| Gargrave | |
|---|---|
 A view of the village of Gargrave | |
.svg)  Gargrave Location withinNorth Yorkshire | |
| Population | 1,755 (including Bank Newton)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SD931541 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SKIPTON |
| Postcode district | BD23 |
| Dialling code | 01756 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
| 53°59′01″N2°06′18″W / 53.98361°N 2.10500°W /53.98361; -2.10500 | |
Gargrave is a large village andcivil parish in the county ofNorth Yorkshire, England. It is located along theA65, 4 miles (6 km) north-west ofSkipton. The village is situated on the very edge of theYorkshire Dales; theRiver Aire and theLeeds and Liverpool Canal pass through it. It had a population of 1,764 at the2001 census,[2] reducing slightly to 1,755 in2011.[1] Until 1974 it was part of theWest Riding of Yorkshire[3] and it was part of the district ofCraven from 1974 to 2023; it is now administered by the unitaryNorth Yorkshire Council.
Multiple etymologies have been proposed for the nameGargrave. The name may containOld Englishgāra in its original meaning of "spear"[4] formed withgraf apparently meaningwood,[4] originally meaning "wood from which spear-shafts were cut".[4] The first part of the name may also have had the sense "triangular piece of land" and was replaced by the cognateOld Norsegieri.[5] Also suggested is that the name contains one of the Old Norse names withGeir- (e.g.Geirmundr, Geirlaug)[6] with the Old English terminationgræf, "grave, trench", Gargrave therefore meaning "grave of theScandinavian Giermundr, Geirlaug etc".[6] William Wheater thought Gargrave to be derived theCelticcaer and theSaxongerefa,[7] meaning "the camp or city of the reeve/governor".[7] The element-grave may be a "Celticlenited" variant ofCraven.[8]
In the second century, theRomans built avilla in flat meadowland near theRiver Aire at Kirk Sink; it was excavated in 1968–1974 byBrian Hartley. Its central room had a seven-metre square mosaic floor and a bath house was built alongside. The villa was surrounded by two ditches.[9]
In the 1820s, the main industry in Gargrave was cotton manufacturing and there were numerous warehouses along the side of the canal. The population at this time was 972 and there were several public houses including theMasons Arms and theSwan Inn.[10]
Gargrave House was built in 1917 by the distinguished Scottish architect, James Dunn; it is a Grade IIlisted building.[11]
TheOld Swan is also Grade II listed[12] and was named the Keighley and CravenCAMRAPub of the Season in summer 1998.[13]
Gargrave was in theGargrave and Malhamdaleward of the non-unitary authority,CravenDistrict Council, also served by theNorth YorkshireCounty Council for local services. The population of this ward at the2011 Census was measured at 3,037.[14]
Since 2023, it has been part of theMid Craven ward of the unitaryNorth Yorkshire Council.[15]
The village is in theSkipton and Ripon constituency of theUK Parliament; the seat is held currently byJulian Smith of theConservative Party.
The main road through Gargrave is theA65Leeds toKendal road. There has been a long-running campaign to have a by-pass built around the village, given the volume of traffic it provides.[16]
Northern Trains operates regular services fromGargrave railway station toSkipton andLeeds in the east;Morecambe andCarlisle are destinations to the west and north-west.[17]
Local bus services are operated by Kirkby Lonsdale Coaches,Keighley Bus Company andNorth Yorkshire Council; destinations include Skipton,Settle,Malham,Barnoldswick andPreston.[18]
TheLeeds and Liverpool Canal passes through Gargrave.
St Andrew's Church, Gargrave was built in 1521 and restored in 1852,[19] though there is thought to have been a church on the site long before this time.Robert of Newminster who was born in the parish in about 1100 was an early rector.[20]
Gargrave was the centre of anancient parish, which also included thetownships ofBank Newton,Coniston Cold,Eshton, andFlasby with Winterburn.[21]Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Alnwick, granted theadvowson of Gargrave Church and itschapels of ease toSawley Abbey, before his death in 1314.[22]
Former Chancellor of the ExchequerIain Macleod is buried in the south-east corner of the churchyard.
Gargrave is a popular destination forhikers andcyclists; it is on the edge of theYorkshire Dales National Park and thePennine WayNational Trail passes through the village.
It has avillage hall that hosts art exhibitions, tea dances, snooker, lectures, indoor bowls and pantomimes.
Gargrave AFC, the village football club, had an A and a B team playing in the Premier Division and Division 1 of the Craven League until 2016, when they withdrew from the league.[23]
The cricket club has first and second team playing in the Craven and District Cricket League.[24]
There is also a snooker club and a bowling club in the village, as well as theCraven Lawn Tennis Club.[25]
Since the turn of the century, there has been a golf society run from theMasons Arms public house in the village.
