Aldbrough St John

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption =
latitude = 54.49
longitude = -01.69
official_name = Aldbrough St John
population =
shire_district = Richmondshire
shire_county = North Yorkshire
region = Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster =
post_town =
postcode_district =
postcode_area =
dial_code =
os_grid_reference = NZ2011
london_distance=

Aldbrough St John is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district in North Yorkshire, England. The parish has a population of 325 (2001 census).

History

In Norse language Aldbrough means "Old Burh" or fortified stronghold. At one time, Aldbrough-st-John had a "small castle". We know this from John Leland's account in 1540 that "There appere great ruines of a howse or litle castel at Albruch village, and thereby rennith a bekke. It standith a 2 mile south from Perse Bridg on Tese" Perse Bridg is now called Piercebridge 2 miles north of Aldbrough referred to above as Albruch. If this "castle" was indeed a ruin by 1540, then it must surely have dated from long before.

When the Duchess of Northumberland came to live in the village in the late 1800s, she had many of the old properties removed and the stone used to build new houses. It is generally accepted that any castle remains were also removed at this time. The foundations of this building were recently found by local historians in what is believed to have been the "burh" oval. A property of this type within the village is thought by Ian Wardle - one of our historians - to be the reason why Aldbrough not only kept, but increased in value in Norman times when all villages around were sacked and burned. He believes that Aldbrough was at the centre of the lands occupied by the local lord so may have been spared. This information is further expanded on the village website [http://aldbrough-st-john.co.uk]