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The Four Townships of Bishopdale

 

Thoralby Township

 

The present-day township comprises 2,857 acres. The houses outside the main village are to the east, Spickles Farm and Riddings and to the west Gayle Ing, Barker, Cote Bottom, Blind Syke, Swinacote, Howsyke, Crooksby and Littleburn.

 

Bishopdale Township

 

The present-day township comprises 4,728 acres. There has been no village in the township since Croxby became depopulated in the Middle Ages, since when the township boundaries have changed, placing the remains of Croxby in Thoralby township. The scattered farms and houses that make up Bishopdale are Dale Head, Howgill, Kidstones, Longridge, Newhouse, The Rookery (Coach House), Scar Top, Smelter, Myres Garth, Ribba Hall, Underscarr, The Old School House, Newhouse Gill and Dalefoot.

Burton-cum-Walden Township

The present-day township comprises 7,659 acres. It occupies the lower ends of the valleys of Bishopdale and Walden and includes the village of West Burton, including the Black Bull, Flanders Hall, How Raine, Sorrelsykes, Morpeth Gate, Edgley, Adams Bottoms, Brown Lea, and Eshington. The valley of Walden includes Riddings, Cote, White Row, High and Low Dove Scarr, Chapel Green, Nell Bank, Bridge End, Ashes, Grange Farm, Uncles Farm, Kentucky House, Walden Head, Rowton Gill, Hill Top, Haw, Hargill, Cowston Gill, Cross and Forelands. Nellholme, Hestholme and Hestholme East, formerly a detached part of Thoralby township, are now part of Burton-cum-Walden township.

Newbiggin Township

 

The present-day township comprises 1,696 acres. The houses outside the main village are The Street Head Inn, Cross Lanes Farm, The Bunkhouse (formerly Cross Lanes School), East Lane House, West Lane House, and Misty Field.

 

All four townships are in the Wapentake of Hang West, formerly in the North Riding of Yorkshire and are now in the county of North Yorkshire. See diagram below.

Wapentake of Hang West

Diagram from Yorkshire Dales National Park, Historic Village Atlas, Thoralby, 2007.

Below is a map showing the boundary line of all four townships of Thoralby, Bishopdale, Burton-cum-Walden and Newbiggin. The map is a section of the O.S. map for Wensleydale, 1960. Thoralby township is highlighted in blue, Bishopdale in orange Burton-cum-Walden in red and Newbiggin in green.

Four Townships map
© Thoralby Through Time
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