lealholm railway station
Lealholm railway station serves the village of Lealholm along with Lealholmside, Fryupdale and Houlsyke in North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Esk Valley Line and is operated by Northern Rail who provide all of the station's passenger services...
. A large part of the community is involved in farming due to the high fertility of the slopes in Eskdale, whilst other members of the community are involved in tourism or commute to industrial centres such as Middlesbrough. This led to the economy of the area being hard hit by the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...
.
Lealhom was a place of affection for Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born poet John Castillo
John Castillo
John Castillo , often referred to as the "Bard of the Dales", from his first published book - "The Bard of the Dales - Poems by John Castillo" was a poet who lived for much of his life in the village of Lealholm...
, who wrote
"Ah lovely Lealholm! Where shall I begin. To say what thou art now and once hast been?".
History
The origins of this community stretch back to a period when farming and the movement of stock was almost exclusively the main source of activity. Lealholm was a convenient place for travellers to cross the River Esk. People set up residence here in the hope and expectation of earning a living from such travellers.The etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the Lealholm name is uncertain but "lǣl" was the word for a willow twig or withy in the Old English language
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
and holm was a settlement, thus the settlement by or near the willow trees.
At the time of the Domesday survey, the site of the current village was heavily wooded, but with five charcoal-hungry iron smelting furnaces operating at the manor by 1274 A.D, the valley floor was cleared quickly of trees enabling drainage, cultivation and settlement of the land. Fulling
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
mills, hostelries and other traders set up bases around this river crossing and thereby formed the nucleus of today's village centre. Until the middle of the 19th century Lealholm was the main centre of the parish of Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
and many of the parish offices and functions were administered from here. Lealholm was home to at least one mill for centuries, and the earliest records show a water mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
located within the village in 1336 belonging to the Lord of the Manor, William le Latimer, 3rd Baron of Danby
Danby, North Yorkshire
Danby is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Danby parish had a population of 1,515. Karl Pearson spent a lot of time there....
. As the mill was fed by the small Cow Beck, water could have been in short supply during dry summer months, and by 1709 it was demolished. A Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, Thomas Whatson, built a new mill on the old site, constructing a long mill-race
Mill race
A mill race, raceway or mill lade is the current or channel of a stream, especially one for conducting water to or from a water wheel or other device for utilizing its energy...
from Crunkly Ghyll through the village to join Cow Beck. The mill-race now forms the boundary of the cricket pitch surrounding it on most sides as it passes the mill. The mill owners had the authority to clean and remove any woodland, earth or rubbish within 40 yards (36.6 m) of the mill-race. Also, "all persons that shall grind corn and grain at the mill" had the right "to sieve and sift on two parcels of ground called Adam Rigg and Ellergates". Thus, the outcrop of hillside rising towards the station became known as Oatmeal
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is ground oat groats , or a porridge made from oats . Oatmeal can also be ground oat, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats....
Hill. When the semi-detached houses at 3 and 4 Railway Cottages were purchased 1970, they were combined and the building became known as "Oatmill Cottage". The village also had a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
, which employed up to 20 people in its heyday. The site is now a garden centre, known as "Poet's Cottage" after John Castillo
John Castillo
John Castillo , often referred to as the "Bard of the Dales", from his first published book - "The Bard of the Dales - Poems by John Castillo" was a poet who lived for much of his life in the village of Lealholm...
, who lived in a cottage on the site, now demolished. In more recent times, a mill, owned by the Nelson family, was used as the village hall, and became known as Nelson Hall. In the late 1980s it was sold and converted into a house.
The way of life in the village changed little over the centuries as the farming was always the mixed inbyland and open moors system. Village craftsmen such as blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
s and joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
s provided for the needs of their own farming community and combined their specialist skills with subsistence farming. An 1823 trade directory lists 17 farmers, four shoemakers, three corn millers, two blacksmiths, two butchers, two victuallers (one also a tallow chandler), a tailor, a wheelwright, and a "blue, brown, and shop paper manufacturer" in Lealholm.The Industrial Revolution absorbed some of the local population as the nearby boom town of Middlesbrough expanded its iron and steel industry but essentially, in this remote area, the farming economy survived until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the mechanisation of agriculture.
Despite Queen Elizabeth I's Penal laws, Catholicism flourished across many parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the 1600s, thanks to the support of local gentry and priests such as Fr. Nicholas Postgate
Nicholas Postgate
Blessed Nicholas Postgate was an English, Catholic priest. He is one of the 85 English Catholic Martyrs of England and Wales, beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II, in November 1987....
. Today, Catholic churches are sited at both Lealholm and Egton Bridge
Egton Bridge
Egton Bridge is a village in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Esk, between the villages of Glaisdale and Grosmont, about six miles south-west of Whitby, and on the route of the Esk Valley Walk....
along the Esk Valley.
On Friday 27 April 1979, an USAF Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
aircraft from Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
was performing low level tactical reconnaissance over the North York Moors when the engine stalled. The aircraft banked left, striking the ground to the west of Lealholmside before cartwheeling in a fireball across fields for almost half a mile below the houses. Pilot Major Donald Lee Schuyler and Navigator Lt Thomas Wheeler were killed in the crash. It is believed that the crew carefully guided the stricken craft away from the village where the local primary school was full of children, who began classes just half an hour before the accident. A memorial stone, erected by villagers, stands on the site of the crash alongside the road between Lealholm and Lealholmside.
Governance
Lealhom's first tier of local government is GlaisdaleGlaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
Parish Council, where Lealholm 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:...
elects three of the seven councillors, the others representing Glaisdale ward. Unusually, the two wards are represented separately at the next tier of government, the borough (non-metropolitan district).
Lealholm is in the non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Scarborough
Scarborough (borough)
Scarborough is a non-metropolitan district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. In addition to the town of Scarborough, it covers a large stretch of the coast of Yorkshire, including Whitby and Filey....
, within which it is in the Danby
Danby, North Yorkshire
Danby is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Danby parish had a population of 1,515. Karl Pearson spent a lot of time there....
ward, represented as of May 2008 by one Conservative councillor. It is in 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...
non-metropolitan county, within which it is in the Esk Valley electoral district, represented as of May 2008 by one Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillor.
Lealholm is in the Scarborough and Whitby parliamentary constituency, currently represented by Conservative Robert Goodwill
Robert Goodwill
Robert Goodwill is a British farmer and Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby and a former Member of the European Parliament .-Early life:...
, who won the seat from Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. It is in the European constituency of Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
, represented since 2004 by two Labour, two Conservative, one Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
and one UKIP
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
s.
Geography
At the head of the village stands the woodland and steep sided valley of Crunkly Ghyll, a ravine carved by the River Esk through the hillside where the river drops 100 feet (30.5 m) from the valley above to reach the village. It was formed during the last great ice age as a huge wall of ice moved across the landscape carving out what is now the Esk Valley as far as Lealholm. At its head it formed a massive dam blocking the flow of water from above and creating a lake running back up the valley to Commondale. As the ice melted, the river forced its way out carving the present-day ravine.The main village of Lealholm is situated at the bottom of Crunkly Ghyll (sometimes spelled "Crunkley" and "Gill"), a deep cutting where the river emerges into the flat bottom of a glacial U-shaped valley. This was crucial to its development as a settlement, becoming an important crossing point over the River Esk where the valley flattens out, becoming shallow at end of a sharp bend in the river before slowing to a deeper meandering course further downstream. The remains of the fording point are still visible next to the arched bridge used today, which dates back to the 17th Century. Three roads lead from the centre of the village, one follows the river up the valley towards Danby
Danby, North Yorkshire
Danby is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Danby parish had a population of 1,515. Karl Pearson spent a lot of time there....
; the second heads north past the hamlet of Lealholmside and across the moors towards Whitby; and the third leads south, towards Fryup
Fryup
Fryup is a hamlet in North Yorkshire in England. It is in the civil parish of Danby and is located alongside Great Fryup Beck in the Great Fryup Dale. It may be found at ....
and Rosedale
Rosedale, North Yorkshire
Rosedale is a valley located almost in the centre of the North York Moors national park in North Yorkshire, England. The nearest town is Pickering located some 10 miles to the south. Rosedale is surrounded by some of the most beautiful moorland in England. To the north west sits Blakey Ridge...
.
Typical of the area are the medieval cruck
Cruck
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...
-built longhouses of Lealholm. These were constructed as single storey combined dwelling and beast houses and made of the local Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
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....
. Originally they had ling
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
thatched roofs, but they were mostly re-roofed in the 19th century with slate or pantiles.
Despite having less than 50 houses within the boundaries of the main settlement, Lealholm has a selection of amenities, including a village shop, post office, petrol station and farm goods store. It also has the Forge Art Gallery (formerly a pottery), an Infant and Primary school, the Shepherd's Hall cafe, a cricket and football pitch, and three churches. A 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...
, where the local team play 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...
, sits alongside the river. The Ley Hall is the venue for public gatherings. It is used for the local playgroup, young farmers
National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
The National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs is the largest rural youth organisation of its kind, in the United Kingdom. The Federation covers various Young Farmers' Clubs throughout England and Wales, helping support young people in agriculture and the countryside...
, the parish council and the WI among others. The Board Inn public house - a former coaching inn. - dates from the 18th century, and as the only public house in the village and it is a popular venue and regularly holds domino drives.
Lealholm is in the Anglican parish of Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
, within the deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
, the Archdeaconry of Cleveland
Archdeaconry of Cleveland
The Archdeaconry of Cleveland is an archdeaconry, or subdivision, of the Church of England Diocese of York in the Province of York. It stretches west from Thirsk, north to Middlesbrough, east to Whitby and south to Pickering...
, and the Diocese of York
Diocese of York
The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire....
. There are three churches located within the main settlement, the Roman Catholic church of "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", the Church of England
Church 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...
church of St James the Greater, and a Methodist Chapel. Close to the chapel, between the River Esk and the mill race stands a Quaker Friends Burial Ground, donated by Thomas Whatson.
Climate
As part of the United Kingdom, the North York Moors area, in which Lealholm lies, generally has cool summers and relatively mild winters. Weather conditions vary from day to day as well as from season to season. The latitude of the area means that it is influenced by predominantly westerly winds with depressions and their associated fronts, bringing with them unsettled and windy weather, particularly in winter. Between depressions there are often small mobile anticyclones that bring periods of fair weather. In winter anticyclones bring cold dry weather. In summer the anticyclones tend to bring dry settled conditions which can lead to drought. For its latitude this area is mild in winter and cooler in summer due to the influence of the Gulf Stream in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Air temperature varies on a daily and seasonal basis. The temperature is usually lower at night and January is the coldest time of the year. The two dominant influences on the climate of Lealholm are the shelter against the worst of the moist westerly winds provided by the higher ground and the proximity of the North Sea. Late, chilly springs and cool summers are a feature of the area but there are often spells of fine autumn weather. Onshore winds in spring and early summer bring mists or low stratus clouds (known locally as sea frets) to the area. Within the area variations in climate are brought about by local differences in altitude, aspect and shelter. Snowfall is variable from year to year. Heavy falls are associated with north-easterly winds off the North Sea.River Esk
The River Esk dog-legs through the village. In the centre stands the bridge which crosses the Esk a few yards south of the old fording point. 400 yards (365.8 m) further upstream lies a set of stepping stones. Between these two the river becomes very deep as it bends sharply to the right.Due to its proximity to the river Esk and its tributaries, flooding has long been a problem for some of the lower lying houses in the village. Marks carved into the side wall of the Methodist chapel show the heights of floods in the past. At the lowest level, the floods in November 2000 stand just short of the floods in July 1840. However, these were low compared to major flooding on 23 July 1930 when the Methodist chapel stood more than a metre under water, even though the chapel itself stands approximately 7 feet (2.1 m) above the normal water level of the river. This same flood caused the collapse of bridges over the river at Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
, Egton
Egton
Egton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England about west of Whitby. There is a nearby village called Egton Bridge which is home to Egton railway station. The village was included in the Survey of English Dialects. Unlike the other sites, a full book...
and Sleights
Sleights
Sleights is an English village, rumoured to be the largest in North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Esk Valley in the postal region of Whitby, and is part of the borough of Scarborough....
, further down the valley.
Lealholmside
Overlooking the village stands the hamlet of Lealholmside - a row of approximately 25 houses running along the side of the valley. It was a popular location with the photographer Francis Meadow SutcliffeFrancis Meadow Sutcliffe
Francis Meadow Sutcliffe was an English pioneering photographic artist whose work presented an enduring record of life in the seaside town of Whitby, England, and surrounding areas, in the late Victorian era and early 20th century.-Early life:He was born in Headingley, Leeds, to the painter...
, who took many pictures in the area, although few of the village itself are in publication. It is here that the site of Lelum was located, at or near the present site of Lealholm Hall and home to the de Lelum family in 1274.
Demography
Figures for the population of Lealholm alone are not readily available. The population of the parishCivil 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...
of Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
(including settlements of Glaisdale, Houlsyke
Houlsyke
Houlsyke is a hamlet in the Glaisdale civil parish of the Borough of Scarborough, in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Danby and Lealholm.- External links :*...
, Lealholm and Street) was 974 living in 404 households in the UK 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
Of this number, 73% live in the 1% of the area which is classified as "urban", while 27% of the population lives in the 99% "rural" area.
Economy
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
into the North York Moors
North York Moors
The North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The moors are one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. It covers an area of , and it has a population of about 25,000...
area and the village is a tourist honeypot
Honeypot (geography)
In geography, a honeypot is a particularly popular visitor attraction which attracts tourists in large numbers. The term 'honeypot' originates from bees buzzing around a hive.-Tourism planning:...
in the summer months. Employment in tourism has risen rapidly and the village now has guest houses, holiday cottages, bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
accommodation and catering establishments providing jobs and income along with services and retailers. Lealholm had a typical NER
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...
goods shed and coal yard close to the railway station, which became a factory base when the company Lightspeed panels were setup in 1972. They produced the Magenta kit car, a fiberglass body kit based on a Mini chassis. Today the site is a car repair garage.
Culture and community
There is a choir based in Lealholm which performs at venues in the surrounding area. The Board Inn is the base for the village football and cricket teams as well as hosting dominoes and darts matches. The River Esk is used for angling, with salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and sea trout being caught in abundance.
Lealholm Village Show and sports day is held by the Lealholm Farm Produce and Horticultural Society on the first Saturday in September. The show, known as the Lealholm Agricultural Show, takes place on the village sports field, usually reserved for cricket during the summer months, and football during winter. It held its 87th show in 2007. There was no show in 1970, and in 2001 the organisers decided it would be inappropriate to hold the show due to the Foot and mouth outbreak. In 2008, the show was cancelled for the first time in its history. Due to bad weather, the cricket pitch became waterlogged after weeks of heavy rain and a torrential downpour in the days leading up to the show.
The show has over 200 exhibitions of crafts, wine making, fruit, vegetables and farm produce for competition including categories for children. Children's sports and a fancy dress parade are held on the cricket pitch and are always well supported, although there usually has to be a lot of persuasion for entries into the adult's "Twice round the field" competition.
Side stalls include "Bowl for a Goose", where competitors attempt to bowl five balls through holes in a frame at the end of a short but bumpy pitch. The winner can take home a live goose, have it delivered for Christmas or receive a cash prize.
In the past few years the village show has been expanded to feature displays of steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, fire safety and brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
performances, demonstrations by St John Ambulance and a bouncy castle. Entries to the show's various competitions are made during the morning ready for judging prior to the show opening to the public in the afternoon. A Domino Drive in aid of show funds is usually held the Thursday evening following the village show at the Board Inn 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...
in the village.
The biggest event of the afternoon is the Grand Duck Race on the River Esk,
where 1000 numbered plastic ducks are launched along the river towards a finishing point some 250 yards (228.6 m) downstream. The six fastest ducks are then picked out at the finishing line to win cash prizes. The ducks are launched from the top of the village bridge.
Media
The Esk Valley is served by local newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
The Whitby Gazette
Whitby Gazette
The Whitby Gazette is an English provincial newspaper published in Whitby, North Yorkshire.It was founded 6 January 1854 by Ralph Horne, a local printer, bookseller, stationer, bookbinder, paperhanger and shipowner, who was also a member of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society...
, published on a Tuesday and Friday, as well as the Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
& 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...
based daily - The Evening Gazette
Evening Gazette (Teesside)
The Evening Gazette is a newspaper serving the Teesside area of England. It is published by the Gazette Media Company Ltd, which is a regional arm of the Trinity Mirror group. The Evening Gazette is written and published in Middlesbrough, along with many other publications...
. Despite being located in North Yorkshire, Lealholm's location at the bottom of the valley prevents BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
transmissions broadcast by Radio York
BBC Radio York
BBC York is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of North Yorkshire.- Early history :The station was launched at 6:30am on 4 July 1983 - a launch featured on the cover of the Radio Times...
, which serves the rest of the region, being received. Instead, local radio broadcast service is relayed on BBC Tees from Bilsdale to the southwest. Due to the same geographic restrictions, regional terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
is provided by Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
and BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria is the BBC English Region covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Teesside and all but the southern part of Cumbria...
from Newcastle upon Tyne
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...
. Digital radio
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
stations and digital television
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
channels are also broadcast from Bilsdale but reception is often difficult also due to the village's geography. Reception of television for most houses in the bottom of the valley comes from the Limber Hill relay transmitter, between Egton
Egton
Egton is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England about west of Whitby. There is a nearby village called Egton Bridge which is home to Egton railway station. The village was included in the Survey of English Dialects. Unlike the other sites, a full book...
and Glaisdale
Glaisdale
Glaisdale is a village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies at on the River Esk, between the villages of Lealholm and Egton Bridge, west of Whitby, and is served by Glaisdale railway station on the Esk Valley Line...
further down the valley.
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
is provided from Bilsdale by TFM
TFM Radio
TFM Radio is a Thornaby-on-Tees based Independent Local Radio station. Launched in June 1975 as Radio Tees, with the callsign "You've got a friend on 257" it was the first independent local radio station serving the area of the Tees Valley with parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham...
, Galaxy North East and Century Radio
Century FM
Century Radio was the brand name of a group of independent local radio stations in England. The brand was developed with the launch of 100-102 Century Radio in North East England in 1994, with John Myers as managing director and John Simons as programme director...
. Yorkshire Coast Radio
Yorkshire Coast Radio
Yorkshire Coast Radio is an Independent Local Radio station based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. YCR is officially two Ofcom licenses, one for Scarborough and Whitby in North Yorkshire and one for Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire.-History:For many years several...
is also available locally; broadcast from Scarborough via the Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
transmitter.
Education
The non denominational Lealholm Primary School educates children from the age of five until they leave at the age of eleven. In 2008 there were 52 pupils at the school, including 20 infants. The school received outstanding or good grades in all areas of the latest Ofsted inspection report. Older pupils travel to secondary schools and a college in WhitbyWhitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
.
Notable people
John CastilloJohn Castillo
John Castillo , often referred to as the "Bard of the Dales", from his first published book - "The Bard of the Dales - Poems by John Castillo" was a poet who lived for much of his life in the village of Lealholm...
(1792 - 1845), poet and lay preacher, often referred to as "The Bard of the Dales", lived in Lealholm on the site now known as "Poets Corner", which today operates as a plant nursery.
John Davidson (1889 - 1988), "The Chronicler of Lealholm", chronicled the history of the village in books and correspondence in the Whitby Gazette
Whitby Gazette
The Whitby Gazette is an English provincial newspaper published in Whitby, North Yorkshire.It was founded 6 January 1854 by Ralph Horne, a local printer, bookseller, stationer, bookbinder, paperhanger and shipowner, who was also a member of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society...
. He was a shipbroker originally from Stockton-on-Tees, who held a great deal of affection for the village and carried out much research on the area. His published books include The Manor, Lordship and Castle of Danby and Chronicles of Lealholm & Glaisdale. The books are out of print, but his painstaking research has been much copied and there are various publications in print today covering the history of the village.
External links
- eskvalley.com
- www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk, Esk Valley Railway Development Company.
- www.nationalrail.co.uk, National Rail Station Facilities and Live Departures.
- www.forgehousegallery.co.uk, Forge House Art Gallery, Lealholm.
- www.theboardinn.com, The Board Inn - Lealholm's only public house.
- www.schoolsnet.com, Statistics for Lealholm School.
- www.glaisdalepc.org.uk, Glaisdale Parish Council.
- The Ancient Parish of Danby Historical and genealogical sources 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"...
: Lealholm was in this parish.