It stands close to the River Aire and the M62 and M18 motorways, 7 miles (11km) west of Goole, 10 miles (16km) east of Knottingley, 8 miles (13km) south of Selby, 10 miles (16km) southwest of Howden and 8 miles (13km) northwest of Thorne.
History
The name "Snaith" derives from the Old Scandinavian word sneið, meaning "piece of land cut off".[1] The name was recorded in its modern-day form in c.1080, but in the Domesday Book of 1086 it appears as Esneid.[2]
The priory church, dedicated to St Lawrence, was granted to Selby Abbey by Archbishop Gerard in the early twelfth century and became a small Benedictine cell of that house. In 1310 it was appropriated to Selby with two monks made resident alongside a secular priest.[3][4] Snaith received a royal charter to hold markets and fairs in 1223 under Henry III.[5] For centuries the parish exercised its own ecclesiastical jurisdiction as a peculiar, with proceedings held in a local consistory court.[6]
The church was designated a Grade I listed building in 1967 and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.[6] Part of the former priory garth was taken when the railway was laid out along the north edge of the town between the church and the River Aire.[3]
Priory Church of St Laurence, Snaith parish church
During the Second World War a bomber airfield, RAF Snaith, was established nearby at Pollington, which operated from 1941 to 1946.[8]
Governance
Snaith is a part of the civil parish of Snaith and Cowick, the town council is located in the Market Place.[9]
Snaith is located south of the River Aire, on the edge of the Lower Aire Washlands where water is held in designated basins such as Snaith Ings during periods of high flow. [13]
The principal landmark is the Priory Church of St Laurence, which is listed at Grade I. [6] Other notable buildings include Snaith Hall, an early 19th-century small country house on Pontefract Road listed at Grade II, and the former lock-up in the Butter Market, also Grade II. [14][15] Several buildings along the high street are also listed. [16]
Town centre
Butter Market, Snaith
Snaith town centre has a variety of amenities and many pubs and restaurants, takeaway and retail shops. The priory church is located on the western side of town and Snaith Hall is directly south of the town. The town also has Methodist church on Cowick Road, a doctor's surgery on Butt Lane, and a fire station on Market Place.[17]
Demography
At the 2021 United Kingdom census, Snaith (the built-up area) had 3,554 residents, while the wider civil parish of Snaith and Cowick had 3,865, up from 3,579 in 2011. [18][19] Figures for the built-up area use the Office for National Statistics built-up-area geography. [20]
Sport
Snaith Juniors Football Club formed in 1990 as Croda F.C. on the grounds of Cowick Hall, then used by Croda International. [21] Juniors F.C. now play at Ben Bailey housing estate and hold football tournaments at the end of May each year.[citation needed] The Garth, adjacent to the Methodist Chapel, was given to the people of Snaith for recreation and leisure.
Recreational cricket in the area includes the Snaith & District Evening Cricket League, which brings together local clubs for midweek fixtures. [22]
The town has an active cycling presence, the Marshes Cycling Club (MCC).[23]
Local buses link Snaith with Selby and Goole, the 400/401 service, operated by Arriva Yorkshire, calls at Snaith railway station and Snaith Selby Road. [28]
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