Tockwith

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.9651
longitude= -1.2869
official_name= Tockwith
population = estimated to be over 1,000
shire_district= Harrogate
shire_county= North Yorkshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster= Vale of York
post_town= YORK
postcode_district = YO26
postcode_area= YO
dial_code= 01423
os_grid_reference= SE468523

Tockwith is a village in North Yorkshire, England, near the town of Wetherby and the city of York. There has been a village on the site since at least 1086 when "Tocvi" was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tockwith's greatest claim to fame is being used as a staging post by Oliver Cromwell prior to the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. He made reference to Tockwith in his diaries, in which he said: "If heaven should be half as blessed as the fields of Tockwith, all those who should pass St. Peter's Gate shall be met with joys unequalled".

Conservation area

On 20 January 1994, Tockwith was designated a conservation area. The information below shows the basis of the Conservation Area Designation Statement.

What's in a name?

The name Tockwith may derive from the Old English name Toc(c), and wic, which is most commonly interpreted as 'dairy farm'. The word wic was later exchanged for the Scandinavian word vid(r) meaning 'wood'. The name of the village is recorded in a number of forms:

Tocvi in the Domesday Book of 1086

Tockwic and Tockwith in 1121-27

Tocwic in the early Yorkshire Charters of 1428 and 1430

Tocwyz in the 1249 Charter Rolls and

Tockewyht in the 1280 Charter Rolls

Tockheight in the 1460 Census

Tockwith in the 1723 Census

Historical information

Tockwith played a major part in the English Civil War during the 17th century when the village was occupied by the Roundhead (Parliamentarian) army commanded by Oliver Cromwell. In 1644, the Battle of Marston Moor occurred on the land between Tockwith and Long Marston. A stone monument on the road between the two villages commemorates the site.

Tockwith church

The Tockwith Church of the Epiphany was consecrated in 1866, and was designed by Mallinson and Healey. The building is a large aisle-less cruciform church in the Geometrical style with a cylindrical bell turret.

Village layout

Tockwith is situated 9 miles west of York and 5 miles north-east of Wetherby. The village is approached through relatively flat farmlands from the west along Fleet Lane, with the church clearly visible. The village has grown significantly since the war, with several large developments on its boundaries. There are two public houses in the heart of the village, the "Boot and Shoe" and the "Spotted Ox".

ports facilities

Tockwith has one of the finest 'grass roots' level football pitches in the country; it has appeared in several magazines and won awards.Fact|date=September 2008 There is also a second football pitch, which the junior teams use. There is a large training area and a pavilion. Tockwith AFC fields a 1st and 2nd team every Saturday who play in the York Leeper Hare League.

There is also a bowls green (made of grass) and tennis courts (made of concrete) at the same location, which require membership.

External links

* [http://www.tockwith.gov.uk/ Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council]
* [http://www.tockwith.net/ Tockwith Residents Association]
* [http://tockwithshow.org.uk/ Tockwith and District Agricultural Show]