Great Langton

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Great Langton
latitude= 54.21
longitude= -1.32
civil_parish= Great Langton
static_

static_image_caption= Aerial view of Great Langton and the River Swale
area_total_km2 = 3.04
population= 116 (2001 Census)
shire_district= Hambleton
shire_county= North Yorkshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster= Richmond
post_town= NORTHALLERTON
postcode_district = DL7
postcode_area= DL
dial_code= 01609
os_grid_reference= SE295965

Great Langton is a small village in the district of Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England. The village lies on the B6271 road, between Scorton and Northallerton, on the northern bank of the River Swale and it was once known as Langton-upon-Swale.

The village church is St Wilfrid's Church; there was also a Chapel of the Good Shepherd, which has now been converted into a residential property. There was once a school in Great Langton but this too has closed and is now a residential property. The village pub, which was known as "The Langton Hotel" until it changed its name to "The Wishing Well" in the 1970s, closed in 2004.

The village is a short distance from Kiplin Hall, the stately home built by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, the founder of Maryland, USA.

Etymology

The name 'Great Langton' derives from Old English meaning ‘Long farm/settlement’. [cite web|url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/ins/epntest/php/detailpop.php?placeno=6115|title=Great and Little Langton|work=A Key to English Placenames|accessdate=2008-02-10] ‘Lang’ is the old Saxon word for ‘long’, and ‘Tun’ being ‘town’. It is known as "Great" Langton because there is a Little Langton nearby.

ites of Interest

Great Langton has a small number of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. [cite web|url=http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/Hambleton%20District%20Council/annex%203%20map%206%20natural%20environment.pdf|title=Map 6 Natural Environment - DP33 & DP34 and Schedule of Sites|work=Hambleton District Council|year=2006-01-04|accessdate=2008-02-10] These include Great Langton Pond located in grid reference SE289959, Poole's Waist at SE306943, River Swale at SE257966 and Winterwalk Wood at SE302955, in close vicinity to Little Langton.

Great Langton Pond has many ornithological [cite web|url=http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/Hambleton%20District%20Council/DWLP_App4.pdf|title=Appendix 4: Sites Of Importance for Nature Conservation|work=Hambleton District Council|year=2000-07-07|accessdate=2008-02-10] (wetland) purposes as well as plenty of decent angling. The pond is known to contain species such as barbel, carp and chub. [cite web|url=http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/GEHO0607BMLW-e-e.pdf?lang=_e|title=Where to go fishing: A guide to coarse and game fisheries - North East – Dales, 2007/08|work=Environment Agency|author=J Donohue|date=2007-07-23|accessdate=2008-02-10]

The River Swale has been known to be subject to flooding and is monitored closely by the Environment Agency. [cite web|url=http://environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/DW230|title=Current Flooding Situation - River Swale at Great Langton|work=Environment Agency|year=2001|accessdate=2008-02-10] Although Great Langton is located in a primary area for fishing, no local residents are in the trade.cite web|url=https://www3.northyorks.gov.uk/census2001/parish_pdf/Hambleton/kiplin.pdf|title=Parish of Great Langton/Kiplin/Whitwell|work=2001 Census Key Statistics|accessdate=2008-02-10] The River Swale also attracts large numbers of duck into the village, commonly seen around winter. The ducks tend to arrive around mid-September having travelled around 2,000 miles from central CIS. They return around April, the journey taking several weeks. [cite web|url=http://www.wildfowling.co.uk/magazine/nathist.htm|title=Natural History of Wildfowl|work=Wildfowling Magazine International|accessdate=2008-02-10]

Poole's Waist is one of many oxbow lakes located on the River Swale. River water still floods through Poole's Waist during periods of high rainfall.cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5226|title=Late Quaternary landscape history of the Swale - Ure Washlands|work=English Heritage|year-2002/2003|accessdate=2008-02-10]

History

Great Langton shows signs of human activity throughout much of its postglacial history. Initially, in the late-glacial and early Holocene (Mesolithic) period, there is little sign of any human impacts on the landscape, but there are signs of forest fires shown by fire climax vegetation, which could have been prevalent as a result of Mesolithic activity. Farming began only in the mid Holocene period, so human activity is likely to have been far larger from then onwards. Farming would have greatly increased and caused significant changes in the fluvial sediment regime through woodland clearance and colluvial hillwash.

Therefore Great Langton shows signs of rural activity. Also there are signs of quarrying since there is a disused quarry located on part of the old river bed. Hence the Swale is seen to have high sand and gravel content.

Great Langton first became a parish in 1823. [cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=O115637&tabType=ARCHIVE|title=Great Langton parish|work=National Register of Archives|accessdate=2008-02-10] On 27 February 2008 much of North Yorkshire experienced tremors as a cause of the earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire. Luckily no damage was caused to the village.

Religion

The 2001 census for the parish of Great Langton reveals that 83% of the inhabitants are Christian, with only 10.8% stating that they have 'no religion'. The remaining 6.2% did not wish to say. Every year Great Langton holds a church fete to raise money for St Wilfrid's Church. Although the church is still running, it has been slowly declining in usage due to a lack of funding and of village attendance.

Economy

The 2001 census for the parish shows that around 38.9% of the occupants are employed in 'small roles' at work. Agriculture takes up 28% of the occupants' jobs, the highest employer followed by 'wholesale and retail' at 22%. Every household in the village owns at least one car. 40% of households are 'owned outright', with only 17.6% being rented. Only 2.75% of occupants are registered as unemployed. 30.3% have a higher qualification, 21.4% have none. 11% of houses in Great Langton do not have central heating.

Transport

Only 3% of Great Langton's population use public transport to travel to work. There are, however, bus links which go to Richmond, Yafforth and Northallerton. For the bus timetable to and from Great Langton [http://www.northyorkstravel.info/pdf/YNAO055.pdf?PHPSESSID=e362c10aef4fac096f7959bdd3462f7f|click here] . There are regular train services between Northallerton and London allowing for a relatively easy connection. A typical fare will be around £80. To view train journey times [http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/tt|click here] .

Climate

According to the Köppen classification the British Isles experience a maritime climate characterised by relatively cool summers and mild winters. Compared with other parts of the country, North Yorkshire is slightly warmer and sunnier in the summer and colder and frostier in the winter. Owing to its inland position, and sheltered by the Pennines to the west [cite web|url=http://www.yorkshiredales-stay.co.uk/weather.php|title=Weather information for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and North Yorkshire|publisher=Yorkshiredales-stay.co.uk|retrieved=April 20 2008] , North Yorkshire is one of the driest counties in the UK, receiving, on average, less than mm to in|600|abbr=yes of rain per year. The mean annual daily duration of bright sunshine is three hours and 42 minutes.

There are two distinct local weather phenomenon, marked downslope lee winds caused by the proximity of the Pennines, leading to super geostrophic winds which can reach in excess of 60 KT (70 mph), most commonly in winter and spring. In the winter the presence of a subsidence inversion between the Pennines and the North Yorks Moors can allow dense, persistent fog to form which can last for several days.

Infobox weather
location = Great Langton, observed at nearby RAF Leeming
Jan_Hi_°C = 6
Feb_Hi_°C = 6
Mar_Hi_°C = 9
Apr_Hi_°C = 11
May_Hi_°C = 15
Jun_Hi_°C = 18
Jul_Hi_°C = 20
Aug_Hi_°C = 20
Sep_Hi_°C = 17
Oct_Hi_°C = 14
Nov_Hi_°C = 9
Dec_Hi_°C = 7
Jan_Lo_°C = 1
Feb_Lo_°C = 1
Mar_Lo_°C = 2
Apr_Lo_°C = 4
May_Lo_°C = 6
Jun_Lo_°C = 9
Jul_Lo_°C = 11
Aug_Lo_°C = 11
Sep_Lo_°C = 9
Oct_Lo_°C = 7
Nov_Lo_°C = 3
Dec_Lo_°C = 1
Jan_Precip_mm = 56
Feb_Precip_mm = 40
Mar_Precip_mm = 46
Apr_Precip_mm = 45
May_Precip_mm = 49
Jun_Precip_mm = 52
Jul_Precip_mm = 50
Aug_Precip_mm = 65
Sep_Precip_mm = 50
Oct_Precip_mm = 51
Nov_Precip_mm = 43
Dec_Precip_mm = 52
Year_Precip_mm = 599
Jan_Sunshine_hours = 53
Feb_Sunshine_hours = 65
Mar_Sunshine_hours = 106
Apr_Sunshine_hours = 131
May_Sunshine_hours = 177
Jun_Sunshine_hours = 172
Jul_Sunshine_hours = 164
Aug_Sunshine_hours = 158
Sep_Sunshine_hours = 123
Oct_Sunshine_hours = 91
Nov_Sunshine_hours = 65
Dec_Sunshine_hours = 46
Year_Sunshine_hours = 1351
source = The Weather Network [ [http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.php?product=statistics&pagecontent=C00502 Historical Weather for Leeming] The Weather Network (retrieved 20 April 2008)]
accessdate = Years on Record: 30

References

External links

* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Greatlangton/index.html GENUKI.org.uk - general information on Great Langton]