Acomb, North Yorkshire
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Acomb , is a village and suburb within the
City of York The City of York is a unitary authority area with city status in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The district's main settlement is York, and it extends to the surrounding area including the town of Haxby and the villages of E ...
unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
area, to the western side of
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, England. It covers the site of the original village of the same name, which is mentioned in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086. It is bordered by the suburbs of Holgate, to the east,
Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
, to the north and Woodthorpe to the south. The boundary to the west abuts the fields close to the A1237, York Outer Ring Road. Historically part of the
West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
, Acomb was incorporated into the City of York in 1934. Formerly a farming village, Acomb expanded over the centuries to become a dormitory area for workers in
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
, such as rail engineering, in the 19th and 20th centuries and more recently for a more diverse workforce. Though it no longer has any large-scale manufacturing, it does have a diverse retail centre. There are at least 19 Grade II
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s within its boundaries. It was made a
Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in 1975, with the historic area along Front Street and the Green retaining its village character. It is also an Area of Archaeological Importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Acomb comprises two wards of the City of York: Acomb and Westfield. At the 2011 Census of England and Wales, it had a population of 22,215, the largest of all areas of the city. There are six
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s and one
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
. There are also a variety of sporting clubs and one public sports centre.


History


Etymology

Acomb existed before the
Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...
, is mentioned in the ''
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
'' and was the property of the Dean and Chapter of
York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbis ...
. It is the largest suburban area in York. The name is most likely derived from the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''acum'', meaning 'at the oak trees', and indicates that the original village was first established in a heavily wooded area of oaks. In the ''Domesday book'', the name of the village is spelt as both ''Achum'' and ''Acum'' and during the next one hundred years other spellings can be found, such as ''Achu'', ''Acun'', ''Akum'' and ''Acham''. In the 13th century, the spellings ''Acome'', ''Acorn'' and ''Akome'' can be seen, whilst ''Akam'' and ''Acombe'' are 15th century. Once printing was established, it enabled the standardisation of spellings to the one seen today. The traditional pronunciation of the name was "Yackam".


Roman Era

The Roman Emperor
Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
was reputed by some historians to have been cremated in a military funeral near the site of modern-day Acomb, having died in York (then
Eboracum Eboracum () was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. In its prime it was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. The site remained occupied after the decline of the Western Roman Empire and ultimate ...
) in 211 AD.


10th and 11th century

During the reign of
Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...
, the village of Acomb was designated as a manor. This was known through the entry in the ''Domesday Book'' for Acomb, which stated that most of the land of Acomb, including the manor, was in the jurisdiction of the
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
. Land at that time was measured in ''
carucates The carucate or carrucate ( lat-med, carrūcāta or ) was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season. It was known by different regional names and fell under different forms ...
'', of which the village measured two carucates. The village of Acomb is mentioned three times in the Domesday Book as follow: *''"In Achum 14½ carucates for geld, and 8 ploughs can be. St. Peter had, and has for 1 manor. 14 rent payers are there now, having 7 ploughs. 6 acres of meadow. Underwood 2 furlongs in length and 2 in breadth. T.R.E. it was worth 30 s.; now the same."'' *''"In Acum Ulchel has 2 carucates of land for geld. Land for one plough. He has half a plough there. Wood 9 furlongs. It is worth 4 s."'' *''"In Acum the Archbishop 14½ carucates. In the same place the King 2 carucates."'' T.R.E stands for ''Tempore Regis Eduardi'', meaning ''In the time of King Edward (the Confessor)'' and ''s'' stands for ''shillings''. ''St Peter'' refers to the church in
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
where the Minster would be built. Underwood and Ulchel are the names of two persons occupying parcels of land in the manor.


12th to 16th century

During the 12th century St Stephen's Church was built and measured 52 feet by 25 feet. The original structure would last until 1832, when a new and slightly larger building was erected. At the time of the Norman conquest, Acomb manor was forested and was subject to the king's laws of the woods. To free themselves of these laws, the inhabitants of Acomb paid 19 pounds and 11 pence to
King Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
and 80 pounds to King John. Shortly after King John's reign, the area was deforested. Between 1220 and 1538, the lord of the manor of Acomb was called the ''treasurer'', rather than the archbishop. This change meant that Acomb manor and its church were no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the bishop of the diocese. The treasurer was authorised to hold court, grant marriage licences, probate wills and issue letters of administration for persons who were dying. The office of treasurer was dissolved when
Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
came to the throne. In 1547 the Peculiar Court of Acomb was surrendered by the Church in York to the Crown.
King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
granted the court to Thomas Newark Esq. in 1609. The village was typical Anglo Saxon in the 14th century, being made up of local farms and smallholdings. During the reign of
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
, the king began to raise money from regional traders to fund military ambition on the continent. Many Yorkshire wool merchants played a large part due to their involvement in the establishment of a near monopoly in English wool trade through the exclusion of foreign imports. Edward III made use of the capital made by establishing loan agreements, to which one ''John de Acomb'', a local farmer from the village, made an independent contribution though the venture ultimately failed. Acomb Grange was the residence of the masters of the medieval
hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
of St Leonard, the lands having been given to the Order by Henry II. The Grange was purchased by lease in 1552, after the reformation, by the then MP for York, George Gale. The family eventually bought the freehold during the reign of
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
and also continued to own land and buildings in the area until the late 20th century, with Gale Lane being named after them. There are two 15th century
timber-framed Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
houses in Acomb.


17th to 19th century

From 1623 to 1855, Acomb manor reverted to control by archbishops of the church. An early census in 1670 showed that Acomb manor had 41 households with 230 people, of whom 10 were affluent, 60 middle class and 160 poor. The population of Acomb rose steadily in the early 19th century from 587, in 1801, to 762 some 30 years later. The former railway carriageworks in the neighbouring district of Holgate and around Leeman Road were built around 1854 and many of the workers lived in nearby Acomb and aided in the growth of the village. A portion of the land of Acomb manor was sold to the North Eastern Railway Company to allow right of way for the track. According to the 1871 census, the village of Acomb had less than 1,000 residents. Acomb was part of the district council of Great Ouseburn, until 1894, when it became a district council in its own right. In 1855 the manor as then constituted, including the manor house, was sold to Frances Barlow for £20,500. His heir, Mr. Algernon Barlow, was the last lord, since the lordship of Acomb was ended in 1925. In 1937 Acomb was incorporated into the City of York at which time it was estimated that the population had risen to 7,500 and the 1951 census showed more than double the number, 16,235, now lived in its boundaries. The York New Waterworks Company, formed in 1846, built their new works at Acomb Landing, just off Boroughbridge Road in neighbouring Holgate. It was to supply the city of York, Acomb and other nearby areas. The site has since expanded, but still serves the area as The York Waterworks Company. Gas did not arrive in Acomb until the amalgamation of the York Gas Light Company and York Union Gas Light Company in 1844. Electricity was first supplied to Acomb in 1913 following the sanctioning of an application to the District Council and the Board of Trade.


20th century

In 1920, the Corporation of York purchased Acomb Hall to provide maternity facilities in the city. The Maternity Hospital opened in 1922, but was re-classified for geriatric treatment in 1954, when maternity facilities were opened in Fulford. On 12 February 1934, the Regent Cinema opened in Acomb, located right on the boundary between Acomb and Holgate. It had 899 seats arranged over stalls and a single balcony. Along with many cinemas in the country, it suffered from falling audiences in the 1950s and eventually closed on 4 April 1959. The last film shown was "Sierra Baron".


Governance

Acomb is part of the City of York Unitary Authority and is represented on the council by two wards, Acomb Ward and Westfield Ward. Acomb Ward returns two Councillors, currently both Labour, and Westfield Ward three councillors, all Liberal Democrat. This represents approximately 6.4% of the total number of City Councillors. Following the 2011 local elections, the current Councillors for Acomb Ward are the Deputy Leader for the Labour Group, Tracey Simpson-Laing, and David Horton (Labour). The current Councillors for the Westfield Ward are the Stephen Burton, Lynn Jeffries and Dafydd Williams all of the local Labour Party.


May 2015 election


Acomb Ward


Westfield Ward


Demographics


Westfield Ward


2001 Census

The population in Westfield Ward was 13,690 of which 93% were born in England and 4% from outside the United Kingdom. The largest Age Group within the population, 22.1%, were between 30 and 44 years old. Of the total population, 96.8% described their ethnic origin as White-British. The figures show that 74% declared they were Christian, whilst 16.8% declared no religious belief at all. Of the population aged between 16 and 74 years old, 60% declared they were in some form of employment and 15% said they were retired. Of the 5,981 households, 42.8% were Semi-Detached and 31.3% were Terraced. The level of household ownership was 59.3%.


2011 Census

The population in Westfield Ward was 13,611 a decrease from the previous census of 0.6%. The figures show that 59.2% declared they were Christian, whilst 39.5% declared no religious belief or none declared. Of the rest, 0.4% were Muslim and 0.3% Buddhist with a small number declaring themselves Hindu or Jewish. The ethnic composition was 94.4% White/British, 2.5% White/Other, 0.1% Mixed Ethnicity, 0.1% Asian British and 0.05 Black British.


Acomb Ward


2001 Census

The population in Acomb Ward was 7,729 of which 94.4% were born in England and 2.9% from outside the United Kingdom. The largest Age Group within the population, 22.7%, were between 30 and 44 years old and 20.1% were between 45 and 59 years old. Of the total population, 97.9% described their ethnic origin as White-British. The figures show that 80.2% declared they were Christian, whilst 13.2% declared no religious belief at all. Of the population aged between 16 and 74 years old, 66.7% declared they were in some form of employment and 17% said they were retired. Of the 3,156 households, 75.5% were Semi-Detached. The level of household ownership was 79.8%.


2011 Census

The population in Acomb Ward was 8,604 an increase from the previous census of 11.3%. The figures show that 65.6% declared they were Christian, whilst 33.3% declared no religious belief or none declared. Of the rest, 0.3% were Muslim. The ethnic composition was 95.5% White/British, 2.4% White/Other, 0.9% Mixed Ethnicity, 0.8% Asian British and 0.3 Black British.


Geography

In addition to Acomb Green, there are several other open areas in Acomb. Bachelor Hill, the highest point in Acomb at approximately 90 ft above sea level, is situated between Askham Lane and Tennent Road is a sandy based hill with a wide area of grass and a small group of trees at the summit. Fishponds Wood, situated between Danebury Drive and Rosedale Avenue, is a mix of trees and shrubs on the site of an old pond. The largest open space is Acomb Wood. In 2007, the City of York Council designated Acomb Wood and Meadow as a Statutory Local Nature Reserve. This is the larger part of the area known as Acomb Wood. The western portion is located on the other side of Acomb Wood Drive and is managed by the
Woodland Trust The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the United Kingdom and is concerned with the creation, protection, and restoration of native woodland heritage. It has planted over 50 million trees since 1972. The Woodland Tr ...
. The East Wood covers approximately 10 acres and the West Wood about 3 acres. A variety of birds have been seen in the woods, including the great spotted woodpecker,
tawny owl The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, an ...
s,
nuthatch The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
,
coal tit The coal tit or cole tit, (''Periparus ater''), is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in forests throughout the temperate to subtropical Palearctic, including North Africa. The b ...
,
long-tailed tit The long-tailed tit (''Aegithalos caudatus''), also named long-tailed bushtit, is a common bird found throughout Europe and the Palearctic. The genus name ''Aegithalos'' was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tail ...
, robin,
song thrush The song thrush (''Turdus philomelos'') is a Thrush (bird), thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive Birdsong, song, ...
,
willow warbler The willow warbler (''Phylloscopus trochilus'') is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strongly ...
and
treecreeper The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, '' Certhia'' and '' Salpornis''. Their plumage ...
. Among the species of trees found here are
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
,
sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...
and poplar. There are also many species of flora including the uncommon
sanicle ''Sanicula'' is a genus of plants in Family (biology), family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae), the same family to which the carrot and parsnip belong. This genus has about 45 species worldwide, with at least 22 in North America.Focus on Rarities (fro ...
and
common twayblade ''Neottia ovata'' (formerly ''Listera ovata''), the common twayblade or eggleaf twayblade, is a terrestrial orchid widespread across much of Europe and Asia Description The flowering stems are typically tall, occasionally up to . There are t ...
. The Old Hay Meadow in the East Wood is home to
small skipper The small skipper (''Thymelicus sylvestris'') is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. Appearance It has a rusty orange colour to the wings, upper body and the tips of the antennae. The body is silvery white below and it has a wingspan of 25 ...
,
common blue The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively ...
and
small copper ''Lycaena phlaeas'', the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name ''phlaeas'' is said to be derived either ...
butterflies. There are two classified roads passing through Acomb. The A59 York to Liverpool road which is named Boroughbridge Road and the B1224 York to
Wetherby Wetherby () is a market town and civil parish in the City of Leeds district, West Yorkshire, England, close to West Yorkshire county's border with North Yorkshire, and lies approximately from Leeds City Centre, from York and from Harrogat ...
road which is named Wetherby Road, The Green, York Road and Acomb Road before it joins the aforementioned A59. The centre of Acomb, measured from The Green, lies approximately two and a quarter miles from the centre of York. There are several smaller areas that make up Acomb. In addition to Westfield, there is Low Field, Chapelfields and Carr Hill. The Conservation Area (York No'3) encompasses Acomb Green and its surrounding buildings; those buildings along Wetherby Road up to the double roundabout junction that leads to Front Street, but including the Old Hospital; the south side of Front Street that includes the Old Acomb Primary School to the junction of Green Lane; the remainder of Front Street from Green Lane to Gale Lane and includes the buildings that now occupy the site of the old Gale Farm to the east side of Gale Lane. In total the area is approximately 14.5 hectares.


Economy

Up to the early years of the 20th century, the main economy of Acomb had been agriculture. Several farms, such as Gale Farm, were located in the village. The increasing population overspill from York saw this decline to the point where all the farms had disappeared by the latter half of the century. Acomb has a small shopping area located around Front Street, Acomb Road (B1224) and some adjacent roads, with free car parking at the local supermarket. Businesses are a mixture of traditional local food produce retailers, familiar High Street brands, major banking chains and professional services such as accountants, dentists and architects. There are also a number of public houses, cafes, small restaurants and take-away food outlets in the area, plus a number of small and medium-sized enterprises. In July 2006, the closure of the 80-year-old
British Sugar British Sugar plc is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods and the sole British producer of sugar from sugar beet, as well as medicinal cannabis. British Sugar processes all sugar beet grown in the United Kingdom, and produces about two-thi ...
plant near Boroughbridge Road meant the loss of 100 jobs and problems for many local farmers. Residential homes are a mixture of
council estate Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
s and private freeholds. Provision was made for small shopping areas of four or five stores to be located in the centre of the estates. Examples can be found on Beckfield Lane, Cornlands Road, Gale Lane and Foxwood Lane. Pubs such as the King William on Barkston Avenue, the White Rose (now demolished) on Cornlands Road and the Beagle on Foxwood Lane can be found near these small estate shops. File:The Acomb - Tudor Road - geograph.org.uk - 1739953.jpg, The Acomb (renamed as The Clockhouse) File:The Marcia Grey, Acomb - geograph.org.uk - 1181117.jpg, The Marcia Grey File:The Puss n' Boots - geograph.org.uk - 1181349.jpg, The Puss n' Boots (now closed and demolished) File:Front Street, Acomb, York (12th June 2013) 001.JPG, Front Street Shops File:Acomb Fire Station-1631777-by-Kevin-Hale.jpg, Acomb Fire Station File:British Sugar Factory in Full Steam - geograph.org.uk - 134107.jpg, British Sugar Factory (now closed and demolished)


Education

After the system of Grammar Schools was discontinued in York in 1985, Acomb had three comprehensive schools: Oaklands Secondary School (Acomb Secondary Modern), Lowfields School and Manor Church of England School. In 2007, Oaklands and Lowfield were merged to form York High School with a new building on the Oaklands site in Cornlands Road. In 2009 Manor Church of England School moved out of Acomb from their site on Boroughbridge Road to Millfield Road in the parish of
Nether Poppleton Nether Poppleton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It is by the west bank of the River Ouse and is adjacent to Upper Poppleton west of York. It is close to the A59 road fro ...
. York High School does not have a sixth form and students who wish to take 'A' levels go mostly to York College. The most recent addition to the school site includes a 56 place nursery, a sports hall and a swimming pool. The school has dedicated a section of its grounds to community allotments which featured on BBC Gardeners' World in December 2014. Acomb has four Primary Schools. Carr Junior on Ostman Road was established in 1948 for Infants, with a Junior section added in 1950. Hob Moor Primary on Green Lane was opened in 1954 for Infants, and a Junior section was added a year later. In 2007 Hob Moor Primary School moved into a new school building with Hob Moor Oaks Special School and the two schools federated in 2009. Until 2011, Our Lady's Roman Catholic Primary was located on Windsor Garth. With its amalgamation with English Martyrs Roman Catholic Primary in September 2011, the school became Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Roman Catholic Primary, based at Hamilton Drive in Holgate. Westfield Primary Community on Askham Lane originally opened as an Infants' School in 1951 with the Junior section opening a year later. The former Acomb Primary School which has since moved to Holgate was one of the oldest primary schools in
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
. It had been in its buildings since 1908 and was the second largest primary school in
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, with 575 pupils.


Sports

Before the establishment of the York Racecourse on the
Knavesmire The Knavesmire is one of a number of large, marshy undeveloped areas within the city of York in North Yorkshire, England, which are collectively known as '' Strays''. Knavesmire, together with Hob Moor, comprises Micklegate Stray. It has bee ...
, Acomb Moor was used for staging horse racing. Acomb Moor occupied the land south of Westfield and covered the land where the modern housing estates of Woodthorpe and Acomb Park are located. Acomb also lends its name to ''The Acomb Stakes'', a Group 3 seven
furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
flat race for two-year-old thoroughbreds, which is run at the Knavesmire every August. Acomb FC was a founding member of the York Football League in 1897 and then a founding member of the
Yorkshire Football League The Yorkshire Football League was the name of two football competitions. The first lasted three seasons in the late 19th century and the second lasted 62 years until merging with the Midland League in 1982 to become the Northern Counties East Lea ...
in 1920. Acomb has one football club who play in the York League Division Four. They are Moor Lane, who play their home games at the artificial pitch at York High School on Cornlands Road. Situated behind The Green is Acomb Sports & Social Club, which is home to Acomb Cricket Club and Acomb Hockey Club. York Acorn Rugby League Club, who play in the
National Conference League The National Conference League (known as the Kingstone Press National Conference League for sponsorship reasons) is the top English amateur rugby league competition in the Rugby Football League pyramid, and as such is the leading amateur rugby l ...
Premier Division, have their home ground at Thanet Road in Acomb. York City Council provide swimming facilities at the £6.5 million Energise project, formerly Oaklands Sport Centre on Cornlands Road next to the York High School.


Religion

The principal parish church for Acomb is St Stephen's Church, a Grade II listed building built in 1831-1832 by
G T Andrews George Townsend Andrews (19 December 1804 – 29 December 1855) was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway. Andrews' architect's ...
on the site of the previous medieval church. Records date from 1662. St Stephen's has recently joined with the Church of St Aidan's on Ridgeway to become a two church parish. On 19 December 1992, St Stephen's was nearly destroyed in a fire caused by arson, but was repaired using contributions from the local community and other funds. It was rededicated in September 1994. St Aidan's Church was built in 1968 by the York architects '' Ferrey & Mennim''. The
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Church of Our Lady, on Cornlands Road, was built by the architect J. H. Langtry-Langton and opened in 1955. Before then services in the area had been held, from 1941, in Acomb Council School. The Quakers first started to meet in Acomb at the Forester's Hall around 1906, but moved to their current location in the Primitive Methodist Chapel on The Green after it was purchased by the
Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...
in 1911. Sir Robert Newbald Kay gifted buildings and a site for a temporary
Methodist Chapel Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
in Lidgett Grove in Acomb in 1934. A permanent building was completed on the site in 1937. Acomb Methodist Church is on Front Street, and was built in 1964. There is also the
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
Holy Redeemer Church on Boroughbridge Road, the
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Church on Ridgeway and Gateway Church, York (part of the
Newfrontiers Newfrontiers (previously New Frontiers International) is a neo-charismatic church network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 1950s and 1960s co ...
family of churches) in the Old School on Front Street.


Notable residents

The renowned 18th century painter and engraver,
Thomas Stothard Thomas Stothard (17 August 1755 – 27 April 1834) was an English painter, illustrator and engraver. His son, Robert T. Stothard was a painter ( fl. 1810): he painted the proclamation outside York Minster of Queen Victoria's accession to the t ...
, spent part of his education in Acomb, staying with his uncle in the village, before moving on to
Tadcaster Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...
. His uncle left him in the care of a local widow and nurse, named Mrs Stainburn, who supplemented her income by teaching local children. He depicted the widow in his illustration of the poem ''Schoolmistress'' by
William Shenstone William Shenstone (18 November 171411 February 1763) was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, '' The Leasowes''. Biography Son of Thomas Shenstone and Anne Penn, ...
. Sir Charles Burdet, 4th Baronet of Burthwaite, is recorded as living in Acomb in 1777. The English romantic poet, Charlotte Richardson (née Smith), lived most of her life in Acomb. She was published mostly in ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' and the subscription paper, ''Poems on Different Occasions'' writing chiefly about domestic service and religion. Born in York on 5 March 1775, she attended a school for girls preparing for domestic service. After a long illness she died at her Acomb home on 26 September 1825. Award-winning novelist, Justin Hill, lived in Acomb for much of his childhood. His father, Reg Hill, was headmaster at Our Lady's Roman Catholic School, on Windsor Garth, from 1976 to 1995.


References


External links

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Acomb Ward - City of York
{{authority control Villages and areas in the City of York Villages in North Yorkshire Local Nature Reserves in North Yorkshire