Tockwith

RAF Marston Moor was a Royal Air Force airfield at Tockwith, North Yorkshire, during the Second World War. It was originally called RAF Tockwith, but confusion with RAF Topcliffe led to the name change.RAF Marston Moor was opened on 11 November 1941, the airfield and RAF Church Fenton were the closest airfields to West Yorkshire and would act as a defence should Leeds be attacked. As it happens Leeds was seldom bombed. In 1943, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire was made the station commander. He requested to be transferred to the command of 617 Squadron in November 1943, a vacancy created by the loss of George Holden in July of that year. The move required him to voluntarily step down in rank from group captain to wing commander, which he did. Marston Moor was also in control of RAF Rufforth and RAF Riccall.During the war, American actor Clark Gable was stationed at the airfield before being relocated to RAF Polebrook.

St Helen's Church is the parish church of Bilton-in-Ainsty, a village west of York in North Yorkshire, in England. Although no church in the village is mentioned in the Domesday Book, the various Saxon fragments incorporated in the current building suggest that there was a previous church on the site. The current church was built in about 1150 by the Haget family. In 1160, its advowson was granted to Syningthwaite Priory, then in 1293 it became a prebendary of York Minster. In the first half of the 13th century, north and south aisles were added to the nave, and in the 15th century, these were extended along the chancel. More new windows were inserted in the 17th century, and the porch door is dated 1633. It is claimed that the church served as a military hospital following the Battle of Marston Moor, in 1644. A satirical carving of a crowned snake, in the church door, has been attributed to a Royalist officer held prisoner in the building. From 1869 to 1871, the church was restored by George Gilbert Scott, who removed a west gallery, replaced the pews, and found parts of various early crosses buried in the churchyard. The church was Grade I listed in 1966. The church is constructed of limestone and cobbles. It has a four-bay nave and three-bay chancel, aisles, a south porch, and a bellcote at the west end. The bellcote dates from the 17th century and is believed to have replaced a bell tower. The west wall has a restored Norman arched window, with an oculus window above, and the south aisle has a possible Saxon window in its west wall, reset in the 13th century and restored by Scott.Inside, the aisles have arcades with circular piers. The chancel has remains of a piscina, and has corbels in the eaves with early carvings of animals and two sheela na gigs. There is also a carved mass dial. There are fragments of three 10th century Anglo-Norse crosses, and one Saxon cross. There is a brass monument of about 1400, which is believed to depict an abbess of Syningthwaite. The plain bowl font was moved from Tockwith. There is also an altar table from about 1600 and an eagle lectern of similar date.

Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton is a civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 512, reducing to 463 at the 2011 Census.The parish contains Bilton-in-Ainsty and Bickerton, which are about three miles east of Wetherby in West Yorkshire.

Bilton-in-Ainsty is a village in the civil parish of Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton, in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about 4 miles (6 km) east of Wetherby and 8 miles (13 km) west of York. Bilton had a population of 147 in 2006.

St John the Baptist Church, Kirk Hammerton is a Grade I listed Church of England church located in the village of Kirk Hammerton, North Yorkshire, England. It is notable for its complete, mid tenth century Anglo-Saxon tower, and parts of the 9th century church (the original Anglo-Saxon chancel and nave) which now form the south aisle of the present church, the remainder of which dates from later periods (Norman and beyond). It lies within the Diocese of Leeds in the Lower Nidderdale Parish. The church has links with Kirk Hammerton Church of England Primary School in the village.

Kirk Hammerton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Nidd and the A59 road, 10 miles (16 km) west of York. The village suffix refers to the Hamerton family who owned the land until the 16th century. The village was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974.

Hammerton is a railway station on the Harrogate Line, which runs between Leeds and York via Harrogate. The station, situated 8+3⁄4 miles (14 km) west of York, serves the villages of Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton, Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Bickerton is a village on the B1224 road, in the civil parish of Bilton-in-Ainsty with Bickerton, in North Yorkshire, England. The nearest town is Wetherby. There is a plantation nearby called Bickerton Plantation.

The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639–1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters under the Earl of Leven defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the Marquess of Newcastle. During the summer of 1644, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians had been besieging York, which was defended by the Marquess of Newcastle. Rupert had gathered an army which marched through the northwest of England, gathering reinforcements and fresh recruits on the way, and across the Pennines to relieve the city. The convergence of these forces made the ensuing battle the largest of the civil wars. On 1 July, Rupert outmanoeuvered the Covenanters and Parliamentarians to relieve the city. The next day, he sought battle with them even though he was outnumbered. He was dissuaded from attacking immediately and during the day both sides gathered their full strength on Marston Moor, an expanse of wild meadow west of York. Towards evening, the Covenanters and Parliamentarians themselves launched a surprise attack. After a confused fight lasting two hours, Parliamentarian cavalry under Oliver Cromwell routed the Royalist cavalry from the field and, with Leven's infantry, annihilated the remaining Royalist infantry. After their defeat the Royalists effectively abandoned Northern England, losing much of the manpower from the northern counties of England (which were strongly Royalist in sympathy) and also losing access to the European continent through the ports on the North Sea coast. Although they partially retrieved their fortunes with victories later in the year in Southern England, the loss of the north was to prove a fatal handicap the next year, when they tried unsuccessfully to link up with the Scottish Royalists under the Marquess of Montrose.

Syningthwaite Priory was a priory in West Yorkshire, England. Syningthwaite is the site of the Cistercian convent of St Mary, founded c. 1150–1160 by Bertram Haget and suppressed in 1535, having been heavily in debt in the early 16th century. At the Dissolution the priory housed nine nuns, the prioress, eight servants and other labourers. The priory site is enclosed by a moat and includes a Chapel Garth.

Cattal Bridge is a historic road bridge in Cattal, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. The Roman road later known as Rudgate, connecting Tadcaster and Aldborough, crossed the River Nidd at Cattal, though it is not known whether there was a bridge or a ford. A ford was in use in the Mediaeval period, being first recorded during the reign of Henry III of England. A timber bridge was in existence by the mid-16th century, when it was recorded by John Leland. The current bridge was built at the end of the 18th century, when embankments were constructed on the river. It is 150 metres upstream from the line of the Roman road. The north arch and parapets have been extensively repaired, but it has never been strengthened, and so retains its original features better than most other bridges of similar date. The bridge underwent a £78,000 repair project in 2011, during which careful measures were taken to maintain the original character and shape of the bridge. The bridge carries Cattal Moor Lane over the River Nidd. It is built of limestone, and consists of three round arches with chamfered moulding. The central arch is 15 metres wide, and the others each span 11 metres. The bridge has triangular cutwaters, the piers rising to form refuges, and the parapet has flat coping. The bridge was made a scheduled monument in 1976, and a Grade II listed building in 1985.

The Wetherby News is a local weekly tabloid newspaper published on a Thursday and based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England. The newspaper was founded in 1859 with its offices on the High Street next to the Angel Inn. The paper's news editor is Janet Harrison, with Jean MacQuarrie as group editor of the parent Ackrill Media Group. Amy Craven is sports editor. The paper is part of the Johnston Press stable. The paper's news and sport patch includes Wetherby, Tadcaster, Boston Spa and Sherburn in Elmet, covering local events from rural North Yorkshire to parts of urban north Leeds such as Slaid Hill, Alwoodley and Whinmoor. The newspaper has its offices on Westgate in Wetherby. The Wetherby News carries a large property supplement, covering Wetherby as well as the surrounding districts. It also has an in-depth weekend supplement, a full weekly guide to what's on in West and North Yorkshire, entertainment news, live music and cinema guides and full classified listings. The Wetherby News has a partnership with Tempo FM with whom it provides a weekly news review every Friday morning. In 2012 the Wetherby News became a tabloid and moved its publications from a Friday to a Thursday.