Place:Low Abbotside, North Riding of Yorkshire, England

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NameLow Abbotside
Alt namesBowbridgesource: 19th century settlement in parish
Grangesource: 19th century settlement in parish
Helmesource: 19th century settlement in parish
Shawcotesource: 19th century settlement in parish
TypeTownship, Civil parish
Coordinates54.328°N 2.135°W
Located inNorth Riding of Yorkshire, England     (1932 - 1974)
Also located inYorkshire, England    
North Yorkshire, England     (1974 - )
See alsoAbbotside Common, North Riding of Yorkshire, Englandparish of which is was part until 1932
Aysgarth Rural, North Riding of Yorkshire, Englandrural district in which it was situated 1932-1974
Richmondshire District, North Yorkshire, Englandadministrative district in which it is now located
the text in this article is based on one in Wikipedia

Low Abbotside was created as a civil parish in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England in 1932. Previously it had been part of Abbotside Common. Since 1974 it has been merged into the parish of Askrigg in the Richmondshire District of North Yorkshire, England.

Low Abbotside is a rural parish on the north side of Wensleydale. The population was estimated at 110 in 2012. There is no distinct village today, but in the 19th century it contained the settlements of Grange, Bowbridge, Helme, and Shawcote.

History

Low Abbotside was historically a township in the large ancient parish of Aysgarth in the North Riding of Yorkshire The name derives from the land on the north side of Wensleydale held by the abbot of Jervaulx Abbey in the Middle Ages. The first site of the abbey, founded in 1145 as Fors Abbey (named from a waterfall on the Meer Beck) is in the parish, about 1 mile west of Askrigg. The abbey was moved from there to its present site in 1156.

The abbot's manor was formally known as the Manor of Wensleydale, at least from the 14th century, but was also known as Abbotside. After the dissolution in 1539 the abbot's lands were sold to a succession of owners, and in 1723 were acquired by the Wortley family, who divided Abbotside into the manors of High Abbotside and Low Abbotside.

In 1866 the manor or township of Low Abbotside became a separate civil parish. The parish was enlarged in 1934, when part of Abbotside Common, previously shared with the parish of High Abbotside, was added to the parish.

Image:Aysgarth RD PJ.png

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