Place:Askrigg, North Riding of Yorkshire, England

the text in this article is based on an article in Wikipedia Askrigg is now a civil parish and a village in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is part of the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The village and its parish are located in Upper Wensleydale, 12 miles (19 km) west of Leyburn, and 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Hawes. It is 31.4 miles (50.5 km) west of the county town of Northallerton. The civil parish area covers the village itself and several small hamlets including Newbiggin near Aysgarth (a separate parish until 1974) and Woodhall. Since 1974 it is also known as "Askrigg and Low Abbotside Parish", as it occupies the same geographic area as the two parishes which were combined at this time. (Source: Wikipedia article, Askrigg, section: Geography) Askrigg was in the Aysgarth Rural District of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 until the nationwide municipal reorganization of 1974. Historically it was in the ecclesiastical parish of Aysgarth in the wapentake of Hang West.

The following description from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72 is provided by the website A Vision of Britain Through Time (University of Portsmouth Department of Geography).

"ASKRIGG, a small town, a township, a chapelry, a [registration] subdistrict, and a [registration] district, [North Riding of] Yorkshire. The town stands on the left side of the river Ure, 6 miles E of Hawes, and 10½ W of Leyburn [railway] station; and has a post office under Bedale.

"It is a very ancient place; and was once much more prosperous than now. It resembles a mere village; but has a weekly market on Thursday, and fairs on 11 May, the first Thursday of June, 11 July, and 28 Oct. A moorish, upland country lies around it, and embosoms some striking scenery, with the fine waterfalls of Millgill, Whitfieldgill, and Hardraw forces.

"The township includes also the hamlets of Newbigging, Nappa, and Wraxhall. Acres: 4,741. Real property: £4,357. Population: 668. Houses: 157. The property is much subdivided. Lead ore occurs, and has been worked, but not very productively. Roman remains exist at Newbigging, Nappa, and Woodhall.

"The chapelry includes the township, but is more extensive. The living is a [perpetual] curacy in the diocese of Ripon. Value: £100. Patron: the Vicar of Aysgarth. The church is an ancient and interesting edifice, in good condition. There are Independent, Wesleyan, and Quaker chapels, an endowed school with £65 a year, and six alms-houses for widows with £60."

[Statistics for the registration subdistrict, and registration district have been omitted from this description.]

Research Tips

• GENUKI on Askrigg. The GENUKI page gives numerous references to local bodies providing genealogical assistance.
• A Vision of Britain through Time on Askrigg.
• The FamilySearch wiki on the ecclesiastical parish of Aysgarth provides a list of useful resources for the local area.