Tailors Shop

This building is still standing to the rear of Rose Cottage.  In 1857 Richard Ellerker Richardson and Wilkinson Yoward were recorded as tailors in church records and a trade directory.  Later, from 1905 to 1950 Arthur Thomas Foxton.

Arthur was born in Bransdesburton and was an apprentice tailor to John Baxter a master tailor at Langtoft in 1891 at the age of 15.  He then moved to Acklam and in 1901 York where he gained valuable experience as a breeches maker and box-cloth leggings.  These would become his trade mark at Normanby with the gentry and farmers travelling from far and wide to be measured and settling their accounts at Martinmas.

Arthur served the district for 60 years until he was 80 he would sit cross legged on a large table making breeches and suits for the  hunting fraternity.  He would never fit a telephone because he said that people would only pester him to find out when their jobs were ready!

He had a pipe with a silver lid to stop the ash falling on his cloth.  The pipe also had a cloth cap made on the sewing machine from cavalry twill.  After which occasionally helping his son Rob who continued the trade until he retired in the 1980's

Rose Cottage

Rose cottage was the Foxton's home for many years.  Behind Rose Cottage there used to be a number of poultry houses run by Mr Rob Foxton.  Mr. and Mrs Dowie bought the property in 1981.  Later it passed to Henry and Linda Heaton who extended the building.

View behind Rose Cottage showing many poultry houses, circa 1940.

Note the School in the centre foreground and the large part of the old Rectory garden turned over to vegetables a credit to John Wood.

Arthur & Rob Foxton's (son's of Arthur Thomas) initials are carved in the bridge coping stones.

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View behind Rose Cottage showing many poultry houses, circa 1940.

The Village Shop and Post Office

James Hill was the shopkeeper from 1823 to 1857, Ralph Boyes from 1857 to 1893 and his spinster daughters Hannah (1857-1934) and Mary Jane (1863-1942) continued until 1935 after which Albert Thomas (Tom) (1901-1966) and wife Dorothy Dot Everald (1906- 1974 nee Nawton)  Sleightholme until its closure in 1970's.

Older residents will remember the row of five cottages just south of the lay-by in the village.  In the 50's the Clark's lived in the one nearest Vine cottage (Box Cottage) a retired postman and artist (1), followed by the Post Office & Shop (2), the Walton family (3), John & Kate (nee Denny) Harding (4) (Veranda Cottage).

The end cottage (5) was not owned by the Boyes, Robert (Bob) Carpenter the Bee keeper lived there, it was complete with pigsty and privy up the garden and fruit store.  This cottage and garden was purchased by the council to build the three bungalows.  Previous owners being the Hornby's (from Rookbarugh and Lance Butts) and the Grayson's family of the Manor and later Ryedale Laundry, both families owned all the garden up to the boundary with Mount Pleasant.

In the late 1930's both gardens at "A" were purchased by Pickering council to build the 2 council houses, whilst gardens "B" were purchase for council bungalows in the 1970's.  The census record previous inhabitants.

c.1930 plan

The Boyes sisters Hannah (1857-1934) and Mary Jane (1863-1942) ran the Post Office & Shop and owned the first four cottages from vine cottage north.  Margaret Wood remembers helping in the shop as a child.  One of the sisters was Margaret's godmother.  Margaret's favourite job was arranging the special toys and gifts which were obtained for sale at Christmas.

On display at the village exhibition in 2000 was the old flour bin from the shop, which is used to hold rolled barley for geese to this day.  Mrs Gladys Foxton, a former resident remembered the Boyes sisters.  Apparently they both wore wigs.  One day they blew off and ended up in the flour bin!

When Miss Mary Jane Boyes became infirm Margaret looked after her until her death.  In 1942 Miss Mary Jane Boyes left the 4 cottages to Margaret in her will.  However, they were in need of much repair and were eventually (c.1970's)  demolished, thus leaving Normanby without a village shop and post office.

Fernleigh

Documents of Fernleigh date back to 1785, the census record the blacksmith’s Huddlestone living there from 1841 to the mid-1860's (25 years) it continued as the home of the blacksmiths with the Foxton’s up until 1950’s (85 years).  After the Foxton’s it became the home of George and Mary Ann Skilbeck up to 1969 when the Dickinson renovated the cottage and it became their home.

The little girl (Betty Brown nee Walton) was still living in Pickering in 2000; she remembers the photograph being taken.

The Post Office & Shop summer c.1970's

Post Office & Shop winter c.1970's

The Old Butchers still stands (2000) between the Sun Inn and St. Andrew's Coke house.

 

Fernleigh prior to renavation in 1967

Fernleigh c.2000

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The little girl (Betty Brown nee Walton) was still living in Pickering in 2000; she remembers the photograph being taken.

Normanby House

The present house was built in 1815 as The Rectory for St. Andrew's Church.  The Rev. Arthur Cayley was appointed Rector on 1st Feb 1814.  On 9th Feb 1815 Christopher Dowker, Vicar of Salton and Michael Makereth, Vicar of Middleton, wrote a letter to The Lord Archbishop of York saying that the Parsonage House was "in a very ruinous state, totally unfit for the residence of a clergyman", they noted that the Rev Arthur Cayley (his father, Henry Cayley, was a distant cousin of Sir George Cayley the aeronautics engineer innovator, and descended from an ancient Yorkshire family) had been given two hundred pounds for dilapidations, but no part had as yet been spent on repairing the premises.

On 6th Feb 1815 Richard Henry Sharp, of the City of York, surveyor, certified that he estimated the expenses of the proposed building of The Rectory House (44 feet long, 24 feet wide, 23 feet high) could not be completed under the sum of six hundred and fifty pounds, exclusive of the materials and leading.  The requisite barn and outhouses he estimated at a further sum of two hundred and fifty pounds.  On 17th April 1815 Rev. Arthur Cayley wrote to Queen Anne's Bounty to raise a mortgage.  The Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation and Maintenance of the Poor Clergy was set up during the reign of George III to promote the residence of the parochial clergy by making provision for the more speedy and effectual building, rebuilding and repairing and purchasing of houses and other necessary buildings and tenements for the use of their benefices.

Arthur Cayley was lent the sum of seven hundred pounds "to be laid out and expended in the rebuilding the Parsonage House belonging to the said church".  He was to pay interest of 4% annually and to repay capital at 5% annually.  Work must have started promptly, there are a series of receipts from local tradesmen for material and labour in June, July and August 1815.  A final State of Account of the money advanced and paid by the Rev. Arthur Cayley came to £708.11.

The previous house, on the same site, was built some time between 1724 and 1743.  The Terrier for 1743 says "The Parsonage House consists of stone and rebuilt from the ground by the present Rector" (Thomas Mason 1724-45).  It also notes "Behind the dwelling there is a close containing about two acres and this is all the glebe belonging to the Rectory".

The 1749 Terrier says, "The Rectory consists of a stone house and barn and a room for fewel (sic Fuel) adjoining the barn, all covered with thatch.  The house contains a Parlour, Kitchen, Staircase, Back Kitchen, Milk house. Before the house is a garden and behind it are a little orchard and a close".

The house before that, referred to in the Terrier of 1716, is described "in form like the letter L, extending from North to South in length 21 yards and from East to West in breadth six yards and one foot.  Also one barn and one stable both under one roof".  We have no record of when it was built.

William Harrison was gardener at the Rectory for 26 years up until 1893.

The house was sold by the Church Commissioners in 1954.  It was bought by Maureen Bucher, wife of General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher K.B.E. CB. MC. the last British Commander in Chief of the Indian Army.  The house had neither running water nor electricity and was in need of extensive restoration.  The architect employed was Francis Johnson C.B.E, based at Bridlington and well known for his work on Georgian houses in Yorkshire, including Burton Agnes, Garrowby and Fairfax House.

Lady Bucher was chair of the Parish Meeting for 16 years, working for much of the time with Rob Foxton who was secretary for 22 years.  Sir Roy and Lady Bucher lived in the house until she died in 1978 and Sir Roy Bucher in 1980 aged 84.  Both are buried in Normanby churchyard.

In 1981 the house was bought by Brig. The Hon R.G. Hamilton-Russell, who lived here with his wife until Jack and Claire Wallis bought it in 1985.  Because of the extensive alterations the house was not previously listed as a building of special architectural or historic interest but was included in 1989.

The 20ft. sculptured Yew Hedge made of 5 Yews was planted in 1897 and shaped for many years by John Wood, Albert (Tally) Hornby and Harold Spenceley.  Boys in the 50's would climb inside the Yews and took delight in poking their heads out of the very top.

c.1900 The Vicarage cordon Pear tree and Beech Tree

c.2000 Normanby House and the late Claire Wallis

c.2000 The Yews Hedge with Copper Beech Tree.

February 1977 John Wood trimming and shapeing the hedge on its 80th anniversary.

c.2000 A introder using the style.

c.2013 no Copper Beech Tree

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c.1900 The Vicarage cordon Pear tree and Beech Tree

The New Rectory

This was built in 1961 at a cost of £3950.

Willow House

Willow house was once one of the village's numerous ale houses and was 2 semi-detached house for a period.  The grounds once included the whole of 'the Warren to the north and the fields (Fish Pond) behind that down to the river.  There were repairs made to the east wall in 1932 when a crack appeared.  There has been some storm damage over the years.  One bad gale brought a chimney stack down.  The windows have been in situ for many years but they are not the originals, which were leaded.  There was much cultivation of the land.  The grounds of Willow House once covered the whole of the woodland which is now occupied by 3 new houses.  Finally Willow House was demolished in 2013 to make way for a further 2 new cottages.

South View

South View was a traditional south facing cottage and was demolished to make way for the new bungalow built on the site of Harold Spenceley's old cottage in 1986.  Harold sold up and later died in Beechwood nursing home at Scarborough.  It was a former ale house which was appropriate for Harold more than once he was assisted home from the Sun Inn by wheelbarrow.  Another occupier was Mr John Scaife and the Ward family, a renowned bee-keeper who used straw skeps and later moved to Pickering.

Normanby Hill

Grade II listed in 1987 built in the late 1700's of dressed limestone with sandstone quoins and blue pantile roof.  Alterations were made in 1851 by William Seamer (a wealthy Methodist) and a extension added in 1928.  Edward Wormald and family were in residence in 1861 and in 1881 George Frederick Wormald.

Uninhabited in the 1881 census and by 1891 James Frank and family followed in 1901 by Andrew Huby a farm Bailiff.  In 1911 it was the home of William (1850-1939) & Mary (nee Myers) (1861-1948) Wood from Pockley (a renown family of Butcher's) (no relation to Margaret Wood).  After W.W.I it was purchased by lieutenant Samuel Sugden Lockwood M. F. H. J.P. (1882-1948) a cunning investor in farms and property and wife Caroline (nee Ingham 1884-1976).  Robert Henry (1890-1974) and Cora Stead (nee Norton 1886-1971) were the Lockwood's housekeepers.

In the 1980s it was a rural education centre, run by the Asfari family.  Following a succession of tenants each spending considerable sums of money on the property, it has now returned to a family home. 

c.2000 New Rectory

1912 Willow House with John Wood Margaret's father in garden

South View (Spenceley's Home) & Old Road c.1966

South View making way for Halycon c.1986

c.2000 Normanby Hill

c.2009 Normanby Hill

c.1950 from the air

 

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c.2000 New Rectory

Normanby Manor

The manor was conveyed to Sir Arthur Robinson in 1632.  He was a wool merchant and Sheriff of Yorkshire 1633-4. He died in 1642 leaving property to his son Luke who was in possession in 1694.  The manor belonged to the Robinsons of Welburn until purchased in 1878 from a Mrs Wrengham and Misses Smith by Thomas Harrison.  The present farm house is not the original Manor House.  The foundations of this can be seen near the present pig sty.  The existing farm house has a large extension which was constructed in 1800 for entertaining shooting parties.

Bridge Farm (House)

In 1841 Bridge farm was the residence of John Smith (tenant to Ann Surr) and family the father of preacher and farmer Joseph Smith.  After the death of John Smith his eldest son also John Smith ran the farm up until 1861 when he departed for South Africa as a missionary. Brother Joseph took on the tenancy to the death of Ann Surr 1868 (owner) who left the farm to William Wood who farmed there until the early 1921 (53 years) when it changed hands to John Robert Renwick.

Then in quick succession the, Ralph W Lee 1925, H Armitage 1929, Joseph Patmore 1931-1940, Thomas Marton and finally to Mr Harry Brown until he retired in the 1970's.  In many census the the farm house became two properties and in the 1920's the Perkins's in one and the Tanton's (farm Bailiff to Capt John R Renwick) in the other.

Pasture House

Pasture House was built around 1750.  Like all the old houses it faces south to catch the warmth of the sun but its windows are of such a size that summer heat is not too excessive.  There were originally no windows in the north wall to reduce winter heat loss.  Some of the brick and stone walls are two feet thick and are standing on clay.

For many years it was the home of the village blacksmith and his family. In tithe records for 1841 three associated plots are recorded, the Feeding paddock, the House paddock and Smith's shop with garden.  The property originally had 4 acres attached.  It is believed that Thomas Henry Foxton committed suicide in one of the bedrooms.  In 1926 John Robert Foxton passed on the property to Cecil John Foxton and Thomas Henry Foxton. Thomas died on 11th March 1940.  John Robert died on 9th February 1953 aged 79 years.  Dora Annie Foxton died on 19th November 1954, also aged 79 years.

In 1955 Cecil John Foxton passed on the property to Thomas Hubert Foxton, husband of Gladys.  In 1961 the property was passed on to Gladys Foxton (nee Sleightholme) when Thomas Hubert died in 1960.  In 1981 Gladys sold Pasture House to the Dowell family and moved to Pickering dieing there in 2001 aged 90.  Part of the land was split at sale into three building plots but 2 acres remain, tended organically since 1981. 

At one time a path led down the south boundary of the property used by villagers to collect water and take washing.  Cobbles have been unearthed during garden digging along with many horseshoes, clay pipes and a George the third penny.

The house has seen many alterations over its life.  At one time there was a door leading directly out onto the street.  In 1981 the property was renovated.  Central heating was added, and the old wood floors which rested directly on the clay soil were replaced with cement.  At this time the wash house still had an old copper used during the annual butchering of the pig. The pig sty, along with a calf barn and outside lavatory, was originally attached to the east side of the house.  Its bricks were used to make a garage and fuel store. Foundations were added to the south wall for the first time.  An extension at roof height was added in the 1980s.  The bricks for this were obtained from an old mill in the Malton area.  The pantiles came from Harold Spenceley's old house which once stood in the next field to the north of Pasture House.

The garden has also changed.  It was once pasture but now includes an orchard, large vegetable gardens, a "wild" area, four pools, tree areas, a wild flower meadow and winding paths through raised beds and a wood.  Animals continue to be kept including pigs, goats, ducks and geese.  The greenhouse contains a Black Hamburg grape vine which was transferred from the Sun Inn a number of years ago.  It originally came from a stately home.  The yield is usually 60 bunches a year.

Risebro View

These two houses were built by the council in the 1940's.  The site was once a gooseberry garden.  Phyllis Hornby, who lived in one of the houses, used to tell, (amongst many other things), of the trials she experienced while giving lodgings to land girls during the war.  The Frank family lived in the other for some forty years.

c.2000 Normanby Manor house

c.1868 Bridge Farm (House)

c.1900 Bridge Farm (house)

c.2000 Bridge Farm

c.2000 Pasture House and the Dowel family

c.2000 Pasture House

c.2000 Risebro View

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c.2000 Normanby Manor house

Mount Pleasant

The home of the late Isabel McLean in 2000 the exterior of the bungalow actually hides a much older structure.  It was the home of Henry Barker a widow in 1891.  By 1901 it had changed hands to Albert Sleightholme and family of the Trashing Machine fame they then sold it to Horace & Alice Pyrah in 1949.  Horace & Alice rebuilt the property in 1964 using much of the existing material to form a long bungalow named Stainacres.

Wath Cottage

Will always be remembered as the Skilbeck's home from (1911-1965), Thomas a professional gardener and Alice for her cakes and buns and the Wesleyan Sunday School preacher, organist and Chapel caretaker.  Prior to the Skilbeck's it belonged to Barugh Muzeen and family in 1901 and 1891 census again gardeners

Vine Cottage

A major market garden property from 1870's to 1919 owned by Robert Underwood (1845-1917) and his wife Mary Jane (nee Hawkins 1841-1922) . 

Cecil Foxton (blacksmith) and family were owners from around 1939 to 1985 after which the property was broken up into many plots.

1949 Mount Pleasant (Stainesacre)

1964 rebuild rear of property.

1964 front view completed

1981 rear view showing steel workshop & mushroom shed & brick drawing office,

I spent many a happy hour learning engineering in the 50's. bf

1981 view from front door of Mount Pleasant before Gladys sold Pasture House.

Thomas & Alice Skilbeck at Wath Cottage

c.1900 Robert Underwood at Vine cottage

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1949 Mount Pleasant (Stainesacre)