Biggin is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in the

Selby District Selby District is a local government district of North Yorkshire, England. The local authority, Selby District Council, is based in the town of Selby. The Local Authority had a population of 83,449 at the 2011 Census. The southernmost distri ...

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 ...

, England, north-west of

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, with a population at the 2011 census of 14,731. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until ...

. The village was 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 ...

until 1974.

History

The name 'Biggin' is said to derive from "'bigging' (Middle English) A building; later an outbuilding, an outhouse". In 1820 Biggin was said to have a population of 164 people "BIGGIN, in the parish of Church Fenton, wapentake of Barkston-Ash, liberties of St. Peter and Pontefract; 6 miles SE. of Tadcaster, 7 from Selby, 11 from Pontefract. Pop. 164".

Population

In 2001 Biggin had a population of 117. 29.9% of people living in Biggin were between the ages of forty five to fifty nine and a further 22.2 per cent were thirty to forty four. By the time of the census 2011 the population had increased only slightly to 121. This suggests the area is fairly affluent as over half the population are at or near to an age where they should be peaking in their chosen careers. Only twenty two people are of an age to go to school in Biggin which is an indicator as to why there is no primary school for a five-mile radius. The fact Biggin's population has actually decreased over a century isn't really surprising or significant for a parish of its size as more than eighty per cent of Britain's population now live in urban areas.

Notable places

Biggin is located eighteen miles east of major city

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

and is also thirteen miles south 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 ...

. Biggin does not have a railway station; there is one in

Sherburn in Elmet Sherburn in Elmet (pronounced ) is a large village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, west of Selby and south of Tadcaster. It was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. It is one o ...

which is a 3.7 mile journey by car and

Church Fenton Church Fenton or Kirk Fenton is a village and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England. It is about east of Leeds, about south-east from Tadcaster and north from Sherburn in Elmet. Neighbouring villages include Barkston ...

which is slightly closer at 3.1 miles. Church Fenton runs trains every hour to both Leeds and York, with Leeds taking as little as twenty-eight minutes and York just sixteen Church Fenton's station is favourable for most Biggin residents. There are no Primary or Secondary schools within Biggin however there are forty-nine within the Selby district, giving parents a wide choice if prepared to travel. The most local primary school to Biggin is Sherburn Hungate Community Primary school which is just under five miles away. Oxmoor Lane acts as the main road running through the centre of Biggin. Driving south down Oxmoor Lane will lead you out of Biggin and on to a rural B road the B1222 leading to the A63.

Economy and climate

The Blacksmith Arms lies in the centre of Biggin along Oxmoor Lane. It was a former dwelling-house which became a public house after its sale in the late 19th century. It is currently the only trader in Biggin. It is a pub with great history to the local area, with records dating back over a hundred years.

References

External links

{{authority control Civil parishes in North Yorkshire Selby District Villages in North Yorkshire