South Ferriby
Encyclopedia
South Ferriby is a village in North Lincolnshire
, England
situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary 5 km (3 miles) west of the Humber Bridge
and directly opposite North Ferriby
on the Estuary’s north bank. It currently has a population of around 600 people.
times when there was a major settlement here. It is known locally as one of the "Low Villages" nestling at the bottom of a chalk escarpment, where the chalk meets the clay to give, before piped water, a plentiful water supply. It also marks the point where the Lincolnshire Wolds
come to the Humber Estuary and was, as the name suggests, the southern end of an ancient ferry
over the Humber to North Ferriby. The entry in the Domesday Book
of 1086 records a church, a mill
and two ferries. To sustain two ferries suggests that a prosperous trading community must have been flourishing at the time.
South Ferriby was once two villages, Ferriby Sluice with its strong connection to brick manufacture and other activities on the River Ancholme
and South Ferriby itself with two farms that are still operational. The village now has a general store and Post Office, garage, primary school and two public houses: the Nelthorpe Arms, named after the family who at the beginning of the 19th Century, owned over half the village (and still have major holdings today) and down by the Sluice, the Hope and Anchor which looks out over the Humber with Read's Island
and its wildlife.
The parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas, appears to be the remnant of a much larger church, it is a singular structure consisting of nave
, south transept
, north porch
and an embattled tower with pinnacle
s at the southeast angle containing 3 bells. Over the porch is an ancient semicircular stone, on which is a sculptured figure of St Nicholas, vested in alb
and mitre
and holding a pastoral staff in his left hand and on either side are symbolical figures of the Sun and Moon. It is thought that the unusual North-South alignment of the current church is a legacy of a rebuild following a landslip that claimed much of the earlier building originally aligned on the traditional East-West axis.
works. The plant, owned by Cemex
(formerly Rugby Cement, and before that Eastwood's Humber Cement), dominates the village and obtains its raw material from the Middlegate Lane quarry
on the hill above. The village serves mainly as a dormitory for workers in nearby towns, but with the advent of home working, this is changing and the village is becoming increasingly popular with those looking to enjoy a rural setting with magnificent wildlife and enjoyable walks, whilst remaining close to excellent road and rail links to major centres. There is an overhead conveyor belt that passes to the south of the village from the Middlegate Lane quarry (on the hill) to the cement processing works, to the south-west over the River Ancholme.
the 147 miles (236.6 km) long-distance footpath from the Humber Bridge to Oakham
. The village is on the side of an escarpment overlooking the Ancholme valley. The A1077 climbs the steep escarpment at this point, and meets the B1204 from the south, which follows the escarpment all the way to Elsham Hall
Country Park (former A15 road) via Horkstow
. The A1077 is sometimes blocked to let boats pass.
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
, 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...
situated on the south bank of the Humber Estuary 5 km (3 miles) west of the Humber Bridge
Humber Bridge
The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world...
and directly opposite North Ferriby
North Ferriby
North Ferriby is a village and civil parish in the Haltemprice area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated on the north bank of the Humber Estuary, approximately to the west of Hull city centre. To the north, atop a hill, lies Swanland via the B1231. South Ferriby is...
on the Estuary’s north bank. It currently has a population of around 600 people.
History
It dates back at least to RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times when there was a major settlement here. It is known locally as one of the "Low Villages" nestling at the bottom of a chalk escarpment, where the chalk meets the clay to give, before piped water, a plentiful water supply. It also marks the point where the Lincolnshire Wolds
Lincolnshire Wolds
The Lincolnshire Wolds is a range of hills in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and the highest area of land in eastern England between Yorkshire and Kent...
come to the Humber Estuary and was, as the name suggests, the southern end of an ancient ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
over the Humber to North Ferriby. The entry in 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 records a church, a mill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
and two ferries. To sustain two ferries suggests that a prosperous trading community must have been flourishing at the time.
South Ferriby was once two villages, Ferriby Sluice with its strong connection to brick manufacture and other activities on the River Ancholme
River Ancholme
The River Ancholme is a river in North Lincolnshire, England, and a tributary of the Humber estuary.It rises south of Bishopbridge and passes through many Lincolnshire villages and the market town of Brigg before flowing north into the Humber at South Ferriby.North of Bishopbridge, where the River...
and South Ferriby itself with two farms that are still operational. The village now has a general store and Post Office, garage, primary school and two public houses: the Nelthorpe Arms, named after the family who at the beginning of the 19th Century, owned over half the village (and still have major holdings today) and down by the Sluice, the Hope and Anchor which looks out over the Humber with Read's Island
Read's Island
Read's Island is an island situated just outside the Ancholme sluice, on the Humber Estuary in England. Some suggest it is an artificial island. However, the site of the current Read's Island was for very many years a large sandbank going by the name of "Old Warp" and is shown on the 1734 Customs...
and its wildlife.
The parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas, appears to be the remnant of a much larger church, it is a singular structure consisting of nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, north porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
and an embattled tower with pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s at the southeast angle containing 3 bells. Over the porch is an ancient semicircular stone, on which is a sculptured figure of St Nicholas, vested in alb
Alb
The alb , one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and many Protestant churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ankles and usually girdled with a cincture. It is simply the long linen tunic used by the Romans...
and mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
and holding a pastoral staff in his left hand and on either side are symbolical figures of the Sun and Moon. It is thought that the unusual North-South alignment of the current church is a legacy of a rebuild following a landslip that claimed much of the earlier building originally aligned on the traditional East-West axis.
Ferriby Hall
Ferriby Hall is now a nursing home but was a private house in 1945 when leased by Joseph Popple a local gentleman farmer as the house reminded him of his childood home at Castlethorpe Hall, near Brigg. He lived there with his wife Gladys until his death in 1953. He is buried in the local churchyard. The house then had nine bedrooms. On his death his widow moved to Sussex to live near her sister. Many of the interesting contents were lent to Hull Museum on permanent loan. Their only daughter, Joan married a Captain Bettison. They had two sons, Francis and Oliver. Francis is a Chartered Building Surveyor in Plymouth and Oliver a lawyer in Windsor.Local economy
The only industry is the cementCement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
works. The plant, owned by Cemex
Cemex
CEMEX is the world's largest building materials supplier and third largest cement producer. Founded in Mexico in 1906, the company is based in Monterrey, Mexico...
(formerly Rugby Cement, and before that Eastwood's Humber Cement), dominates the village and obtains its raw material from the Middlegate Lane quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
on the hill above. The village serves mainly as a dormitory for workers in nearby towns, but with the advent of home working, this is changing and the village is becoming increasingly popular with those looking to enjoy a rural setting with magnificent wildlife and enjoyable walks, whilst remaining close to excellent road and rail links to major centres. There is an overhead conveyor belt that passes to the south of the village from the Middlegate Lane quarry (on the hill) to the cement processing works, to the south-west over the River Ancholme.
Geography
The village lies on the route of the Viking WayViking Way
The Viking Way is a long distance footpath in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. The Countryside Commission recognised the significance of the Viking Way as a high quality long distance walk linking other major routes in Eastern England, these...
the 147 miles (236.6 km) long-distance footpath from the Humber Bridge to Oakham
Oakham
-Oakham's horseshoes:Traditionally, members of royalty and peers of the realm who visited or passed through the town had to pay a forfeit in the form of a horseshoe...
. The village is on the side of an escarpment overlooking the Ancholme valley. The A1077 climbs the steep escarpment at this point, and meets the B1204 from the south, which follows the escarpment all the way to Elsham Hall
Elsham Hall
Elsham Hall is a country park situated in Elsham, North Lincolnshire, England. It was opened in 1970 by Captain and Mrs. Elwes "to promote enjoyment of the countryside and wildlife and an appreciation of the arts and rural crafts"....
Country Park (former A15 road) via Horkstow
Horkstow
Horkstow is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England, south-west from Barton-Upon-Humber, south from South Ferriby and north from Brigg. It lies on the B1204, and east from the navigable River Ancholme...
. The A1077 is sometimes blocked to let boats pass.