Spofforth: A wealth of riches, both then and now
Situated in the much sought after Golden Triangle between Harrogate, Leeds and York and perched atop a rocky outcrop, the remains of Spofforth Castle appear a little understated, given the site's important part in England's history.
The seat of the influential Percy family - one of the most influential families in medieval northern England for hundreds of years - was established by William the Conqueror's ally William de Percy, with a manor, more than a century before rebel barons are said to have gathered there to draft the Magna Carta, establishing rights and liberties, in 1215.
The de Percy's received consent to fortify their manor house in the early 14th century and in 1308 Henry de Percy was licensed to fortify the manor house, but 53 years later, during the War of the Roses, the Yorkists burnt the Lancastrian-supporting family's property to the ground. The final occupant is thought to have died a year after Elizabeth I and the castle sustained further destruction during the Civil War, leaving what English Heritage conserves as a free-enry visitor attraction.
Featuring the remains of the manor house's great hall, trefoil-pointed arched windows, a stair turret at its north-west extremity, passages, rock-cut steps to an undercroft, columns and a chapel, it remains easy to appreciate the key role the property played. It is now said to be haunted. In 2022, regular visitors to Spofforth Castle Rotherham couple Linzi and Lee Steer, who have over 2.2 million followers on Facebook and work as full-time ghost hunters, claimed to have conversed with a ghost called Hazel there.
The ruins are set in parkland surrounded by trees and a mix of modern and historic housing on the village's northwestern fringe overlooking Castle Street. Beyon the parkland there’s an 18-hole, par-72 golf course covering some 130 acres. It was created as a diversification of Manor Farm in the 1990s and has recently been taken over by a local family. Operating on a non-membership pay and play basis, green fees cost from £25.
Castle Street also boasts some of the village's most distinctive properties, including a row of four late 17th century cottages and a Manor House of the same period, opposite Castle Close, as the street meanders north from the ruins. To its south, among numerous stone cottages, stands a red brick school-like building, the Long Memorial Hall. It opened in 1927 following donations from entrepreneurs in the village for a social hub.
It remains a well-used venue, hosting groups ranging from line-dancing to dog training classes, events including the North Yorkshire Bead Fair as well as theatrical productions such as Badapple Theatre's comedy Crumbs next month. Last month, the hall served as the starting point to the village's Scarecrow Trail, organised by Spofforth Village Society, a charity which organises events and raises funds to ensure the village's heritage and environment is maintained.
Nearby, there's a charming, narrow hedge-lined lane, leading to the village primary school, which was founded by the village's rector in 1847. When Spofforth scooped the gold award in the RHS Britain In Bloom awards in 2018, the fruit and veg garden at the school was singled out for praise alongside the village's Millennium Garden’s lavender hedge and the high standard of green open spaces.
The 100-odd pupils on the school roll include children from the surrounding villages of Kirk Deighton, North Deighton and Little Ribston, but to secure its future it was agreed a decade ago to federate the school with its counterpart in Follifoot, meaning both schools share a headteacher. It is thought the school's future will be further assured with the recent completion of the £20 million Bridgewell development in the village, featuring 72 affordable homes with a mix of shared ownership, affordable rent, and rent to buy options.
The affordable housing development is partly a response to Spofforth, which was named after a spot of land fording Crimple Beck, becoming a destination of choice for commuters, being in the centre of the Golden Triangle, leading to the prices of properties soaring in recent decades.
While nearby Harrogate is regarded among Yorkshire's most affluent areas, the average annual household income for the Spofforth, Burn Bridge and Huby area is £52,200 - the highest of all Harrogate's 21 neighbourhoods according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures published two years ago.
Nevertheless, all proposals to build low-cost housing in the village have not received universal support, partly due to fears over the strain on health and education services.
Beside the Church of England school there's a former Methodist chapel, which at one time boasted 11 preachers, while All Saints' Church overlooking the Harrogate Road has a 15th century tower and 12th century remains in its interior.
The churchyard includes the grave of famed 18th century roadbuilder Blind Jack Metcalf, who died aged 92 in the village. While Blind Jack oversaw the building of the Knaresborough to Wetherby road, as well as routes from Skipton to Wakefield, the village’s transport links were transformed in 1847 with the opening of York and North Midland Railway’s Harrogate to Church Fenton Line. It served passengers for 117 years before it became one of the first casualties of the Beeching cuts.
Rounding off Castle Street, at the heart of the village, the Castle Inn stands beside the grade II listed 18th century Castle Farmhouse and a cast iron milepost underlining its location.
The inn was given a makeover nine years ago, leading to the creation of an alfresco dining space with retractable roof and nine individually designed en suite bedrooms.
With a heritage going back to the Georgian era, alongside pub quizzes and live music, the inn’s menu features dishes such as beetroot hummus and shredded lamb gnocchi.