Family activities Askrigg North Yorkshire

Askrigg is a small village in Upper Wensleydale, in the very heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The village is famous for its association with fictional vet James Herriot, and played the part of Darrowby in the television series All Creatures Great and Small.

History
The village dates to at least the Saxon period. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was called Ascric. The name comes from Old Norse for a ridge where ash trees grow, suggesting that the area was farmed by Viking settlers long before the Norman Conquest. The manor was held for 3 centuries by the Fitz Hugh family, then passed to the Parr family and finally to the Metcalfes.

The parish church of St Oswald dates to 1466 and is built in Perpendicular Gothic style. In the south aisle is a former chantry chapel for the Metcalfe family of Nappa, dedicated to St Anne and hosting memorials to generations of the family. The stained glass window in the east wall is dedicated to the memory of George Winn, who drowned while crossing Aysgarth Ford in 1876. About 400 yards to the west of the church is a Bronze Age ring cairn.

The cobbled market place has an iron bull-ring, where bulls were 'baited' (i.e. set upon by dogs) in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first official market was held in 1587 after Elizabeth I granted a royal charter permitting a weekly Thursday market and 3 fairs during the year. The local economy thrived on textiles and knitting in the 18th century, and became a centre for clock making.

There are two pubs. The Crown is a Victorian building, but stands on the site of an 18th century inn. The Kings Arms dates to 1767 and was built as a coaching inn by a local man named John Pratt who had made his fortune as a jockey.

From the village centre a trail leads north west for less than a mile to Mill Gill, where the water tumbles 25 feet down a rocky ravine hidden in attractive woodland.

About Askrigg
Address: Askrigg, Yorkshire, England
Attraction Type: Village
Location map
OS: SD946893
Photo Credit: Karl and Ali, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence

HERITAGE

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