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Welcome to www.Arkendale.net on 05 July 2008
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A History of Arkendale
 Centuries ago Arkendale was known as Erkendene; it is thought that the name is Old English
in origin, meaning Eorcon’s valley, for dene means valley, as does dale, which is of Scandinavian
derivation. Although Arkendale is on a hill, the valley could be referring to that low-lying,
sloping part of the village lying behind Holgate Bank Farm and behind all the houses along what
is now called Moor Lane to Dale House Farm. So in all probability Arkendale was originally an
English or Anglian settlement taken over later by Scandinavian settlers. Perhaps Eorcon was one
of the early settlers here?
In the Domesday Book of 1086 the version of the village name is Arghendene or Archeden and in
1166 it appears as Herchenden, but these are the only time these versions occur, and they were
not written by local scribes. Erkendene was the usual spelling. The lower part of the village
was known as Arkendale Loftus, later Low Arkendale. The name Loftus comes from the Norse meaning
a house with lofts; perhaps there was originally a hunting lodge in the area, as they were built
in this way.This would be quite feasible, given the proximity of Hay-a-Park, where successive
monarchs had a deer park and a house with a good vantage point would be most useful to view the
game. There was certainly a hunting lodge there in 15th century.
Arkendale lay in the West Riding, but since the 1974 boundary changes is in North Yorkshire. In
1086 at the time of the Domesday survey most of Arkendale and parts of Loftus were being cultivated,
unlike other parts of the north which had been laid waste by William the Conqueror, and had been
granted by the King to Erneis de Burun, who sub-let it to Gamall. A man called Kalmann had the rest.
Some of Erneis’ land descended to Hilary Trussebut and some time between 1204 and 1209 gave this
land which formed Arkendale Manor, to Lilleshall Abbey in Shropshire. A local man was appointed as
bailiff.
For centuries the village lay within the Honour of Knaresborough and the administration of the rest
Arkendale took place from the castle, where the administrative courts were held every three weeks.
The villagers were obliged to have their corn ground at the windmill, which belonged to the Honour.
So far the first mention of a mill found is in 1341, but it has not proved possible to find a date
for its construction.
Windmillhill Field is mentioned in village records for centuries, well after the mill itself had
disappeared. In the late summer of 1349 Black Death struck; a great many deaths were recorded in the
area, including those of Richard Waldman, Adam atte Gate and William de Layford, who had properties
at Arkendale.
Arkendale lay within the parish of Knaresborough whilst Low Arkendale or Arkendale Loftus, together
with Ferrensby, was in the parish of Farnham. The fact that three chaplains living in Arkendale are
mentioned in court records between 1343 and 1361 (and given that not every chaplain would necessarily
be named in the court records) suggests that there was an early chapel of ease in Arkendale. The first
definite mention of a chapel at Arkendale is in May 1392 when the tenants of Arkendale paid 6d for a
licence at the Knaresborough Court to have permission to quarry stone from near the River Nidd for a
chapel.
In the sixteenth century Arkendale Manor was taken over by Henry VIII and sold with the rest of
Lilleshall Abbey’s lands. At the Reformation Henry had created the Church of England, but like many
others Laurence Toller (Towlard), who died in 1547, was still attached to Roman Catholic tradition for
he left his soul in his will to God and “Our blessed lady Saint Mary."
Most people in the village made their living from farming. Some combined farming and other jobs, working
as weavers or tailors. Dennis Tollerd who died in 1617 was a tailor, so clothes were important to him;
he left his brother Marmaduke his best hat, doublet, britches, jerkin, shirt and shirt band, stockings,
shoes and garter. What a fine sight he would have been especially with his best cloak, which he left to
his cousin. Like many people at the time he left money to the poor as well as to his own family.
During the Civil War two soldiers died at Arkendale in 1640 and 1641 and were buried at Farnham. It is
said that Cromwell visited The Blue Bell, but there is no definite evidence for this! Arkendale men were
probably called to fight at the Battle of Marston Moor and the siege at Knaresborough Castle in 1644.
Many properties were built or re-built in the early 1700s, when the Lord of the Manor of Arkendale was
Robert Byerley, who lived at Goldsborough.The landscape would change from the three field open farming
system with the Enclosure Act for Arkendale in 1773. In 1883 Joseph Nussey of Leeds bought the manor of
Arkendale from Morton Eden; Nussey’s son had Arkendale Hall built in 1909.The manor was sold as a whole
in 1970 and some parts have since been sold on.
The village remained a predominantly farming community, with several smallholdings, well into the 20th
century. In 1838 there were three shoemakers, a wheelwright (who worked for the Estate), a shopkeeper,
tailor, gardener, a blacksmith and several farmers.
In 1850s Peter Whincup was postmaster. There was a Post Office and shop run by Tom Elliott, as well as a
shop run by Mrs Emma Marshall at Low Arkendale in 1910s and 1920s. The Post Office was by the 1970s in a
private bungalow and finally closed in 1989. Today there isn’t a shop. The Blue Bell sells drinks and has
a restaurant. Social events take place there, but mainly in the Village Hall, a converted 1st World War
army hut from Ripon, or in private homes.
A village school was opened in 1867 and closed in 1947, when children were transferred to Staveley
Community Primary School; a school bus takes children there today. A Primitive Methodist Chapel, which
was built in 1860s, ceased being used in 1930s whilst the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1824,
used until 1950s; both have been converted into homes. In 1983 the buildings of Manor Farm were demolished
and new houses built. Since then farm buildings have been converted and new homes erected at Holgate Bank
Farm, Grange Farm and Dale House Farm.
For family historians with Arkendale ancestors: from 1561 baptisms, marriages and burials are all in the
Knaresborough Parish Registers and in many instances the name of the village is not stated; this often
depended on who wrote the entries. From 1793 Arkendale baptisms definitely took place at Arkendale, as
there is a separate register. Indeed, baptisms probably occurred there from 1780, as an earlier register
was lost, but the Bishop’s Transcripts for Knaresborough have separate lists of village baptisms on them.
Marriages were solemnised at Arkendale from 1837. It is difficult to say with certainty when the first
burials took place in the village. People from Low Arkendale were buried at Farnham. In the 16th and 17th
centuries people from Arkendale asked in their wills to be buried in churchyard at Knaresborough. There
were later burials at Arkendale. In 1893 land was given by Mr J. H. Nussey for a separate village cemetery.
St. Bartholomew’s was demolished in 1836 and the replacement was the first consecrated building of the
newly formed Diocese of Ripon. The registers can be consulted on microfilm at the North Yorkshire Record
Office at Northallerton.
© Ruth Wilcock, 2003.
Ruth’s ancestors, the Towlard family, lived in Arkendale for several hundred years, farming and running
the alehouse which became known as The Blue Bell. In 1986 she published Arkendale – its Church and People,
to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the construction of the present Church. This was updated in 2001.
It mentions many families and some general as well as church and chapel history. A few copies are still
available from her, via the web team, at £7.50 inc. postage to U.K., £9 inc. postage elsewhere.
Ruth has been researching the history of Arkendale for over 25 years and is at present writing a book, or
even two (!), on the general history of the village. She is always happy to hear from people with either
ancestors from Arkendale or those who are interested in the local history of the area, including Clareton,
Coneythorpe and Ferrensby, as all will be mentioned (in lesser detail) in the new book on Arkendale.
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