Thornton Watlass

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Thornton Watlass
Looking east across Thornton Watlass village green
Thornton Watlass shown within North Yorkshire
Population	190 (2005)
OS grid reference	SE235855
District	Hambleton
Shire county	North Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	RIPON
Postcode district	HG4
Dialling code	01677
Police	North Yorkshire
Fire	North Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
European Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Coordinates: 54°15′54″N 1°38′18″W / 54.264909, -1.638395

Thornton Watlass is a small village and civil parish within the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located north of Masham and south of Bedale on the eastern slopes of the Ure Valley at the entrance to Wensleydale and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.^[1] It is 11 miles North of Ripon, 4 miles from the A1, 11 miles from the main railway line at Northallerton and 18 miles from Teeside Airport.^[2] Its population was 180 in 2001, and 190 in 2005.^[3]

The village lies at the junction of Watlass Lane and Watlass Moor Lane. At the centre of the village is the triangular village green with its trees, cricket pitch and children's playground, surrounded by houses, some of which are built from local stone. Thornton Watlass Church dates from the 11th century and the village also has a primary school and a public house called the Buck Inn. The village forms part of the Thornton Watlass Estate, and Thornton Watlass Hall, an ancient two-storey gabled stone house, lies just to the north of the village.

1 History
2 Thornton Watlass today
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

Thornton Watlass Church

The only prehistoric feature in the Thornton Watlass area is Gospel Hill tumulus, a Scheduled Ancient Monument,^[4] at grid reference SE228862 about 1km northwest of the village.

Saxon remains of two cross-heads^[5] are evidence that people lived in the area before the Norman conquest in 1066. They are on display in Thornton Watlass Church.

The Domesday book of 1086 mentions the separate villages of Thornton and Watlass.^[6] Before the Norman conquest the Saxon owners of these villages were Ulward and Stan; however, Thornton is shown in the Domesday book as being owned by Ribald, brother of Alan Earl of Richmond. Thornton Watlass Hall and estate has been owned by the Dodsworth family since 1415.

The Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin stands a little way outside the village to the southwest. It was rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in 1868 in the Perpendicular style.^[7] The tower contains some living accommodation (including toilet) and was probably used as a place of safety in times of strife.

The village school was built in 1872.^[7]

[edit] Thornton Watlass today

Today the village has about fifty houses and a few farms,^[8] with a population of just under 200.

The Church of England primary school has 41 children on the roll^[9] aged between 4 and 11 years, taught in two mixed-age classes. Recent Ofsted inspections conclude that the school is very successful not only in the academic development of children, but also in personal qualities, behaviour, and their "spiritual, moral, social and cultural development".

There is also provision for under-5s in the village hall.

The village public house, restaurant and hotel, The Buck Inn^[10] overlooks the village green. Specialities include locally brewed real ale, Sunday lunchtime jazz, and a large room for conferences and functions.

Just to the north of the village, Thornton Watlass Hall is a private home, but also provides hotel accommodation^[2]. The Hall has been featured over the years on several television dramas, including All Creatures Great and Small (BBC), Wuthering Heights (ITV) and Heartbeat (ITV) where it has featured as Ashfordly Hall and Websters Hotel for the past nine years.