Tockwith
Encyclopedia
Tockwith is a village
and civil parish
in the Harrogate
district of North Yorkshire
, England
, near the town of Wetherby
and the city of York
. There has been a village on the site since at least 1086 when Tocvi was mentioned in the Domesday Book
. Tockwith's greatest claim to fame is being used as a staging post by Oliver Cromwell
prior to the Battle of Marston Moor
in 1644. He made reference to Tockwith in his diaries, in which he said: "If heaven should be half as blessed as the fields of Tockwith, all those who should pass St. Peter's Gate shall be met with joys unequalled".
Tocvi in the Domesday Book
of 1086
Tockwic and Tockwith in 1121-27
Tocwic in the early Yorkshire Charters of 1428 and 1430
Tocwyz in the 1249 Charter Rolls and
Tockewyht in the 1280 Charter Rolls
Tockheight in the 1460 Census
Tockwith in the 1723 Census
Rockwith in the 1911 Census
during the 17th century when the village was occupied by the Parliamentarian army commanded by Thomas Fairfax. In 1644, the Battle of Marston Moor occurred on the land between Tockwith and Long Marston
. A stone monument on the road between the two villages commemorates the site.
Tockwith also, during the 2nd World War had 2 military runways. A pilot is known to have tried to land a plane in the central street of the village after mistaking it for a runway. A piece of the plane remains stuck in a tree at East House.
cruciform church in the Geometrical style with a cylindrical bell turret.
Tockwith is situated 9 miles west of York and 5 miles north-east of Wetherby. The village is approached through relatively flat farmlands from the west along Fleet Lane, with the church clearly visible. The village has grown significantly since the war, with several large developments on its boundaries. There are two public houses in the heart of the village, the Boot and Shoe and the Spotted Ox.
There is also a bowls green (made of grass) and tennis courts (made of concrete) at the same location, which require membership.
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...
and 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...
in the Harrogate
Harrogate (borough)
Harrogate is a local government district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Harrogate but it also includes surrounding towns and villages...
district of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, near the town of Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
and the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. There has been a village on the site since at least 1086 when Tocvi was mentioned 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...
. Tockwith's greatest claim to fame is being used as a staging post by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
prior to the Battle of Marston Moor
Battle of Marston Moor
The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the First English Civil War of 1642–1646. The combined forces of the Scottish Covenanters under the Earl of Leven and the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince...
in 1644. He made reference to Tockwith in his diaries, in which he said: "If heaven should be half as blessed as the fields of Tockwith, all those who should pass St. Peter's Gate shall be met with joys unequalled".
Conservation area
On 20 January 1994, Tockwith was designated a conservation area. The information below shows the basis of the Conservation Area Designation Statement.Etymology
The name Tockwith may derive from the Old English name Toc(c), and wic, which is most commonly interpreted as 'dairy farm'. The word wic was later exchanged for the Scandinavian word vid(r) meaning 'wood'. The name of the village is recorded in a number of forms:Tocvi 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
Tockwic and Tockwith in 1121-27
Tocwic in the early Yorkshire Charters of 1428 and 1430
Tocwyz in the 1249 Charter Rolls and
Tockewyht in the 1280 Charter Rolls
Tockheight in the 1460 Census
Tockwith in the 1723 Census
Rockwith in the 1911 Census
Historical information
Tockwith played a major part in the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
during the 17th century when the village was occupied by the Parliamentarian army commanded by Thomas Fairfax. In 1644, the Battle of Marston Moor occurred on the land between Tockwith and Long Marston
Long Marston, North Yorkshire
Long Marston is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the B1224 road from Wetherby to York, west of York...
. A stone monument on the road between the two villages commemorates the site.
Tockwith also, during the 2nd World War had 2 military runways. A pilot is known to have tried to land a plane in the central street of the village after mistaking it for a runway. A piece of the plane remains stuck in a tree at East House.
Tockwith church
The Tockwith Church of the Epiphany was consecrated in 1866, and was designed by Mallinson and Healey. The building is a large aislelessAisleless church
An Aisleless church is a single-nave church building that consists of a single hall-like room. While similar to the hall church, the aisleless church lacks aisles or passageways either side of the nave separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades, a row of pillars or columns...
cruciform church in the Geometrical style with a cylindrical bell turret.
Village layout
Sports facilities
Tockwith has one of the finest 'grass roots' level football pitches in the country; it has appeared in several magazines and local groundsman Joe Wilson was awarded "Highly Commended" in the FA Groundsman of the Year Awards for Steps 7 and below for the 2006 season, awarded 1st place in 2007 and 2nd place in 2008. There is also a second football pitch, which the junior teams use. There is a large training area and a pavilion. Tockwith AFC fields a 1st and 2nd team every Saturday who play in the York Leeper Hare League.There is also a bowls green (made of grass) and tennis courts (made of concrete) at the same location, which require membership.