Wensley

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Wensley is a small village about 1 mile south west of Leyburn, it lies on the A684 road and the River Ure passes through the village. It is the origin of the name of the dale Wensleydale. Wensley's church is one of the finest in the dale, dating back to 1300.

[edit] History

For a century after its charter in 1202, Wensley had the only market in the dale and this continued into the 16th century. Plague struck Wensley in 1563, some surviving villagers fled to Leyburn, but the village recovered a century later when Charles Powlett became Duke of Bolton and built Bolton Hall. The present Bolton Hall is a 1902 rebuild after a fire in the 17th century.