Ampleforth
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Ampleforth is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about 23 miles north of York. The village is situated on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. The parish has a population of 883 according to the 2001 census, and includes Ampleforth College.
Up until immediately after the Second World War Ampleforth village mainly consisted of houses built along the main road which still serves as a principal thoroughfare through the village. Here there are several buildings dating back to the nineteenth century including the Village Shop and the adjoining Coram Cottage, constructed in 1856.
After the war the village began to spread southwards and further east along what now are called Mill Lane and East Lane. At the southern end of the village there is a former council estate constructed in the 1960s which formed the greatest part of the development.
Construction of new houses continues today. Along East Lane small farms are gradually being developed into large homes so that the rural/residential split becomes less marked.
Ampleforth is one of the most sought after villages in the area causing property priced to be unusually high for North Yorkshire. This has been attributed to the proximity of Ampleforth Abbey & College and therefore the desirability for students and members of staff to live nearby.
Although a small village, Ampleforth has several notable features in and nearby it.
The Church of England parish in the village is dedicated to St Hilda, an English Abbess who founded the Abbey at Whitby. The church dates back to Saxon times, with elements of it coming from the 13th century. Attached to the church is a primary school run jointly by the Church of England and the North Yorshire County Council Education service. The current vicar is The Rev Michael Cartwright.
As Ampleforth Abbey is only a mile away there has been a Catholic presence in the village for some time. The parish church is dedicated to Our Lady and St Benedict. It is served by the monks of Ampleforth and has served as parish church for the village's Catholic population for many decades, often being considered a chapel-of-ease to the farmers of the area.
There are two public houses in the village, named 'The White Swan' and 'The White Horse'. The latter gets its name from the large white horse which was carved into the hillside a few miles to the west by soldiers of the British Army during the reign of Queen Victoria.
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