Wold Newton, East Riding of Yorkshire

Wold Newton is a small village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about 9 miles south of Scarborough and 9 miles northwest of Bridlington. The village sits in the Great Wold Valley. A chalk stream called the Gypsey Race runs through it, but it only flows in winter.

In 2011, Wold Newton had 337 people living there. The village has many old buildings, such as the parish church of All Saints. There are also eight Grade II listed buildings. These include Wold Newton Hall, the old chapel (now a community centre), the Old Vicarage, the Anvil Arms Public House, and a red telephone box on the village green. Much of the village is a Conservation area.

Wold Newton has its own small telephone exchange, called the “Thwing Exchange.” The village is also home to the Wold Newton Cricket Club. Famous children’s author Christina Butler once lived in Wold Newton Hall, where she wrote many books.

History

Neolithic round barrow

Near the village, close to the Gypsy Race, there is a Neolithic round barrow. It was dug up in 1894 by John Robert Mortimer. His team found that it started as a large wooden structure where bodies were placed with pottery and stone tools. The Great Wold Valley had many important Neolithic sites, including the barrows of Duggleby Howe and Willy Howe, as well as the Rudston Monolith. The barrow has been protected as an important ancient site since 1962.

Bronze Age bowl barrows

Two bowl barrows are found west of Wold Newton Green. During medieval times, they were used as targets for archery, which is why the nearby lane is called Butt Lane. They are now protected as important ancient sites.

Wold Newton hoard

Main article: Wold Newton Hoard

In 2014, a metal detectorist named David Blakely found a pottery container with 1,857 copper coins from the early 4th century AD. The container and coins were bought by the Yorkshire Museum in 2016 and put on display for the public in 2017.

Origins of village

Wold Newton has an Anglian name meaning a new farmstead.

Enclosure

The land around Warrington was enclosed in 1776. This also set the current path of the Gypsy Race.

Wold Cottage meteorite

Main article: Wold Cottage meteorite

On 13 December 1795, a meteorite fell near the village, landing very close to a ploughman named John Shipley. A brick column marks the spot today. The meteorite is now kept in the Natural History Museum in London. This event inspired a series of science fiction stories called the Wold Newton family by American author Philip José Farmer.

Administrative history

From medieval times until the 19th century, Wold Newton was part of Dickering Wapentake.

From 1894 to 1974, Wold Newton was in the Bridlington Rural District in the East Riding of Yorkshire. From 1974 to 1996, it was part of the Borough of North Wolds (later the Borough of East Yorkshire) in the county of Humberside.

After the local government changes in 1974, the parish became the northernmost part of the new county of Humberside. The southern tip of Humberside was the village of Wold Newton, Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire. Since 1996, Wold Newton has been part of the unitary East Riding of Yorkshire Council.