Follifoot

Follifoot is a large village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the A658 road and 2 miles (3.2 km) south east from the town centre of Harrogate.

History

The name of the village is derived from Norse translating as "Place of the Horse Fight" with the village having a long association with horse sports. Follifoot is not listed in the Domesday Book and the earliest known record of Follifoot is as Pholifet (12th century). Anglo-Saxon remains have been discovered in and near to the village with the most obvious being an Anglian Cross prominently displayed in the middle of the crossroads at the top of the village.

By the time of the 19th century the village was a thriving community supporting such commerce as the flax industry, tanners, tailors, joiners, a wheelwright, cordwainer and blacksmiths.

Rudding Park Estate

The village has long been associated with the Rudding Park Estate with the South Gatehouse to the estate standing at the top of the village. The estate was originally purchase by Lord Loughborough in 1788, engaging the landscape designer Humphry Repton to to improve the grounds and surrounding landscape.

The Estate was purchased by the Hon. William Gordon in 1805 and he was responsible for the initial construction of the present house. However by the time the Estate was purchased by Sir Joseph Radcliffe nineteen years later house was still unfinished. In 1972 the House and 2000 acre estate was acquired by the Mackaness family.

St. Joseph and St. James Church

The St. Joseph and St. james Church was opened on 22 October 1848 when Sir Joseph Radcliffe, 2nd Baronet (1799-1872), the owner of Rudding Park Estate, gave part of the Longlands Field for the church site. The church contains three stained glass windows dedicated to the memory of Sir Joseph Radcliffe

External links

• The Ancient Parish of Spofforth at GENUKI: Follifoot was in this parish