Bishop Thornton

Bishop Thornton is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England.
The civil parish also includes the village of Shaw Mills. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 521, decreasing to 507 at the 2011 census. The village is about seven miles north of Harrogate.

Bishop Thornton has both the Anglican St John's Church and the Catholic St Joseph's Church, the latter being the oldest in the Diocese of Leeds. The village also has two schools. The civil parish shares a grouped parish council with Warsill. The parish council was originally known as Bishop Thornton and Warsill Parish Council, but in 2019 its name was changed to Bishop Thornton, Shaw Mills and Warsill Parish Council. The name change did not affect the names of the two constituent parishes. The village was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the Borough of Harrogate, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

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St Joseph's Church, Bishop Thornton

St Joseph's Church is a Catholic church in Bishop Thornton, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. The existence of Catholic worship in Bishop Thornton is attested from at least 1746. In 1790, a presbytery was built for Richard Talbot and Charles Saul, on land donated by Stephen Ingilby. It has a decorative staircase leading up to a windowless room, where it is presumed that mass was said. In 1809, a church was built onto the presbytery. It was restored by Weightman & Brown from 1980 to 1981, and the whole structure was Grade II listed in 1986. It is the oldest purpose-built church in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds. Both the church and presbytery are built of gritstone with tile roofs. The presbytery has two storeys and attics, and three bays, a central porch and mullioned windows. The church to the right has four bays, round-headed windows, a porch at the east end, and a gable cross. Inside, most of the furnishing date to between 1875 and 1929, the period when Herman Geurts served as priest. The stained glass dates from the mid-20th century, and is by Hardman & Co. The church also contains a slab from the Mediaeval altar of Walworth Chapel.

Church

St John's Church, Bishop Thornton

St John's Church is an Anglican church in Bishop Thornton, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. The first church building in Bishop Thornton was constructed in about 1460, on the initiative of John Walworth. It was rebuilt in 1825 by John Oates but was demolished other than the tower in 1888. The three-stage tower (54°04′25″N 1°36′07″W) survives and is a Grade II listed building. The current church was consecrated in January 1889. It lies half a mile south of the old building. The small church is in the Decorated Gothic style, and it has an octagonal bellcote. The chancel has four small windows, which were relocated from the old church. There is an octagonal font, and an organ built by James Jepson Binns. The east window contains a depiction of the old church.

Church Historic Site

Shaw Mills

Shaw Mills is a hamlet in the civil parish of Bishop Thornton, in Nidderdale in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the valley of Thornton Beck, a tributary of the River Nidd, 6 miles (10 km) north west of Harrogate. The village probably takes its name from a corn mill kept by one Robert Shaw in the 16th century. In 1812 John and George Metcalfe began spinning flax in the Low Mill at Shaw Mills The High Mill and Low Mill both closed by 1861, but in about 1890 were restarted for silk-spinning. The mills closed soon after the First World War. An industrial settlement developed in the 19th century to serve the mills. Until 1974 it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the Borough of Harrogate, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

Industrial Landmark

Bedlam, North Yorkshire

Bedlam is a small village in the county of North Yorkshire, England situated north of Harrogate. Until 1974 it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the Borough of Harrogate, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council. Its name most likely came from Old English (æt) Botlum = "at the buildings" (with a dative plural case ending), or its Old Norse equivalent, and not the same origin as Bedlam insane asylum. There is also a Bedlam, Shropshire.

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