Conistone Explained

Country:England
Static Image Name:Conistone & Dib, from west.jpg
Static Image Caption:Conistone, bridge and Dib, over Wharfedale from west
Coordinates:54.103°N -2.031°W
Official Name:Conistone
Civil Parish:Conistone with Kilnsey
Unitary England:North Yorkshire
Lieutenancy England:North Yorkshire
Region:Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituency Westminster:Skipton and Ripon
Post Town:SKIPTON
Postcode District:BD23
Postcode Area:BD
Dial Code:01756
Os Grid Reference:SD981675

Conistone is a small village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies 3miles north of Grassington, 3miles south of Kettlewell and north of Skipton beside the River Wharfe, in Upper Wharfedale.[1]

History

Conistone is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Cunestune and belonging to Ketil.[2] The name derives from a mix of Old Danish (Kunung) and Old English (tūn), which means King's farm or Settlement.[3]

The village is set in characteristic limestone scenery, including Mossdale Caverns, the dry gorge of Conistone Dib and the limestone outcrop of Conistone Pie.[4] Above the Dib the Dales Way path connects Kettlewell, to its north, and Grassington, to its south, providing distant views over Wharfedale.[5] From the B6160 road, the Wharfe is crossed at Conistone by a stone-arch bridge, which is within easy walking distance of Kilnsey, with its Crag.

The parish church, St Mary's Church, dates from the 11th or 12th century, and is a Grade II listed building.

Conistone was historically in the large ancient parish of Burnsall, in Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[6] It became part of the civil parish of Conistone with Kilnsey in 1866,[7] and was transferred to North Yorkshire in 1974. The population of the parish in the 2001 census was 117, rising to 124 at the 2011 census. In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council had estimated the population to be 110.[8]

Immediately to the east of the village lies Conistone Moor and Riggs Moor. The moorland here was known for its lead mines,[9] and also as being the furthest point in England from a road. Known by the Ordnance Survey as Pile of Stones, the point is on Riggs Moor and is found at .[10]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Genuki: In 1822, the following places were in the Parish of Burnsall:, Yorkshire (West Riding) . www.genuki.org.uk . 6 January 2020 . en.
  2. Web site: Conistone Domesday Book . opendomesday.org . 6 January 2020.
  3. Book: Ekwall . Eilert . The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names . 1960 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-869103-3 . 120. 4.
  4. News: Machell . Ben . Times Walks: Kettlewell and Conistone Moor, North Yorkshire . 6 January 2020 . The Times . 22 May 2009 . en. subscription.
  5. News: Weekend Walk. Conistone Dib . 6 January 2020 . The Yorkshire Post . 7 October 2017 . en. limited.
  6. Web site: Places in the Parish of Burnsall in 1822. GENUKI . 12 June 2013.
  7. Web site: Conistone With Kilnsey CP/Ch. Vision of Britain . 12 June 2013.
  8. Web site: 2015 Population Estimates Parishes . northyorks.gov.uk . 6 January 2020 . 10 . PDF . December 2016 . 4 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220604015709/https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/About%20the%20council/North%20Yorkshire%20statistics/Parish_mid-year_population_estimates_2015.pdf . dead .
  9. Web site: The Yorkshire Moors and Fells . yorkshiredales.org.uk . 6 January 2020 . 2 . PDF.
  10. News: Hellen . Nicholas . The end of Britain’s wilderness: nowhere is more than 6 miles from a road . 6 January 2020 . The Sunday Times . 26 May 2019 . en. subscription.