Picturesque village offers box of delights (From Gazette & Herald)

Picturesque village offers box of delights

Student FELICITY HINDE was challenged to write and publish an article of journalism for her university course. Felicity chose to pen a feature about her home village of Scagglethorpe, near Malton, and here we print the finished product...

WITHIN the district of Ryedale, removed from the hustle and bustle of the A64, tucked away on the outskirts of Norton, lies the small, picturesque village of Scagglethorpe.

The village is a short bus journey from the local shops, but situated amongst vast fields of crops, with many of the houses boasting lengthy gardens. It appears to be the perfect area to relax and enjoy the countryside.

Scagglethorpe, whose name dates back to Viking times, is made up of 100 houses which are occupied by the elderly through to the young.

There is an adventure playground for the youngsters, which is shortly being replaced, and the village hall is the scene of many coffee mornings and social and fundraising events.

The winding road through the village and the pleasant green give away the relaxed and laid-back feel to the community.

It is no surprise that in 1995 and 1998, Scagglethorpe won the 'Best Kept Village' competition, due to the pride of the local inhabitants.

On the brow of Scagglethorpe, stands one of the most attractive features in the village, an arrow of original stone cottages dating back approximately 200 years.

A couple of hundred yards further on, the Manor House can be found, the oldest building in the village, now established as a bed and breakfast.

A resident who knows the village like the back of his hand is Paul Douthwaite, 32, who has lived in Scagglethorpe all his life, as have his family through many generations.

He is a respectable figure in village life, taking on roles as chairman of the village hall committee, chapel treasurer and member of the parish council.

He says: "Scagglethorpe is a very pleasant place to live and I have never thought to move anywhere else."

His enthusiasm for the village seems endless, as he has generously donated 10 per cent of the funding for a project which the parish council is currently undertaking to refurbish the existing playground, in conjunction with Yorventure, a scheme which funds local projects.

Quirky features of the village include two short stretches of obsolete road, which used to be the old A64. Besides being a favourite venue for driving schools for the practice of three-point turns, it is also great for dogs and their walkers.

Many years ago, the post office used to be the thriving focal point of the village, but due to modern living, this building no longer exists. Now the central places in the community are the humble chapel, built in 1966, and the village hall, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1844.

The Ham and Cheese Country Inn and Restaurant beckons motorists and residents to pop in for a pint and taste the delicious food on offer.

The pub, which has been passed down through many owners, now lies in the good hands of Pam and Graham Clough. They moved from Leeds in May 2004, with their son James, who is the chef, and his fiance, Caroline, who waitresses when she's not studying at York University.

The landlady enthuses: "The people are very agreeable and I love the countryside lifestyle."

James adds: "I am really happy here and the new restaurant is very exciting." He aims to make "good, traditional food", with a mouth-watering menu, ranging from lasagne to sauteed rosette of lamb. The scrumptious food and the friendly drinking atmosphere make the pub popular for the villagers and equally entices passers-by.

Michael Ronald and Brenda Teasdale are the owners of Brow Farm, which is positioned by the car park in the heart of the village. They have lived on the farm for 30 years, keeping sheep, chickens and cattle.

Says Brenda: "After enduring years with changing faces behind the bar, we are glad to have good pub owners, as it helps to maintain community spirit which can all too easily fade away from village life."

They play an important role in the community by selling the weekly papers from their farm, which they find gives the village a sense of close community and sentimental activity within the village.

Considering the small population of Scagglethorpe, 65 of the inhabitants are children. Not only is the village home to Coppercraft, the major copper bangle makers, but up-and-coming young journalist Hannah Gibbons, aged 17, who writes a weekly column in the Gazette & Herald. Hannah comments that "although Scagglethorpe is very peaceful, there isn't a lot for teenagers to do" - fortunately, Scarborough and York are only 40 minutes away.

On the village green proudly stands the majestic jubilee tree, planted as its name suggests, in Queen Victoria's jubilee year.

Also on the same spot was the setting for another jubilee event in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. Villagers congregated in a marquee for the jubilee cake and a large village photograph was taken.

If passing along the A64 on the way to Malton, drop into the quaint village for a lazy stroll surrounded by calm charisma.

Updated: 11:45 Wednesday, June 01, 2005