West Tanfield
Encyclopedia
West Tanfield is a village and civil parish
in the Hambleton
district of North Yorkshire
, England
. Situated about 6 miles north of Ripon
on the A6108
, which goes from Ripon into Wensleydale
, West Tanfield is on the edge of both the Yorkshire Dales
and the Vale of York
. It is well known as one of the most picturesque villages in Yorkshire, the view from the bridge over the River Ure
is popular amongst tourists, photographers and artists.
The village has a monument called the Marmion Tower
, a 15th century gatehouse which belonged to the now vanished manor house formerly home to the Marmion family. At first floor level there is a fine example of an oriel window
. The Anglican church next to the tower contains monuments to the Marmion family. The tower is now in the care of English Heritage
.
As well as the church (dedicated to St. Nicholas), village services include a primary school which shares the same dedication as the church, two public houses, a petrol station a post office and a Methodist chapel. The Memorial Hall serves as a venue for events in the village and was built as a monument to the men of West Tanfield who died during the two world wars.
West Tanfield had a railway station on the Masham branch
until the line was closed.
Not far from the village are the Thornborough Henges
, known as the 'Stone Henge of the North'. Manor Farm is all that remains of the abandoned medieval village of East Tanfield 1½ miles to the east.
There is a village football
team and West Tanfield Cricket
Club which was founded in 1907 is situated at Sleningford on the opposite side of the Ure, they play league matches in the Nidderdale and District League and Wensleydale Evening League as well as local knockout cup competitions. There is an annual one-day Cricket Twenty20
knockout competition between West Tanfield, Kirkby Malzeard
and two other local teams.
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 Hambleton
Hambleton
Hambleton is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The main town and administrative centre is Northallerton, and includes the market towns and major villages of Bedale, Thirsk, Great Ayton, Stokesley and Easingwold....
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...
. Situated about 6 miles north of Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
on the A6108
A6108 road
The A6108 road is an A road in North Yorkshire, England. It runs from Scotch Corner passing through Richmond where it meets the A6136 road to Catterick and entering the border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, then it enters Leyburn at a junction with the A684 road to Bedale and Hawes, it...
, which goes from Ripon into 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...
, West Tanfield is on the edge of both 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...
and the Vale of York
Vale of York
The Vale of York is an area of flat land in the north-east of England. The vale is a major agricultural area and serves as the main north-south transport corridor for northern England....
. It is well known as one of the most picturesque villages in Yorkshire, the view from the bridge over the River Ure
River Ure
The River Ure is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only one of the Dales now named after a village rather than its river...
is popular amongst tourists, photographers and artists.
The village has a monument called the Marmion Tower
Marmion Tower
Marmion Tower is a 15th century gatehouse near to the village of West Tanfield in North Yorkshire, England.It was the entrance to and formerly adjoined to a now vanished manor house by the River Ure, owned by the Marmion family from which the gatehouse gets its name...
, a 15th century gatehouse which belonged to the now vanished manor house formerly home to the Marmion family. At first floor level there is a fine example of an oriel window
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
. The Anglican church next to the tower contains monuments to the Marmion family. The tower is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
As well as the church (dedicated to St. Nicholas), village services include a primary school which shares the same dedication as the church, two public houses, a petrol station a post office and a Methodist chapel. The Memorial Hall serves as a venue for events in the village and was built as a monument to the men of West Tanfield who died during the two world wars.
West Tanfield had a railway station on the Masham branch
Masham branch
The Masham branch was a long North Eastern Railway built single track branch railway line that ran between a junction on the Harrogate to Northallerton line at Melmerby to Masham, North Yorkshire, via one intermediate station, Tanfield Halt.-History:...
until the line was closed.
Not far from the village are the Thornborough Henges
Thornborough Henges
The Thornborough Henges is an unusual ancient monument complex that includes the three aligned henges that give the site its name. The complex is located near the village of Thornborough, close to the town of Masham in North Yorkshire, England. The complex includes many large ancient structures...
, known as the 'Stone Henge of the North'. Manor Farm is all that remains of the abandoned medieval village of East Tanfield 1½ miles to the east.
There is a village football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team and West Tanfield Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club which was founded in 1907 is situated at Sleningford on the opposite side of the Ure, they play league matches in the Nidderdale and District League and Wensleydale Evening League as well as local knockout cup competitions. There is an annual one-day Cricket Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
knockout competition between West Tanfield, Kirkby Malzeard
Kirkby Malzeard
Kirkby Malzeard is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England.In recent years a creamery in the village was acquired by the Wensleydale Creamery, and Wensleydale cheese is now made there.-History:...
and two other local teams.