Sleights
Encyclopedia
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
.
The village is strung out along the steep main A169 road that runs north - south between Whitby and Pickering
across the North York Moors
. At the top end of the village is 'Blue Bank' with a gradient of 1 in 4 (25%). Following numerous accidents on the hill over the years, the side of Blue Bank is equipped with an escape lane of soft sand to stop vehicles whose brakes fail careering into buildings at the bottom of the hill.
At the bottom of the village, the road crosses the Esk Valley Railway
, allowing access to Sleights railway station. The road crosses the River Esk on a high bridge, opened on 26 January 1937. The road continues up the hill to reach the A171
Whitby to Middlesbrough
trunk road. Due east of the village is the hamlet of Iburndale.
Inhabitants of Sleights pronounce the name of their village in a way that rhymes with nights.
Like many other place names in Yorkshire, the etymology of Sleights is Old Norse
, sletta 'flat land' with an English plural, like the Norman place name Eslettes
.
Every year the village holds a show on the sports field. The show has many contests included cake decorating, flower arrangements and many more. There is also a range of other activitys including a bouncy castle, face painting, tombolas and animal handling.
There is a village shop which is a branch of the Spar shop chain. The village also has a Post Office, a tearoom, two pubs, a butchers, a bakery and a fish and chip restaurant.
Sleights has many sporting activities for people to take part in. The sports field which is mainly used for cricket has recently benefited from a new pavilion which was built after a great deal of fundraising by the Sleights sportsfield committee. Also recently a new Sleights Football club was formed with the players coming from Sleights but training outside of the village. The cricket team often play against other local communities on Saturdays both at home and away. There is also a bowls club which is used by many people from the village and others from neighboring towns and villages.
There is also an English Martyrs Roman Catholic church on Eskdaleside. At the bottom of the village there is the Briggswath and Sleights Methodist Chapel.
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 located in the Esk Valley in the postal region 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...
, and is part 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....
.
The village is strung out along the steep main A169 road that runs north - south between Whitby and Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
across 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...
. At the top end of the village is 'Blue Bank' with a gradient of 1 in 4 (25%). Following numerous accidents on the hill over the years, the side of Blue Bank is equipped with an escape lane of soft sand to stop vehicles whose brakes fail careering into buildings at the bottom of the hill.
At the bottom of the village, the road crosses the Esk Valley Railway
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....
, allowing access to Sleights railway station. The road crosses the River Esk on a high bridge, opened on 26 January 1937. The road continues up the hill to reach the A171
A171 road
The A171 is a road in England that links the North Yorkshire towns of Middlesbrough and Scarborough. Locally it is known as The Moors Road.It takes the following route*starts at Middlesbrough, heads south*turns east at Nunthorpe*past Guisborough...
Whitby to 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...
trunk road. Due east of the village is the hamlet of Iburndale.
Inhabitants of Sleights pronounce the name of their village in a way that rhymes with nights.
Like many other place names in Yorkshire, the etymology of Sleights is Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
, sletta 'flat land' with an English plural, like the Norman place name Eslettes
Eslettes
Eslettes is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village situated by the banks of the Cailly River in the Pays de Caux, some northeast of Rouen, at the junction of the D251, D44 and the D297 roads...
.
Every year the village holds a show on the sports field. The show has many contests included cake decorating, flower arrangements and many more. There is also a range of other activitys including a bouncy castle, face painting, tombolas and animal handling.
The Village
The village has many business's which provide services for residents and tourists.There is a village shop which is a branch of the Spar shop chain. The village also has a Post Office, a tearoom, two pubs, a butchers, a bakery and a fish and chip restaurant.
Sport
Education
The village contains only one school, Sleights Church of England primary school. The school has around 100 pupils and is at the heart of the community hosting many fundraising events. Students aged over 11 travel to nearby schools in Whitby to study Keystage 3 and higher.Religion
There are three places of worship in the village of Sleights. The most commonly used being St Johns Church, this church is dedicated to St John.There is also an English Martyrs Roman Catholic church on Eskdaleside. At the bottom of the village there is the Briggswath and Sleights Methodist Chapel.