Knedlington
Knedlington has an old hall and brown brick-walled and rich red-pantiled farm buildings.
It is famous for Knedlington crossroads, a notorious accident spot. This village is the start of the country road leading to Barmby-on-the-Marsh. Unless you are cycling, it is a three-mile dead end leading to the nature reserve at the River Derwent.
Visitor Comments
Posted by Heather on 03/08/2007
On discovering my ancestors lived in Knedlington and Barmby, we paid it a visit. Knedlington Hall is where my great-great-grandfather (Edward THOMPSON) lived in the mid-1800s. What a lovely, quiet hamlet. It was a Sunday, so nobody was about. He must have met his wife (Anne Twigg) on the ferry as she lived across the river from Barmby at Scurff Hall. Still researching, but they had quite a few children, one of them being Robert (my great-grandfather).
Posted by Betty on 22/11/2008
The old hall was a fascinating structure. My ancestors used to live there many years back.
Posted by Diane on 19/01/2009
Yes, the hall is just great! My great-grandfather laid one of the first stones there.
Posted by John on 15/12/2009
Knedlington crossroads used to have a magnificent stone edifice with a water trough and a brass drinking fountain. The trough had an inscription over it which used to say "drink weary traveller and give to thy cattle also". This edifice was removed during road alterations and vanished from the face of the earth. What is there on the corner now is a cobbled up poor modern substitute.
Posted by Anne on 25/07/2013
I have in my possession a photo of the drinking trough at Knedlington crossroads. The photo was found when we were clearing out my grandmother's house some years ago. It is not a snapshot but a proper mounted photo. I have no idea who the lady was and have been trying for some years to find a connection. My grandmother's maiden name was Clarke and I know the Clarkes owned the Manor but I have not found a link. My grandmother was born near Bedale in North Yorkshire and her father George was born in Thorner. They were not a wealthy family and were employed as tradesmen in the brewing industry. Why she had the photo I do not know. Any help out there?
The drinking fountain at the crossroads has the date 1901 on it and a coat of arms, as well as the inscription "drink weary traveller etc." it says "In Loving Memory THOMAS SINCLAIR CLARKE of Knedlington Manor." A very prosperous looking lady is posing in front of the trough in Edwardian dress with two very large dogs and in her hand is a stick with a turned end like a walking stick. I wondered if she was the widow of Thomas Sinclair Clarke?
Posted by John on 15/12/2009
No one has mentioned the old Manor at Knedlington which was demolished. Last time I looked the base was still visible and some of the garden walls and an attached cottage which was occupied by Billy Andrews and his family when I was a teenager. There were extensive rhododendron bushes which had run amok surrounding an ornate fish pond as well.
The old hall used to be occupied by a Mr Waudby (Jarb). It was said that somewhere in the hall property there was an opening into the (alleged) tunnel from Howden Church to Wressle Castle. This tunnel was a regular talking point amongst the local children but I never knew anyone who had personally been into it and thinking logically the water table of the area is high which would mean the tunnel would have been almost continually flooded if it really existed at all. Maybe someone can tell me otherwise?
Old Mrs Kemp used to come from the cafe to my aunt's to help with the kitchen duties when we had a pig killing day at Elm Tree. Jack Moore, the Howden butcher, would come and do the killing and cutting up in our shed until around 1955 when we stopped keeping pigs.
Posted by Old Hall Occupier on 10/04/2010
Knedlington Old Hall in its present form is believed to have been built around 1660-1670.
In 1851 Knedlington Old Hall was occupied by Edward Thompson, farmer of 230 acres, his wife Ann, their six children, three female house servants and two male farm servants. The Thompsons were still there in 1861, but by 1871 the tenancy had been taken by Thomas Fentiman. He and his wife Elizabeth lived at Old Hall with their son John, a young nephew, John Keniwell, a governess, three farm servants and one domestic servant.
By 1891 the Old Hall was lived in by Richard Barker, farmer, his wife Elizabeth, a domestic servant and three farm servants. The Barkers were still living in Knedlington, presumably at the Old Hall, in 1901. A survey of 1910 names Cyrus Howden as tenant of the farm.
Cyril Blea of Asselby worked at the Old Hall Farm from 1940 to 1963, the year before the Old Hall was "modernised" internally in 1964. Cyril Blea recalls that the Old Hall had a bathroom and internal plumbing fitted in 1941. Cyril lived in the Old Hall for some time, I think he married during his occupancy there. The farm manager was William Waudby.
From 1964 to 2001 the Old Hall was occupied by Ken Everatt. Ken said there was a secret passage somewhere in the house.
Cyrus Howden's wife was a Backhouse - of the same family that had or has a garage at Airmyn - and lived at Prickett Hill Farm between Wressle and Brind, now demolished. Apparently there is a bound book containing a history of Knedlington and the Old Hall and it was in the care of the Backhouse family. The book was not included in the auction sale of the contents of Prickett Hill Farm when it was about to be demolished and its whereabouts is unknown.
If anyone has any information about this book, or any bits of information about the Old Hall I would be very interested to hear. Thanks.
Posted by Wendy on 20/04/2010
On researching my family, I find that William and Sarah THOMPSON were my great-great-grandparents and had links to Knedlington Old Hall. Would love to know more about my family tree. Thanks.
Posted by Matt on 30/10/2010
My grandfather was Billy Andrew (mentioned above). He was gardener for the Manor House, and married Margaret (who was the cook). They lived in the Manor Cottage, which apparently used to be the laundry for the old Manor before it was demolished. They lived there for many happy years with their children, Clive and Wendy (my mum). I still remember Manor Cottage very clearly, as they lived there until I was about eight years old. I remember the old woods around the property, and the rather spooky "horse memorial" hidden in the woods. Does anyone know if it's still there?
Posted by John on 13/11/2010
Matt, I went to school with your dad and often went to your Knedlington grandparents' house. We used to roam around the gardens but I cannot remember a horse memorial. I do remember learning to milk a goat there, a skill I put to use later when we bought a nanny goat of our own.
If my memory serves me correctly, Paul's first vehicle was an ex-post office van and I went with him and your mum on a number of outings, Plumpton Rocks springs to mind as one.
Posted by Bernard on 31/01/2011
The old house was not knocked down it was burnt down - I watched it. After 40 plus years I visited Knedlington. The base and the daffodils are still there.
Posted by Janet on 02/02/2015
Regarding the old hall, my father lived in the hall as a farm horseman from the age of fourteen. He worked on the farm until about 1963. While working on the farm he met and married my mother, she worked on the farm as a land girl. His name was Cyril Blee, he spoke highly of Mrs Howden. There was also Cyrus who was dad's boss. My dad had happy times whilst working on the farm even though it was hard work walking behind the horses all day. When they married mum and sad lived in the farm cottage for a while.
Posted by Wendy on 24/05/2013
Does anyone know where the Anchor Pub was or if it still stands as a dwelling or building in Knedlington? The Waterhouse family were the Innkeepers in the mid- to late-1800s and I believe it is the same Waterhouse family that also had the Black Swan Inn at Asselby 1851-71.
Posted by Corby on 25/05/2013
I have just travelled along the road to Asselby on Google Maps. Orchard Cottage is still there, east of what once was Pinfold Lane but now a track. The first dwelling is Newcroft which may have been a farm house, followed by what I believe to be the old Anchor Inn, now a private dwelling. Large flagstones are the forecourt and in a prominent position is a large white shield. Perhaps it contained an Anchor at some time? The next dwelling westward appears to carry the name Yellow Cottage. I hope this helps
Posted by Django on 03/07/2013
I find this area amazing in its richness of history. I knew a family who lived there very well. Their names were Bessie and Henry A. Mack and their daughter Ethne. Henry's father was Joseph Mack and his wife Rebecca lived there with them for many years. They survived the tough war years with their relatives the Ball family. Most were born in Scunthorpe or Goole. They have talked about some very interesting times at the Old Hall and the surrounds.
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