Huntington, Yorkshire

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Huntington
Yorkshire
North Riding
Monks Cross Shopping Centre York - geograph.org.uk - 104104.jpg
Monks Cross Shopping Centre, Huntington
Location
Grid reference: SE556540
Location: 53°59’33"N, 1°2’35"W
Data
Population: 12,108  (2011)
Post town: York
Postcode: YO31, YO32
Dialling code: 01904
Local Government
Council: York
Parliamentary
constituency:
York Outer

Huntington is a village in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It stands beside the River Foss, to the north of York and the south of Strensall.

The 2011 census recorded a population of 12,108.

History

All Saints Church

There has been a parish church (All Saints) in this village since 1086. Huntington originally included three villages within the parish boundaries: Towthorpe, Earswick and Huntington. Huntington itself also comprised the small township of West Huntington, including West Huntington Hall. The village is unique in that the main settlement and church are separated by a river, the Foss. During the Middle Ages, the part of Huntington to the east of the Foss was part of the Forest of Galtres, a hunting royal forest that covered large areas of land to the north-east of York and is still referred to in many local place names. The Act of Dis-Afforestation of 1629 put an end to this.[1]

Huntington remained a very small settlement until the second half of the 19th century, with no more than approximately 630 inhabitants by 1901. The expansion of Huntington started slowly around 1870–1880, with the construction of nearby New Earswick and the opening of Queen Elizabeth Barracks in nearby Strensall. The rehousing schemes during the 1930s speeded up the growth of the village and turned Huntington into a suburban area of the York. The village suffered only a little damage during the Second World War and saw a further housing expansion along Huntington and Strensall Road in the post-war years. The northwards expansion was halted by the construction of the York ring road. Most of the land associated with West Huntington has now become the separate parish of New Earswick. Huntington's old village, including All Saints' Church and the nearby West Huntington Hall is a conservation area.

The urbanisation of the village is now almost complete.

Huntington was served by Earswick railway station on the York to Beverley Line between 1847 and 1965.[2]

Churches

The River Foss at Huntington

All Saints' Church is in the countryside between Huntington and New Earswick, on Church Lane, off the Old Village in Huntington. It is beside the River Foss, which runs between the two villages. It is a popular location for life ceremonies, especially weddings and baptisms and has an attractive and well-maintained churchyard. There is a large car park nearby, which is used all week by Huntington residents for walks along the river, exercising dogs, horses etc.

St Andrew's Church is home to a lively Christian community whose building sits on Huntington Road, near the Link Road, which connects Huntington to New Earswick. It is close to Huntington Secondary School and is just opposite the New Earswick bowls club and the Hogshead (formerly, the Flag & Whistle) pub. The building includes a hall used for numerous youth and community groups during the week as well as the Ladybirds Nursery School and a school of dance. There is also large scout hut to the rear and together with an active church community the site is in use seven days a week including most evenings. The church has recently been refurbished in order to serve the community better, including creating a new kitchen, office space and improved access to the hall and church buildings.

Both All Saints' and St Andrew's are founder members of Churches Together in Huntington and New Earswick, together with Huntington Methodist Church, New Earswick Methodist Church, St Paulinus' Catholic Church and the New Earswick Religious Society of Friends ('Quakers').

Outside links

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References

  1. Robinson, F: A History of Huntington Parish Church, pp. 1–5, 1983.
  2. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.