West Witton
Encyclopedia
Richmondshire
Richmondshire is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. It covers a large northern area of the Yorkshire Dales including Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale, with the prominent Scots' Dyke and Scotch Corner along the centre. Teesdale lies to the north...
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...
. Located in Wensleydale
Wensleydale
Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen...
in the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
it lies on the A684
A684 road
The A684 is an A road that runs through Cumbria and North Yorkshire, starting at Kendal, Cumbria and ending at Ellerbeck and the A19 road in North Yorkshire...
(the main road between Leyburn
Leyburn
Leyburn is a busy market town and civil parish in the borough of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England sitting above the northern bank of the River Ure in Wensleydale. Historically within the North Riding of Yorkshire, the name was derived from 'Ley' or 'Le' , and 'burn' , meaning clearing by the...
and Hawes
Hawes
Hawes is a small market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, being granted its market charter in 1699...
). The village is the first one on the A684 to lie within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is also an East Witton
East Witton
East Witton is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. Located south of Leyburn, it is the resting place of Richard Whiteley; he and his partner Kathryn Apanowicz lived in the village. There is also a West Witton in the Yorkshire Dales...
about five miles away in 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...
.
The village is famous locally for its "Burning of Bartle" ceremony held on the Saturday nearest 24 August (St Bartholomew's Day).
A larger than life effigy of 'Bartle' is paraded around the village, complete with glowing eyes. Bartle stops at various strategic places to recite the doggerel, before finally being burnt at Grassgill End to much merry singing.
The doggerel is:
On Penhill Crags he tore his rags;
Hunter's Thorn he blew his horn;
Capplebank Stee happened a misfortune and brak' his knee;
Grisgill Beck he brak' his neck;
Wadham's End he couldn't fend;
Grassgill End we'll mak' his end.
Shout, lads, shout.
At Grassgill end they burn the Bartle effigy. This celebration has its similarities to Guy Fawkes night.
The educator Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme
Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme
Eric John Francis James, Baron James of Rusholme was a prominent British educator.He was educated at York Place Secondary School, Brighton, Taunton's School, Southampton and Queen's College, Oxford. He taught science at Winchester College from 1933 to 1945, and was High Master of The Manchester...
lived in West Witton, and after his death had his ashes scattered there.