Brafferton is a village and former

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

, now in the parish of Brafferton and Helperby, in the county of

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 257, increasing to 311 at the 2011 Census. On 1 April 2019 the parish was merged with

Helperby Helperby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Brafferton and Helperby, in North Yorkshire, England, about five miles west of Easingwold. Over the years it has joined onto Brafferton, North Yorkshire, Brafferton. Helperby ...

to form Brafferton and Helperby. The village is situated about ten miles south of

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; it is known for its racecourse and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological finds indicate there was a settlement in Thirsk aro ...

, on the

River Swale The River Swale in Yorkshire, England, is a major tributary of the River Ure, which becomes the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse, that empties into the North Sea via the Humber Estuary. The river gives its name to Swaledale, the valley throu ...

. It is contiguous with the village of

, one street has properties in one village on one side and the other opposite. The village takes its name from a ford across the Swale, it being originally Broad-Ford-Town, and now by contraction, Brafferton. From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Hambleton, it is now administered by the unitary

North Yorkshire Council North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the council has been a unitary authority, being a county coun ...

St Peter's Church, Brafferton St Peter's Church is the parish church of Brafferton and Helperby, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. The oldest surviving parts of the church are the chancel and tower, which date from the 15th century. At the time, the church was dedi ...

was built in the 15th century, modified in 1826 by the architect James Pritchett and restored in 1878. It is a grade II* listed building. An unusual feature of the church is that the battlemented nave is wider than it is long. On the outside wall of the chancel are carved the arms of the Neville family. Underneath is the Latin inscription: "''orate pro animo Radulphi Neville fundatoris hujus Ecclesioe - soi deo honor et gloria!''" (Pray for the soul of Ralph Neville, founder of this Church- To God the honour and glory). On the largest bell is inscribed "''Radulphus Neville Armiger, I.H.S. 1598''". Norman M‘Neile, known as “the blind vicar”, served at St Peter's for 50 years. He was completely blind from the age of 12.

History

Ralph Rymer, Lord of the Manor at the Restoration, was executed in 1664 for his part in the

Farnley Wood Plot The Farnley Wood Plot was a conspiracy in Yorkshire, England in October 1663. Intended as a major rising to overturn the return to monarchy in 1660, it was undermined by informers, and came to nothing. The major plotters were Joshua Greathead a ...

of 1663. His lands reverted to the Crown. His son was the author, critic and

Historiographer Royal Historiographer Royal is the title of an appointment as official chronicler or historian of a court or monarch. It was initially particularly associated with the French monarchy, where the post existed from at least the mid 15th century, but in the ...

Thomas Rymer Thomas Rymer (c. 1643 – 14 December 1713) was an English poet, literary critic, antiquary and historiographer. His lasting contribution was to compile and publish under royal warrant the 17 volumes (the last two posthumously) of the fir ...

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in North Yorkshire Former civil parishes in North Yorkshire

History

See also

References

External links