Burythorpe: Historic Buildings and Traces of Time

Visitors who consider architectural history when choosing a destination can explore Burythorpe from several perspectives. The topics range from a medieval village to houses with additions from the 20th century. This is not about a single building phase: a rebuilt house, a later addition and a historic village each represent different periods and perspectives. When planning your trip, it is therefore helpful to distinguish between the history of a place and the individual building phases of a house.

All Saints: Windows and Seasonal Visits

All Saints has a stained-glass window by Gibbs of London at its east end. A seasonal visiting period is listed from 24 May to 15 September, daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before travelling, check whether these hours are current for your visit. The window is a permanent feature, whereas the visiting information applies to a seasonal period.

The Suspension Bridge Across River Derwent

The Suspension Bridge Across River Derwent is a pedestrian bridge dating from the mid-to-late 19th century, with a wooden walkway. Unlike the church window, its function and design are the main focus. Its date adds a distinct 19th-century structure to the history of the houses.

Houses and Different Building Phases

According to its datestone, the Manor House was rebuilt in 1765. The year refers to the rebuilding and therefore marks a later phase in the house’s history, not its original construction. At Yew Tree Cottages, Nos. 3 and 4 date from the 17th or early 18th century; Nos. 5, 6 and 7 are cottages from the mid-to-late 18th century. The numbers make it possible to trace the differences in date among the Yew Tree Cottages, rather than assigning all the buildings to the same period of construction.

Mount Farmhouse is a late 18th-century house with an addition from the 20th century. Walgate House dates from the late 18th to early 19th century and has an addition from the 19th century. A direct comparison can be made between the additions: the one at Mount Farmhouse dates from the 20th century, while the one at Walgate House dates from the 19th century. This makes the history of the houses legible not only through the dating of the main building, but also through the dates of their additions.

Thornthorpe and the History of the Settlement

Thornthorpe is a medieval village in Burythorpe, mentioned in the Domesday Book and visible as an earthwork. The village’s historical context and its visible form as an earthwork can be considered together. The focus thus shifts from individual buildings and their additions to a settlement site. Thornthorpe offers a different perspective from the descriptions of houses and bridges: the focus is a medieval village, not the dating of an individual building.

Discover more destinations: Stainsacre, Wykeham, Gristhorpe, Hipswell, East Harlsey, Selby, Lealholm, Aysgarth

For the wider travel overview: North Yorkshire.