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INTRODUCTION

          North 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 ^[1] it covers an area of 8,654 km², making it the largest county in England.

     The area under the control of the county council, or shire county, is divided into a number of local government districts; they are Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.^[2]

     The Department for Communities and Local Government did consider reorganising North Yorkshire County Council’s administrative structure by abolishing the seven district councils and the county council to create a North Yorkshire unitary authority. The changes were planned to be implemented no later than 1 April 2009.^[3][4] This was rejected on 25 July 2007 so the County Council and District      Council structure will remain.^[5]

     York, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland are unitary authority boroughs which form part of the ceremonial county for various functions such as the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, but do not come under county council control.

     Uniquely for a district in England, Stockton-on-Tees is split between North Yorkshire and County Durham for this purpose. Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland boroughs form part of the North East England region.^[6]

     The area including the unitary authorities, or ceremonial county, borders East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and County Durham.

North Yorkshire was formed on 1 April 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, and covers most of the lands of the historic North Riding, as well as the northern half of the West Riding, the northern and eastern fringes of the East Riding of Yorkshire and the former county borough of York.

     York became a unitary authority independent of North Yorkshire on 1 April 1996,^[7] and at the same time Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and areas of Stockton-on-Tees south of the river became part of North Yorkshire for ceremonial purposes, having been part of Cleveland from 1974 to 1996.

NORTH YORKSHIRE,

England

Surname Locator Resources

NORTH YORKSHIRE,

England

Burnsall Parish

Clapham

Kilnsey

Burnsall is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The 2001 census gave it a population of 112.  St Wilfrid's Church is almost entirely Perpendicular.

Amongst its well-known features are the 11th century font carved with bird and beasts, twelve Anglo-Saxon sculpture fragments and a 14th century alabaster panel depicting the Adoration of the Magi.

     Clapham is a village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It was previously in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies within the Yorkshire Dales National Park 6 miles north west of Settle just off the A65.

     The church of St. James in Clapham was founded in Norman times, and was originally dedicated to St. Michael. It is mentioned in records dating back to 1160. Unfortunately, it and the rest of the village were burned during a Scottish raid following the Battle of Bannockburn in the early 14th-century. The church tower was probably erected following this incident, but the rest of the church only dates from the 19th-century.

     In the 14th century John de Clapham, who took his surname from the village, was a supporter of the earl of Warwick and lived at Clapdale Castle.^[1] His ancestors also took part in the Wars of the Roses^[2], albeit on the side of the House of Lancaster.^[3]

     Since the 18th century Clapham has been home to the Farrer family who established their Ingleborough estate. The family owns and is responsible for much of the land, walls, woods, fields and moors of the village, surrounding countryside and farms.

     Electricity has been generated on the Ingleborough estate since 1893. There is still an operating water turbine-powered generator at the top of the village next to

the waterfall. It was installed in 1948. Originally it supplied the church, Ingleborough Hall, Home Farm and 13 street lights. There is another turbine in the sawmill which is also still in use although it is now helped by an electric motor when the larger saw is in use.

     In August 1947 the Trow Ghyll skeleton was discovered in a cave above the village.

    Clapham is situated at the base of Ingleborough mountain (one of Yorkshire's famous "Three Peaks" - Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent) and is a well known starting point for its ascent.

     Running through the village is Clapham Beck. This is fed from Fell Beck which starts on the slopes of Ingleborough and sinks into Gaping Gill, England's highest waterfall, where Fell Beck drops 110 metres vertically down a pothole, and exits from Ingleborough Cave into Clapham Beck. The beck then feeds into the River Lune via the River Wenning. The beck is crossed by four bridges in the village (two footbridges: Brokken Bridge and Mafeking Bridge, and two road bridges).

Above the village is a man-made lake built and expanded in the 19th century. This provided pressure for the water turbines and the drinking water supply, while the outflow fed an artificial waterfall at the top of the village.

     Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the villages of Grassington, Arncliffe, Kettlewell and Conistone.

     The most notable feature of Kilnsey is a large overhanging limestone cliff called Kilnsey Crag which is

adjacent to the main road up the valley. It is around 170 feet high with an overhang of 40 feet.

     Kilnsey has one pub, the Tennant Arms, a trout farm, and a small collection of houses.  It hosts an annual agricultural show.

NORTH YORKSHIRE,

England

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