Ebberston

SITUATED beside the A170 Ebberston is a quiet and peaceful village.

It consists mainly of mellow stone cottages with attractive well-kept gardens. A small stream sparkles beside the main street, adding to the village's rural charm.

On the outskirts is Ebberston Hall, known as 'the smallest stately home in the country.'

The house was built in the style of a Palladian villa and was intended for the owner's mistress. Apparently though the lady was not sufficiently impressed to live there!

Close to the hall stands the church of St Mary's, which is of Norman origin. Many additions and alterations have been made over the centuries, but the Norman pillars and font remain. The church also has some beautiful stained glass windows.

Although Ebberston no longer has a school, shop or post office it does have two public houses. The Grapes, on the hill to the west, has changed hands several times in recent years and when I called, the new owners were just settling in.

The Foxholm is a picturesque stone-built farmhouse converted to a comfortable, licensed country inn. It has been owned and managed since 1978 by Kay Clyde, who has always been familiar with pub life.

"Before coming here we had The Coachman at Snainton," Kay explained.

"But before that my parents had The Crown in Helmsley. They bought Foxholm 35 years ago and converted it to a pub. Most of the customers are from the village and all know each other."

The Foxholm stands next to the sports field which contributes to its position as one of the hubs of village life.

Kay said: "The village raised money for the sports field and we got a Lottery grant. There are tennis courts and an all weather football pitch.

"We also have a wonderful children's playground and parents from miles around bring their children.

"We have a very successful cricket club which has terrific local support. I've watched a lot of them growing up and after matches most of them come in for a drink and chat."

Metcalfe's Nursery is a small family run business started by Tony and Marion Metcalfe in the 1950s.

The business has grown from just a few small wooden greenhouses to over one acre of modern heated glasshouses. Today the nursery is run by Tony and Marion's son Ben.

"My parents began by selling vegetables, tomatoes and salad to local shops," said Ben.

"Now we have expanded into bedding plants and hanging baskets.

"One of the reasons we do so well in the village is that so many people here are keen gardeners and we have a lot of support from them. We still grow tomatoes and sell them here and in our shop in Pickering."

For people (including me) who have never seen tomatoes grown commercially, it can be quite an eye opening experience.

The rows of plants are exceptionally tall and very healthy looking, in fact a veritable tomato forest.

Ben said: "We don't use any chemicals on the tomatoes and the temperature; humidity, ventilation and watering are all controlled by computers. The pollination of the crop is carried out by a specially introduced colony of bumble bees.

"Local schools come round to see the growing process and the children are always interested to see the bees at work."

A couple who might possibly become future customers at Ben's Nursery are Sheila and Brian Connolly. When I met Sheila she was busy barrowing rubble out of her garden.

She said: "It was a newly built house when we moved here about a year ago, so there is quite a lot to do in the garden. It is hard work but I love anything to do with creating and designing.

"Before retiring I worked in interior design and soft furnishing. We lived in Scalby and decided we wanted somewhere quieter.

"We thought Ebberston was such a lovely village and we've found everyone very friendly."

Ebberston may indeed by a quiet village but it is certainly not a sleepy one.

Following the closure of the school some years ago, the building was taken over by the parish and is now the village hall.

This is home to the Women's Institute, a thriving playgroup and various other groups. It is also used for bingo, evening classes and fundraising events. In one year alone more than £7,000 was raised for charities in the local community.

There is a fascinating history to the village which ranges from a visit by Alchfrid, King of Northumbria, in AD 704, to the exploits of George Osbaldeston, colourful owner of Ebberston Hall in 1814 and known as the 'squire of all England.'

Ebberston is fortunate in having its own family history research centre.

David and Brenda Green run a popular farmhouse bed and breakfast establishment, together with holiday cottages and a touring caravan site.

One of the main attractions for visitors is the excellent family history research facilities.

David said: "We previously lived in Pickering, but moved here with the specific plan to build a library. Visitors also have access to computers."

Brenda added: "The library is well equipped with genealogical books, local history books, Yorkshire indexes and finding aids.

"The facilities are useful for anyone wanting to trace their family tree whether they are beginners or experienced genealogists."

Brenda and her friend Janice Wood also produce CDs of Kelly's Directories and other old books which people can use to trace their ancestry.

She said: "We get people to stay from all over, particularly if they know some of their ancestors were from Yorkshire.

"We've recently had visitors from Australia, Canada and America. Some discovered long lost cousins in the area."

The County Plan designates Ebberston as a village "worthy of preservation." It certainly is!

Updated: 15:11 Wednesday, July 27, 2005