Ellerton Abbey is a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the county of
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
, England. It is located on the
River Swale
The River Swale in Yorkshire, England, is a major tributary of the River Ure, which becomes the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse, that empties into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. The river gives its name to Swaledale, the valley throu ...
in lower
Swaledale
Swaledale is a valley in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Dales, which are part of the Pennines, and within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is named after the River Swale, which runs through it. Swaledale is the mo ...
, south-west of
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
. The population of the parish was estimated at 20 in 2016. The parish consists of farmland, a few scattered houses and an area of moorland which is part of the army training area associated with
Wathgill Camp. The parish includes the site of the
deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the conve ...
of Ellerton,
[ not to be confused with the modern village of ]Ellerton-on-Swale
Ellerton-on-Swale or Ellerton (historically known as Ellerton-upon-Swale) is a small village and civil parish about a mile east of Catterick in the county of North Yorkshire, England. In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council estimated the pop ...
11 miles to the east, but there is no modern village in the civil parish.
From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Richmondshire
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Richmondshire District
, type = Non-metropolitan district
, image_skyline =
, imagesize =
, image_caption =
, image_blank_emblem= Richmondshire arms.png
, blank_em ...
, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council
North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the council has been a unitary authority, being a county coun ...
.
The parish includes Ellerton Abbey House and the adjacent ruins of Ellerton Priory.
Etymology
The place-name ''Ellerton'' derives from the Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
words ''elri'' "alder" and ''tun'' "farm or enclosure". The place was mentioned in the Domesday Book, as ''Elreton'', when it was held by Count Alan of Brittany
Alan Rufus, alternatively Alanus Rufus (Latin), Alan ar Rouz (Breton language, Breton), Alain le Roux (French Language, French) or Alan the Red (c. 1040 – 1093), 1st Lord of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond, was a Bretons, Breton nobleman, ...
.[
]
History
Ellerton appears to have been a village in the Middle Ages.township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
in the parish of Downholme
Downholme is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately west from the market town of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond and west from the county town of Northallerton. The village lies close to the ed ...
in the wapentake
A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and in Cumberland County in the British Colony of ...
of Hang West
Hang West was a Wapentake (Hundred) in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
The Wapentake measured across (from west to east) and was from north to south. It was bordered on its eastern side by Hang East, the West Riding of Yorkshire on the southe ...
in the North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at .
From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
. At least some of the land was held by Ellerton Priory, although the priory was never well endowed. After the dissolution, the manor passed to the Brackenbury family, who sold it in 1654 to James Drax
Colonel Sir James Drax ( – ) was an English planter and military officer. Born in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Drax migrated to the English colony of Barbados and acquired ownership of several sugar plantations and slaves. Drax was expelled from Ba ...
, whose descendants hold it today.Grade II listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
.
Ellerton Abbey became a separate civil parish in 1866.
See also
*Listed buildings in Ellerton Abbey
Ellerton Abbey is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It contains four Listed building#England and Wales, listed buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. All the li ...
References
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Ellerton Abbey (civil parish)
Civil parishes in North Yorkshire
Swaledale
Drax family