Kirk Smeaton

Last updated

Kirk Smeaton
Kirk Smeaton Village, Pinfold Lane - geograph.org.uk - 110707.jpg
North Yorkshire UK location map (2023).svg
Red pog.svg
Kirk Smeaton
Location within North Yorkshire
Population405 (2011) [1]
OS grid reference SE519166
Civil parish
  • Kirk Smeaton
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PONTEFRACT
Postcode district WF8
Dialling code 01977
Police North Yorkshire
Fire North Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
53°38′36″N1°13′03″W / 53.64333°N 1.21750°W / 53.64333; -1.21750

Kirk Smeaton is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is located at the southern end of the county, close to both South and West Yorkshire.

Contents

Historically, the village was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. [2] From 1974 to 2023, it was part of the district of Selby; it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

In the 2001 Census, the population was 344, which had risen to 405 by the 2011 Census and reduced slightly to 390 by the 2021 Census. [3]

Etymology

The name Smeaton is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, in the form Smedetone. This derives from Old English words smiþ (in its genitive plural form smiþa) and tūn ('farm, estate'), and thus once meant 'smiths' farm'. The kirk element of the name is first attested in 1311 and is a northern English dialect word for 'church', coming from the Old Norse word for 'church', kirkja. This element was added to the name to distinguish the settlement from nearby Little Smeaton. [4] [5]

History

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book, along with Little Smeaton, with the land being tenanted by Ilbert of Lacey. [6] In 1840, Earl Fitzwilliam donated land for the foundation of Kirk Smeaton CE J&I Primary School.

Geography

Kirk Smeaton and its sister village, Little Smeaton, face each other across the River Went, the most southerly boundary of the Celtic Kingdom of Elmet. A footbridge links the two, providing both villages with walks to Brockadale Nature Reserve [7] and Wentbridge.

The North/South Yorkshire boundary lies close to the south of the village and, to the east, it begins to follow the River Went all the way to the River Don.

Transport

A railway from the Leeds–Doncaster line past Drax power station used to run close to the south of the village.

Kirk Smeaton railway station opened in 1885 on the Hull and Barnsley Railway. The station was closed to passengers in 1932 and the line closed completely in 1959. [8]

The village is served by one bus route, which is operated by Arriva Yorkshire; the 409 connects the village with Pontefract. [9]

Amenities

Kirk Smeaton CE J&I Primary School is a small school, with a mixture of new and old buildings, a sports hall and a community room. It has good links with the community and St Peter's Church. A pre-school class meets on-site in term-time; there are breakfast and after-school clubs.

The village pub is the Shoulder of Mutton on Main Street. There is also a Post Office, sited opposite.

See also

References

  1. ↑ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Kirk Smeaton Parish (E04007752)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "History of Kirk Smeaton, in Selby and West Riding | Map and description". Visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "2021 Census Data". Kirk Smeaton Parish. 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  4. ↑ A. H. Smith, The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire, English Place-Name Society, 30–37, 8 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1961–63), part 2, p. 51.
  5. ↑ Ekwall, Eilert (1947). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names (3 ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 407. OCLC   12542596.
  6. ↑ "[Kirk and Little] Smeaton | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Brockadale". The Wildlife Trusts. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  8. ↑ "Station name: Kirk Smeaton". Disused Stations. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Kirk Smeaton Bus Services". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
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.