| Official Name: | Cropton |
| Country: | England |
| Unitary England: | North Yorkshire |
| Lieutenancy England: | North Yorkshire |
| Region: | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Static Image Name: | Cropton Brewery behind the New Inn.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | Cropton Brewery in 2002 |
| Population: | 321 |
| Population Ref: | (2011 Census) |
| Os Grid Reference: | SE757891 |
| Map Alt: | Relief map of North Yorkshire |
| Coordinates: | 54.2922°N -0.8383°W |
| Post Town: | PICKERING |
| Postcode Area: | YO |
| Postcode District: | YO18 |
| Constituency Westminster: | Thirsk and Malton |
Cropton is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the border of the North York Moors National Park, 5km (03miles) north-west of Pickering.[1]
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as having three ploughlands, but it does not list any inhabitants.[2] The name of the village derives from Old English (cropp tūn), which means a swelling, mound or hill with a farmstead, settlement or village.[3] At the 2001 census, the parish (including Aislaby) had a population of 354, decreasing to 321 (including Stape) at the 2011 Census.
The Great Yorkshire Brewery, a microbrewery, is located to the rear of the New Inn on the edge of the village.[4] The owners of the pub started brewing their own beer in 1984, though beer had been brewed in the village as far back as 1613.[5] To the rear of the brewery is the site of a Motte-and-bailey castle, known as the Round Hill, which is scheduled ancient monument.
Just outside the village and to the north, is the site of a set of Roman practice marching camps at Cawthorne, excavated by universities in recent years.[6] The camps are thought to be there as the village was on the route of a Roman Road between York and Dunsley Bay (Sandsend), on the Yorkshire Coast near to Whitby.[7] These have been registered as ancient monuments. To the north of the village lies Cropton Forest, a 9050acres woodland that has a caravan park within it.[8] The forest is also noted for a programme to reintroduce beavers, which was successful in producing kits (baby beavers) in 2021.[9] [10]
St Gregory's Church, Cropton is a grade II listed structure, and whilst there is no accurate record of its building date, it was rebuilt in 1844.[11] In the churchyard is the base of a medieval cross. There is a poem and tradition associated with taking a drink and leaving money at the cross.[12]
An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches south to Normanby with a total population taken at the 2011 Census of 1,542.