Embsay is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. 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 York City and the Saifi Village in...
in the
CravenCraven is a local government district in North Yorkshire, England. The name Craven is Celtic in origin and is related to the Welsh word craf, or "garlic". In the Middle Ages, the area was known for its wild garlic....
district of
North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest ceremonial...
,
EnglandEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is situated about 2 miles north-east of
SkiptonSkipton is a civil parish and historic market town in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England...
. The village is grouped with the neighbouring village of Eastby in the
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
of Embsay with Eastby, which has a population of 1,758.
Landmarks
The rock formation to the north of the village is called Embsay Crag, at the foot of which is
Embsay ReservoirEmbsay Reservoir is located above the village of Embsay, near Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Yorkshire Water, and is used to supply water to the north and west of Skipton...
. The
cragA crag is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground. Crags are formed when a glacier or ice-sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly tough chunk of rock...
marks the start of Barden Moor, a large expanse of open moorland which is popular with walkers due to it being open access land. There are two reservoirs within the moor; Upper Barden Reservoir and Lower Barden Reservoir.
Transport
The village has a
railway stationEmbsay railway station is a railway station on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. It serves the small village of Embsay in North Yorkshire, England...
which was built in 1888, and is the current terminus on the
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam RailwayThe Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England, . It is part of the former Midland Railway branch from Skipton to Ilkley . The E&BASR runs from Embsay via Holywell and Draughton to Bolton Abbey station, a distance of 4 miles...
, whose most famous visitor is
Thomas the Tank EngineThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive created by the Rev. W. V. Awdry as one of a number of characters in his Railway Series books, first published in the 1940s....
. The Embsay 214 bus provides a regular on-the-hour service which is invaluable to most residents (
http://www.northyorkstravel.info/pdf/YNAO214.pdf).
Village Hall
The Embsay Village Hall plays an important role in village life. Hosting a vareity of events, from film nights to pantomimes, bowls to jumble sales, it improves the social network of the community no end.
Sports
The village has a cricket team which competes in the Craven League as one of the most successful teams in the league, their second team being, in 2006, the first second team in the league's history to play in the first division. The village also has a moderately successful football team. Both football and cricket teams play games at Shires Lane on the north side of the village, and after a game they take refreshment at the
Cavendish Arms pub and restaurant.
Embsay also has a recreational ground found at the north end of the village fondly known as 'the rec' and as its name suggests is exactly that.
Community Facilities
Embsay has two pubs, the
Elm Tree Inn at the north end of the village, and the
Cavendish Arms at the southern end of the village near the station. The
Elm Tree Inn and surrounding Elm Tree Square take their names from the elm tree that stood in the centre of this junction for many years. It was replaced in the late 20th century due to
Dutch elm diseaseDutch elm disease is a fungal disease of elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native populations of elms which had not had the opportunity...
, but in 2006 that replacement was also taken down. A replacement tree was planted in 2007.
Embsay also has a small papershop situated on the main road (Skipton Road) as you progress up the village. After the old Post Office was shut after many years, there is a small counter in the paper shop which now serves as a post office. The only other shop in Embsay is a small hairdressers, in the new houses next to the car park.
External links