Bilbrough () is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

in the

Selby District Selby District is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby. The Local Authority had a population of 83,449 at the 2011 Census. The southernmost dist ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...

, England, south-west of

York York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...

, and just outside the York city boundary. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 319 increasing to 348 at the 2011 census. The village was historically part of the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

until 1974.

History

The name means "The fortress of ''Bila''", a personal name – probably Anglo-Saxon – not recorded but suggested by numerous other placenames. St James church, Bilbrough

The village and the surrounding parish has an area of 1,390 acres and was mostly the property of the Fairfax family from the 14th century onwards.

Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented comman ...

, parliamentary commander-in-chief during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of Kingdom of England, England's governanc ...

, is buried here in a tomb inside the Fairfax Chapel within the village church, beside his wife Anne, daughter of Lord Vere, Baron of Tilbury. Other notable landowners of the Parish included Richard Basy, an MP for York in the late 13th century. Bilbrough Manor, built in 1902 for Guy Thomas Fairfax, is a Grade II listed building. The original Manor House, now a farmhouse, was built in 1670 for Thomas Fairfax. It is known that the former MP and Lord Mayor of York, Admiral Robert Fairfax, resided at this Manor. It was destroyed by fire in 1832. In 1881 the population was 198. The village is the subject of a 17th-century poem, ''Upon the hill and grove at Bilbrough'', written by English metaphysical poet and politician,

Andrew Marvell Andrew Marvell (; 31 March 1621 – 16 August 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, satirist and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1678. During the Commonwealth period he was a colleague and friend ...

Geography

The village is set amongst fields and farmland north of the

A64 road The A64 is a major road in North and West Yorkshire, England, which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64(M) ring road motorway in Leeds, then towards York it becomes a high-quality dual carriageway until it is east of ...

on lateral

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

made of boulder clay and gravel, 150 feet above sea level. A flyover which affords access to the village was opened on 9 June 2005 by the then Roads Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman, replacing an earlier junction that was a known accident blackspot. Close to the flyover, at either side of the A64, there are small service stations, hotels and fast food restaurants. To the west of the village is Ingle Edge Hill with views to Marston Moor and Towton. Close by is a ''tumulus'' of an ancient chieftain that faces towards Leeds. Little Chef - geograph

The main street in Bilbrough is home to ''The Three Hares''

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

and a parish church which dates back to

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

times. The village hall offers community events.

Parish Council

The local Parish Council has seven available councillor posts and is within the Selby District Council ward of

Appleton Roebuck Appleton Roebuck is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 692 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 792 in the 2011 census and including Acaster Selby. The village is about ...

Religion

The present church was built in 1876 in a Norman style by Thomas Fairfax upon the remains of the original. There was also a Wesleyan Chapel built in 1836.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Civil parishes in North Yorkshire Selby District Villages in North Yorkshire