Cray, North Yorkshire

Last updated

Cray
Cray from the western slopes of Buckden Pike.jpg
Cray from the western slopes of Buckden Pike
North Yorkshire UK location map (2023).svg
Red pog.svg
Cray
Location within North Yorkshire
OS grid reference SD941791
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SKIPTON
Postcode district BD23
Police North Yorkshire
Fire North Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
54°12′30″N2°05′26″W / 54.20844°N 2.09061°W / 54.20844; -2.09061

Cray is a hamlet on the B6160 road on a steep hill above Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It is near Buckden and the River Wharfe. It is a very popular walking area and is renowned for several waterfalls known collectively as Cray Waterfalls. [1] The name of the settlement derives from the same name for the nearby beck (Cray Gill); Old Welsh Crei, meaning fresh. [2] [3] The settlement was not mentioned in the Domesday Book, first being recorded in 1202 when a meadow was granted as a fine to William de Arches at Creigate. [4]

Historically, the hamlet was in the township of Buckden, in the Parish of Arncliffe, which was in wapentake of Staincliffe. It is in the civil parish of Buckden, and is represented at Westminster as part of the Skipton and Ripon Constituency. [5] [6] [7]

The road leading through the hamlet was originally part of a Roman Road linking Bainbridge with Ilkley, which descended from Kidstones Pass to the north of Cray, past the hamlet, and through Rakes Wood to the east to get to Buckden. [8] [9]

The hamlet has one pub, The White Lion Inn, which is said to have derived its name from the roar and foam from High Cray Falls (above the village to the east), which in extreme windy weather, forces the water back up the waterfall. [10] [11] There are other pubs in the area (The George Inn in Hubberholme, and The Buck Inn in Buckden), but the White Lion is recognised as being the highest pub in Upper Wharfedale. [12] [13] A public house is believed to have been on the site since the 14th century, and was known to be a drovers inn. [14]

On 5 July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village. The village was also the start of the Category 4 climb, Côte de Cray, which lasted for 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) at an average gradient of 7.1%. The climb was at the 68 kilometres (42 mi) point in the stage and Benoit Jarrier was the first rider over the top to claim the only point available for the King of the Mountain Competition [15] The climb was repeated during the Elite Men's race in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. [16]

The long-distance walk, a Pennine Journey, passes through Cray, with Alfred Wainwright noting that the hamlet should be .."amongst the most loveliest of Wharfedale's hamlets, yet it is not, and it is difficult to explain why it falls short of the high standard you have come to expect." [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wharfe</span> River in Yorkshire, England

The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England originating within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For much of its middle course it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. Its valley is known as Wharfedale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharfedale</span> Valley in Yorkshire, England

Wharfedale is the valley of the upper parts of the River Wharfe and one of the Yorkshire Dales. It is situated in North Yorkshire, and the cities of Leeds and Bradford in West Yorkshire. It is the upper valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Bolton Abbey, Addingham, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham and Wetherby. Beyond Wetherby, the valley opens out and becomes part of the Vale of York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arncliffe, North Yorkshire</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Arncliffe is a small village and civil parish in Littondale, one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. Littondale is a small valley beside Upper Wharfedale, 3 miles (4.8 km) beyond Kilnsey and its famous crag. It is part of the Craven district of the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, but is in the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. The population of the civil parish was estimated at 80 in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dales Way</span> British hiking trail

The Dales Way is an 78.5-mile (126.3 km) long-distance footpath in Northern England, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire, to Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. This walk was initially devised by the West Riding Ramblers' Association with the 'leading lights' being Colin Speakman and Tom Wilcock. The route was announced to the public in 1968 and the first recorded crossing was by a group of Bradford Grammar School Venture Scouts in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kettlewell</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Kettlewell is a village in Upper Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies 6 miles (10 km) north of Grassington, at the point where Wharfedale is joined by a minor road which leads north-east from the village over Park Rash Pass to Coverdale. Great Whernside rises to the east. The population of the civil parish was 322 at the 2011 census, with an estimated population of 340 in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grassington</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Grassington is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The population of the parish at the 2011 Census was 1,126. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the village is situated in Wharfedale, about 8 miles (10 km) north-west from Bolton Abbey, and is surrounded by limestone scenery. Nearby villages include Linton, Threshfield, Hebden, Conistone and Kilnsey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilnsey</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone. The village is 12 miles (19 km) north of Skipton and 3 miles (5 km) south of Kettlewell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appletreewick</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Appletreewick is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-east of Skipton, 7 miles (11 km) from Skipton railway station and 16 miles (25.7 km) from Leeds Bradford International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barden, Craven</span> Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Barden is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It consists of the hamlet of Drebley and a few scattered houses in Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales. The parish also includes two areas of moorland, Barden Fell to the east of the River Wharfe and Barden Moor to the west of the river. Both moorlands are access land, and are popular with walkers. Barden Fell rises to the prominent peak of Simon's Seat, and Barden Moor includes two scenic 19th century reservoirs. Much of the parish is on the Bolton Abbey estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckden, North Yorkshire</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Buckden is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Buckden is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and on the east bank of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Cray and the whole of Langstrothdale. According to the 2011 Census the parish had a population of 187.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conistone</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Conistone is a small village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies 3 miles (5 km) north of Grassington, 3 miles (5 km) south of Kettlewell and 12 miles (19 km) north of Skipton beside the River Wharfe, in Upper Wharfedale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starbotton</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Starbotton is a village of around 60 houses in Upper Wharfedale in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, by the River Wharfe. The resident population is around 48 and many village houses are used for holiday accommodation. There are two working farms - one at either end of the village, the rest having been converted for other uses. The village is on the opposite bank of the Wharfe to the Dales Way halfway between Kettlewell and Buckden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubberholme</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Hubberholme is an old village in Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England, at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale. It is quite secluded and the nearest village is Buckden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Skirfare</span> River in North Yorkshire, England

River Skirfare is a small river in North Yorkshire, England, that flows through Littondale and ends where it joins the larger River Wharfe. The source is the confluence of Foxup Beck and Cosh Beck at the hamlet of Foxup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oughtershaw</span> Hamlet in North Yorkshire, England

Oughtershaw is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on a road it shares with other small villages; Deepdale, Yockenthwaite and Hubberholme, which traverses the watershed between Upper Wharfedale\Langstrothdale and Wensleydale over Fleet Moss into Gayle. The hamlet lies at 1,180 feet (360 m) above sea level. The name is first recorded in 1241 as Huctredsdale, and stems from Uhtred's copse, a personal name. It has had many spellings down the years, being known variously as Ughtershaw, Ughtirshey, Owghtershawe, and Outershaw in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pool-in-Wharfedale</span> Village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Pool-in-Wharfedale or Pool in Wharfedale, usually abbreviated to Pool, is a village and civil parish in Lower Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, England, 10 miles (16 km) north of Leeds city centre, 11 miles (18 km) north-east of Bradford, and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Otley. It is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, and within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coverdale, North Yorkshire</span> Valley of the Yorkshire Dales, England

Coverdale is a dale in the far east of the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. It takes its name from the River Cover, a tributary of the River Ure. The dale runs south-west from the eastern end of Wensleydale to the dale head at a pass, known as Park Rash Pass, between Great Whernside to the south and Buckden Pike to the north. It is accessible by a single track road, which runs the length of the dale and over the pass to Kettlewell in Wharfedale. The name is taken from that of the River Cover, which is of Brittonic origin. Ekwall suggested that it might mean "hollow stream", but more recently Andrew Breeze has argued that it is cognate with Welsh gofer "streamlet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kettlewell with Starbotton</span> Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Kettlewell with Starbotton is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deepdale, North Yorkshire</span> Hamlet in North Yorkshire, England

Deepdale is a hamlet in Langstrothdale in the Yorkshire Dales in the north of England. The hamlet is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northwest of Kettlewell and 15 miles (24 km) north of Settle. The hamlet was originally in the wapentake of Staincliffe and has been written as Deep Dale, Deep-Dale and Deepdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapel-le-Dale (valley)</span> Valley in the Yorkshire Dales, England

Chapel-le-Dale is west-facing valley in the Yorkshire Dales, England. The U-shaped valley of Chapel-le-Dale is one of the few which drain westwards towards the Irish Sea, however, the river that flows through the valley has several names with the Environment Agency and the Ordnance Survey listing it as the River Doe. However, some older texts insist the name of the watercourse through the dale is the River Greta, which runs from a point below the hamlet of Chapel-le-Dale, and onwards past Ingleton. The dale is sparsely populated with only one settlement, the hamlet of Chapel-le-Dale, which has a small chapel.

References

  1. ↑ Fellows, Griff J. (2003). The waterfalls of England : a practical guide for visitors and walkers. Wilmslow: Sigma Leisure. p. 139. ISBN   1850587671.
  2. ↑ "Cray, Cray Beck, Cray Gill & Cray Moss :: Survey of English Place-Names". epns.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  3. ↑ Ekwall, Eilert (1960). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (4 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 129. ISBN   0-19-869103-3.
  4. ↑ Speight, Harry (1900). Upper Wharfedale. Being a complete account of the history, antiquities and scenery of the picturesque valley of the Wharfe, from Otley to Langstrothdale. London: Elliot Stock. p. 489. OCLC   7225949.
  5. ↑ "Genuki: In 1822, the following places were in the Parish of Arncliffe:, Yorkshire (West Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Election Maps CRay". www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  7. ↑ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Buckden Parish (E04007066)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  8. ↑ Wright, Geoffrey Norman (1985). Roads and trackways of the Yorkshire Dales. Ashbourne: Moorland. p. 24. ISBN   0861901231.
  9. ↑ Mitchell, W. R. (1999). The story of the Yorkshire Dales. Chichester, West Sussex: Phillimore. p. 112. ISBN   9781860770883.
  10. ↑ Rushby, Kevin (13 October 2017). "The White Lion Inn, Cray, Yorkshire dales: hotel review". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. ↑ Rothwell, David (2006). The dictionary of pub names. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions. p. 428. ISBN   9781840222661.
  12. ↑ White, Clive (17 March 2016). "Transformed White Lion Inn at Cray". Craven Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  13. ↑ Bagshaw, Mike (2019). Yorkshire Dales : local, characterful guides to Britain's special places (2 ed.). Chalfont St Peter: Bradt. p. 103. ISBN   9781784776091.
  14. ↑ Chrystal, Paul (2017). The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales (1 ed.). Catrine: Stenlake. p. 28. ISBN   9781840337532.
  15. ↑ "Tour de France Stage 1". Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "The Races | Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships | 22 - 29 September 2019". Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  17. ↑ Wainwright, Alfred (1987). A Pennine journey : a story of a long walk in 1938. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 29. ISBN   0140101373.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.