Kirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire

Flower Delivery to Kirkby Fleetham with Clare Florist

Kirkby Fleetham is a village in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, about 1 mile east of the A1. Along with the villages of Great Fencote and Little Fencote, it forms a civil parish called Kirkby Fleetham and Fencote, with a population around 560.

Kirkby and Fleetham used to be two separate villages themselves, but over time and though marriages the lands and manors became one. Gamlin, son of Karli and Uthred, owned Fleetham Lands. After the 1086 Conquest and survey, the lands and manor were given to Odo the chamberlain. The lands near Kirkby stayed with Aldred (Eldred) during this time. The manor of Kirby went to Aldred’s son Gospatric, and then to Gospatric’s daughter Godareda.

Eventually William Giffard owned the lands in the 13th century. The titles lapsed, until they became the possession of the Stapleton family until 1514 when Sir Thomas Methen rented the lands to the Conyers family. The Methen heirs sold the manor to Leonard Smelth in 1600. In time, the manor and lands passed to the Aislabie family who held it through the female side of the family until 1845. At the turn of the twentieth century, it passed to the Courage family.

Meanwhile, the Fleetham manor and lands passed to the Scrope family of Castle Bolton beginning in the 13th Century. It continued in this line of descent through Lord Fauconberg and the Darcy family until 1670. At that time, Richard Smelt, younger brother of the then Lord of Kirkby received title to Fleetham, and the two manors were united.

Kirkby Fleetham Hall itself is a historically listed 18th century country house standing a mile north of the village property. John Aislabie purchased the lands in the 1720s for his son John. William built the house in the mid 1700s for his daughter Ann Sophie who married William Lawrence.

Through a series of inheritances, it was left to Harry Edmund Waller IV who sold it in 1889 to Edward Courage of the Courage Brewing family. Since that time, much of the estate has been sold and the Hall has gone through stages of being a hotel, a country retreat, and apartments. Currently it is privately owned with parts of it still let out as apartments.

In the Kirkby Fleetham parish today one can see the remains of the original moated manor house, built in about 1314 on the site of an earlier motte and bailey castle. These are the remains of Henry le Scrope’s castle hall, which once had a tower with courts and outbuildings. Today all that remains is a flat raised platform approximately 140 feet in diameter.

The River Swale runs near the village to the east. The St. Mary’s parish church in the village was built between the 12th and 15th centuries, and it was fully restored in 1871. It is a grade II listed building. It has registers that date back to 1570.  A mill sits on the road outside the village heading south towards Great Fencote. It was driven by a water wheel and eventually by a steam engine. The Burgess family operated the mill for generations until it was shut down after the Great War.

The Pinfold sat opposite the Mill, in the corner of the field Hall Garth or more commonly the Castle Field where the castle ruins lie. The land was owned by the estate and stray cattle were put here. The estate claimed a fine from owners to reclaim the cattle. The Pinfold was demolished when the road was widened in the 1960s. Today, a row of post-war houses called Penfold Terrace is the only reminder of the Pinfold.

The local pub, also a bed and breakfast, called the Black Horse, is the center of much village activity. Every year, Kirkby Fleetham hosts Feast Week during which a variety of events celebrates the history of the local area. Events include rounders and quoits competition, a fun run for all ages, family football, indoor bowls, team quiz night, show day, fancy dress competitions, high tea, a BBQ at the Black Horse Inn, a dog show, a Hunt, live music and various shows by the Kirkby Fleetham Floral and Horticultural Society.

To send flowers to Kirkby Fleetham any time of the year, Clare Florist is at hand. We provide arrangements for birthdays, holidays or just to say thank you to a special person with the click of a mouse. We can ensure the ideal flower arrangement by next day delivery to Kirkby Fleetham.
 

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