"AYSGARTH  is a parish, township, village and the head of a union, pleasantly situated on the south of the river Ure, or Yore, in Wensleydale, with a station 1 mile north-east on the Northallerton and Hawes Branch of the North Eastern railway, 8¼ miles west-south-west from Leyburn, 9 east from Hawes and 4 south-east from Askrigg; it is in the Richmond division of the Riding, wapentake and petty sessional division of Hang West, county court district of Leyburn, rural deanery of West Catterick, archdeaconry of Richmond and diocese of Ripon. The church of St. Andrew is an ancient building of stone in the Early English style, and later styles, consisting of chancel with aisles, nave, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower with pinnacles containing a clock, presented by J.C. Winn esq. in 1904. and 6 bells: the upper stage and pinnacles were added to the tower at the restoration of the church: the elaborately carved and decorated rood screen, now affixed to the south wall of the chancel, was brought from Jervaulx Abbey, and the ends of the reading desk are also the work of the monks of that house: the reredos of Caen stone, which adorned with a representation of "The last Supper," after Leonardo da Vinci, was given in the year 1887 by the daughters of  the late H.T. Robinson, of Edgley and the Cliff, Leyburn: there is a brass eagle lectern and elegant brass coronæ, and several of the windows are stained, including one to the Rev. Fenwick William Stow, M.A. , vicar 1873-1905: there is also a tablet to the Rev. Clement Hales M.A. founder in 1877 of the Aysgarth Preparatory School, near Jervaulx (d.1900): the church was restored, and to a considerable extent rebuilt in 1866 a cost of about £6,000, and affords 620 sittings. The registers date from the year 1707. The living is a discharged vicarage, net yearly value £130, including 38 acres of glebe ad residence, in the gift of Trinity College Cambridge, and held since 1904 by the Rev. Daniel Henry Moore M.A. of that college, and surrogate. The monks of Jervaulx Abbey became impropriators of the tithes of Aysgarth in 1423; they were never restored to the parish, but in Queen Mary's reign were made over to Trinity College, Cambridge, which thus became patron of the benefice. The Wesleyan Methodist chapel here was erected in 1901. A fair for sheep and cattle is held here on October 30th. ... A new foot bridge was erected in 1906 at Harper-Wath by the Rural District Council, in place of the old stepping stones. In the same year a water supply was provided at a cost of £600, the spring being presented by Mr. John Chapman, of Thornton Rust. [Tom Heseltine (1888-1960), the last in a long line of masons, put in the water supply from Millbeck for Thoralby and Newbiggin in 1906, for the princely sum of one penny farthing a yard.] ...William Robinson Burrill-Robinson esq. who is lord of the manor, ... The soil is very good; subsoil, limestone. The land is chiefly in pasture. The parish of Aysgarth is very extensive, containing the twelve townships of Aysgarth, High and Low Abbotside, Askrigg, Bainbridge, Bishopdale, Burton-cum-Walden, Carperby-cum-Thoresby, Newbiggin, Thoralby, Thornton Rust and Hawes; it covers an area of 79,561 acres, a great part of which consists of high moorland. ... ecclesiastical parish in 1901, 1,369. ...

 

AYSGARTH RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL.

Meets at the Board Room, Bainbridge, fortnightly on monday.

 

Chairman, James Whaley Fryer J.P., Hawes S.O.

 

Clerk, W.E.M. Winn, Askrigg S.O. (p.27)

 

Treasurer, Edward Paul Gibson, Hawes S.O.

 

 Medical Officer of Health, Edward M. Hime M.B., Ch. B. Aysgarth S.O.

 

Sanitary Inspector, Ralph Blades, Aysgarth

 

Surveyor, James Whaley, Askrigg S.O.

 

AYSGARTH UNION.

Aysgarth poor law union comprises the following twelve townships, viz: - High Abbotside, Low Abbotside, Askrigg, Aysgarth, Bainbridge, Bishopdale, Burton-cum-Walden, Carperby-cum-Thoresby, Hawes, Newbiggin, Thoralby and Thornton Rust. The area of the union is 81,033 acres, rateable value, Michaelmas, 1908, £50,003;

the population in 1904 was 4,506.

 

Board day monday, fortnightly, at the Board room, Bainbridge, at 1.45 p.m.

 

Chairman of the Board of Guardians, Thomas Stuart, Hawes S.O.

 

Clerk to the Guardians & Assessment Committee, W.E.M. Winn, Askrigg S.O.

 

Treasurer, Edward Paul Gibson, Hawes S.O.

 

   Collector to the Guardians, Relieving & Vaccination Officer for the Union, Alexander T. Storey, Askrigg S.O.

 

Medical Officers & Public Vaccinators, Askrigg district, Edward M. Hime M.B., Ch. B. Aysgarth;

Hawes district, Edward Wm. Anderton M.B. Ch. B. Hawes S.O.

 

The Workhouse, at Bainbridge, is a building of stone, erected in 1810, & will hold 60 inmates; Rev. Frederick Morris Symonnds Squibb M.A. vicar of Askrigg, hon. chaplain;  Frank Hiscock, master; Edward M. Hime M.B., Ch. B. medical officer; Mrs Elizabeth Hiscock matron.

 

Superintendent Registrar, W.E.M. Winn. Askrigg S.O. 

 

Registrar of Marriages, Alexander Thwaite Storey, Askrigg S.O.

 

Registrars of Births & Deaths, Askrigg sub-district, Alexander Thawites Storey, Askrigg S.O. ; deputy, James Whaley. Askrigg S.O. ; Hawes sub-district, Francis P. Bowe, Hawes S.O.

 

Public Elementary School, erected for 127 children; average attendance, 32, Mrs Hill, mistress.

 

Railway Station, Frederick Kitching, station master.

 

Bishopdale extends in a southerly direction from 3 to 6 miles from Aysgarth, and consists only of a few scattered farm-houses. Lead is found in small quantities in this township. William Robinson Burril-Robinson esq. is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Lieut.- Col. John William Lodge J.P. William Purchas esq. of West Burton, and the Thomas T.S. Metcalfe esq. of Lechlade, Glos. The soil is rich loam; subsoil, limestone and gravel; the chief crop is hay. The population in 1901 was 80, and the area is 4,728 acres of land and 5 of water; rateable value, £1,753.

 

Letters from Aysgarth S.O. arrive at 8 a.m.

 

Wall Letter Box cleared at 4 p.m. week days only.

 

Public Elementary School (mixed & infants), built in 1880 for 50 children; average attendance, 15;

Miss Parry mistress. (p.28)