Fewston 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

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa wate ...

district of

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. It is situated north of

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...

and close to Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs. The Church of St Michael and St Lawrence is the village church. The majority of the building was constructed in 1697, although the tower dates from the 14th century. The Washburn Heritage Centre, adjacent to the church, opened in February 2011.

History

Fewston was an ancient parish in the Forest of Knaresborough in 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 ...

. It covered a wide area, and included the

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

s of Blubberhouses,

Clifton with Norwood Norwood is a civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, Norwood parish had a population of 200, increasing to 216 at the 2011 Census. The parish lies on the eastern side of the Washbur ...

, Great Timble, and

Thruscross Thruscross is a small settlement and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Washburn Valley, west of Harrogate. The parish includes Thruscross Reservoir and a large area of moorland west of the re ...

. All these places became separate civil parishes in 1866. Fewston was transferred to the new county of North Yorkshire in 1974. The poet

Edward Fairfax Edward Fairfax (c. 1580 – 27 January 1635) was an English translator. He translated Torquato Tasso's ''Jerusalem Delivered''. He also wrote an original work on demonology. Life He was the natural son of Sir Thomas Fairfax the elder, of Den ...

lived at nearby New Hall, now submerged under the waters of Fewston Reservoir, as did

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP (29 March 1584 – 14 March 1648) was an English nobleman and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1648. He was a commander in the Parliamentary army in ...

. Edward's daughters Elizabeth and Anne were baptised in the village church in 1606 and 1621 respectively, while Ferdinando's daughter Mary and son Charles were baptised there in 1606 and 1615.''The History and Topology of Harrogate and Knaresborough Forest'' by William Grainge, 1871, reprinted 1988 by M.T.D. Rigg, Guiseley.

References

External links

*
Fewston with Blubberhouses church website
{{authority control Villages in North Yorkshire Civil parishes in North Yorkshire