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Spofforth

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The Ancient Parish of SPOFFORTH

[Transcribed information mainly from the early 1820s]

"SPOFFORTH, a parish-town, in the upper-division of Claro; 3 miles NW. of Wetherby, 4 from Knaresborough, 5 from Harrogate, 18 from York. Pop. 895. The Church is a rectory, dedicated to All-Saints (see Churches for photograph), in the deanry of the Ainsty, value, £73. 6s.8d. Patron, the Earl of Egremont.

Spofforth Castle is remarkable for having been, for several ages, the principal seat of the noble family of Percy; and still continues in the possession of one of its descendants, the Earl of Egremont. This Castle is supposed to have been built in the time of Edward III. and is at present in a dilapidated state, but yet displays strong marks of a rude and grand mansion. After the battle of Towton, so fatal to Henry VI. in which were slain the Earl of Northumberland and Sir Richard Percy, his brother, their estates were laid waste by the enraged conquerors; and this Mansion was dismantled, and reduced from a princely palace to a heap of ruins. --Archaeol. --Hargrove.

Here was born, Lawrence Eusden, a poet, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1718, he obtained the Laureatship, which raised him several enemies, particularly Pope, who placed him in the Dunciad. His poems are in Nichols' Collection. He died in 1730. --Gen. Biog. Dict."



Information on the following places in this Parish is contained on a supplementary page.
  • Addlethorpe
  • Aketon
  • Blackstones
  • Braim Hall
  • Follifoot
  • Linton
  • Linton Spring
  • Little Ribstone
  • Newsholme
  • Plumpton
  • Rudding Hall
  • Sandbeck
  • Spofforth Haggs
  • Stockeld
  • Swinnow Park
  • Wetherby
[Description(s) edited from various 19th century sources by Colin Hinson © 2013]
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Churches

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Church History

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Church Records

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Directories

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Gazetteers

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SE364510 (Lat/Lon: 53.953821, -1.44681), Spofforth which are provided by:

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Memorial Inscriptions

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Names, Geographical

  • The following places are within the boundaries of this (ancient) parish, but I have no further information on them other than the Ordnance Survey Landranger Grid reference shown:
    • (SE348522) Aketon Lodge
    • (SE323522) Follifoot Ridge
    • (SE387480) Linton Hills
    • (SE363549) Low Grange
    • (SE357541) Plompton Hall
    • (SE362537) Plompton High Grange
    • (SE359534) Plompton Square
    • (SE368502) Spofforth Hall
    • (SE377498) Stockeld Grange
    • (SE372492) Stockeld Park
    • (SE385475) Westwood
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