Killinghall


Killinghall is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. The civil parish population taken at the 2011 census was 4,132.
The village is situated approximately north of Harrogate, extending south from the bridges on the A61 road over the River Nidd. The undeveloped area between Killinghall and Harrogate is known as Killinghall Moor some of which has been developed into Jenny Fields Estate. The village of Ripley lies to the north and Hampsthwaite to the west. Killinghall's position on the A61 links the village to Harrogate and Ripon. A regular bus service between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds stops in Killinghall.

Killinghall is primarily a commuter village, with one public house, the Three Horseshoes. The former Greyhound pub is closed. Within the parish but outside the village are two others: The Nelson and the Old Spring Well - formerly the Travellers' Rest), a primary school, the Church of St Thomas, a Methodist chapel, a children's day nursery, doctor's office and a garden centre with nursery. The local area incorporates a number of farms.

History

The village dates back before the Norman conquest of England, in fact, there is evidence that it dates back to Celtic times. In the Domesday Book the village is called Chenihalle, i.e. Kennelhall; probably a place where the hounds were kept. A nobleman in the county of Yorkshire had the power granted to him by one of the Saxon kings to keep Mastiff dogs for chasing wolves out of their territory. The name has also been suggested as deriving from Chillingehal, which means the place of Cylla's people in Old English.
In the 17th century, early settlers acquired land in the Hollins Hall site of Lund Lane. Known at that time as Yearwith Hollins, this was settled by 25 families; the site was chosen because it was inter common with Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, which meant it was not possessed by either village. The Yeoman held plots of land of various sizes between Hollins Hall and Hollins Farm and records show that five of the families were named Hardisty. These early settlements helped create the village. There were also rich families that used to live in the village such as the Pulleyns, Tancreds, and Bayns who all erected manor houses that have since been reduced to grassy steps, and sometimes built over.
During the English Civil War, after the Battle of Marston Moor in July 1644, Cromwell's Norwich Troop of horses were quartered at Killinghall Village. The oldest building in the area is the Kennel Hall farm. This building was used to house Parliamentary soldiers from Cromwell regiment. The buildings date back only to the 17th century when the village was being largely rebuilt.
Killinghall grew up as a river crossing over the River Nidd where a new bridge now stands, but Killinghall found a new reputation with its quarries. The quarries have extracted their last lumps years ago, but many stone cutting businesses still exists in the area. A reminder of this is the lump of stone in the glebe that was quarried from the area. This stone also helped make many of Harrogate's structures.
On 5 July 2014, the Tour de France Stage 1 from Leeds to Harrogate passed through the village.

Governance

The first parish meeting was held in 1895.
There is an electoral ward called Killinghall. This ward stretches north to Ripley and in the 2011 census had a total population of 3,306.

Geography

River Nidd and Oak Beck

These are the rivers that cover the north, and half the south sides of the village. The River Nidd is crossed by two bridges directly next to each other; the biggest of which is for most traffic and leads to Ripley, the other is for small traffic and carries a road that comes from the main one, and joins back onto it after the water. The Nidderdale Greenway joins this small road.

Killinghall Moor

The borders are not well defined but are roughly Jennyfields, Harlow Hill and the River Nidd. Killinghall Moor has no heather and looks particularly green as it is not a moor by definition but by name. It is a suburb of western Harrogate that is on the south edge of the A59 road. Killinghall Moor Conservation Group has been formed to protect the area around Killinghall Moor from development.

Culture and community

Glebe

The glebe has been converted into a children's play area. It is located just outside the church. The land it stands on has had to be drained and reseeded in order to be made fit for purpose. Project finished on 30 April 2006.

Village hall

The villagers want for a village hall first gained momentum in the 1930s, and in 1937 residents bought an old board school. It was not until the coronation of George VI that volunteers pulled together and built one. The village hall is used by toddlers and the elderly alike for clubs, meetings, and groups.

Killinghall play group

Young children's day care.

Sport

The village is represented by a cricket team, a football team and a children's football team.

Landmarks

Hazel Manor

Built in 1857, Hazel Manor has changed ownership many times, and is now a B&B.

Transport

The village is bisected by the A61 road between Derby and Thirsk. The B6161 road from Pool-in-Wharfedale also ends at the centre of the village in north facing junction with the A61. There is a proposal for the A61 to bypass Killinghall by driving east and re-joining the A61 further north near to Ripley. The road bridge over the River Nidd to the north of the village was built in the 1950s; the old bridge, which dates back to the 17th century and is grade II listed, is alongside the new bridge.
A bus service operates every 15 minutes on the route between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon.

Nidderdale Greenway

The Nidderdale Greenway is a car–free cycle path that follows the route of a disused railway. It starts in Starbeck Harrogate, crosses the "Bilton triangle", and then crosses Bilton Lane. After that the path goes over open fields until it reaches a high viaduct spanning the Nidd Gorge that was originally built in 1848. From there the path carries on across fields until in reaches the bridge next to Killlinghall. It then crosses Ripon Road then on to Ripley Castle. The greenway was opened in May 2013, almost a year before the Tour de France went past Ripley and Harrogate.
The railway that was originally along this route was primarily used to transport minerals, and later passengers until its closure in 1951. Killinghall was served by a railway station on the Nidd Valley Railway. The station was just west of Killinghall Bridge and in 1872, was renamed Ripley and then later,. Whilst the station closed in 1951, the line remained open for goods traffic until 1964.

Religious sites

St Thomas the Apostle Church

This church dates back to the creation of its parish in 1880 and graves are still being dug. Built in mock gothic.

Methodist chapel

Killinghall Methodist Church, part of the Nidd Valley Methodist Circuit, is situated on Ripon Road. Its minister is Reverend Grace Cauldwell. A chapel on this site was first erected in 1792, not long after Methodism began.