18th/19th Century

1700+

Thixendale had survived previous enclosures, and retained its land strip system.

1786-1795

Between 1786 and 1795, Sir Christopher Sykes started buying land property by property. Along with the properties went the strips of land. He created farms of between 500 and 1000 acres, notably Thixendale Grange, Manor Farm, Gills Farm and Gritts Farm. Along with the farms, came the farmsteads, built from 1843 onwards.

Agriculture was developed by securing sources of water in dew ponds and improving the fertility of the soil by using manure from cattle. The cattle were held in high barns through the winter and sold in the spring.

Labourers were needed for the agriculture. Older workers were found in the villages, and younger lads were hired by the year.

The Sykes estate were responsible for much of the existing buildings in Thixendale, including , the church and the school. In part, this was a way of showing-off the wealth of the estate. Only the best architects and workmanship were permitted.

Also see Thixendale under the Sledmere Estate

1793

This map from 1793 shows the following:

  • (1) Marshall’s Garth occupied the land from the junction near ‘Round-the-Bend’ through to where Beamer View and Newcote are now.
  • (2) Court Garth occupied the land that is now mainly Chapel Farm.
  • (3) There is a lane between (1) and (2), called Water Lane, leading to (4) below.
  • (4) Marshall’s Allotment – a small triangle of land to the south of (1) and the west of (2)
  • (5) Brigham’s Garth – now the site of the Cross Keys. (Cross Keys license was granted in 1793.)
  • (6) Brigham’s Allotment – roughly where Jay-Jay is now
  • (7) Thomas Harrison’s Garth – between Cottage Farm and Cross Keys.
  • The spring and pond can be seen towards Manor Farm.
  • A building is shown opposite ‘Round-the-Bend’
  • What is now October Barn seems to be shown.
  • All of the existing roads were already in place.

1816

This map from 1816 shows the following:

  • Marshall’s Garth appears to have grown by taking over Court Garth and Water Lane.
  • October Barn appears more clearly. There appears to be a road between it and the Huggate hill.

1823

In 1823, Thixendale had a population of 184.

1837

In 1837, John Jewison of Raisthorpe built a terrace of 8 brick cottages between the Cross Keys and what is now the cricket pitch. These became known as Jewison’s row. They were built to house farm labourers.

A Methodist chapel was built at the east of the village in 1837. Some information courtesy of Christopher Dent:

My father was Superintendent Minister of the Pocklington Circuit of the Methodist Church in the 1960s. The circuit at that time had 28 chapels and Thixendale was probably the most inaccessible, certainly in winter. As far as I can remember, the Thixendale Chapel had only one member, Mrs Sarah Welburn, whose details I have found on the website under the Coates family. Sarah faithfully maintained the life of the chapel for many years. Many of the chapels, like Thixendale, had a very small membership. My father organised a circuit rally each quarter gathering in the members from across the circuit. A special bus was sent out around the circuit, but Sarah Welburn was fetched by car during the afternoon and had tea with us in the Manse in Pocklington before the evening service. It was like an outing to the metropolis for her.

1840

( From History, Gazetteer and Directory of the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire )

RAISTHORPE and BIRDALL, or Burdale, are two farms in a valley of the Wolds, 9 miles S.E. of Malton, constituting a township of 45 souls and 2130 acres of land. Raisthorpe belongs to Thomas Bentley Lock, Esq., and is occupied by John Jewison; and Birdall, the property of Henry Willoughby, Esq., is occupied by George Acklam, and has a rabbit warren of 400 acres.

THIXENDALE, 9 miles S.S.W. of Malton, is a picturesque township, with a small scattered village at the junction of sixteen deep and narrow dales, and contains 207 souls and 3160 acres of land. Sir Tatton Sykes owns a great part of the soil, and is lord of the manor, which is supposed to have had its name from its sixteen dales, and to have been the seat of John de Sezevaux, who represented York in the parliament held 28th of Edward I.
Directory:- Wm. Brown, blacksmith; Rt. Butterwick, vict., Cross Keys; Thos. Dales and Thos. Dawson, shoe makers; Mr. James Hall, yeoman, Pluckham ; Samuel Wass, wheel wright; and Wm. Cundall, Thomas Fawcett, Charles Matthews, Wm. Penrose, Thomas Richardson, Edward Topham and John Wright, farmers. Nicholas Graham, shopkeeper, and carrier to Malton, Wednesday and Saturday.

1843

Manor Farm was built in 1843.

1849

In 1849, Lady Sykes supported the building of a small schoolhouse next to what is now Cottage Farm. This was subsequently divided between Ash Tree Farm and Cottage Farm after the new school was built in 1876.

It can be seen as the single-story building in these two photos: photo 1 (1900) photo 2 (1904)

1851

This map from 1851 shows the following:

  • The Cross Keys is clearly identified.
  • The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel is shown.
  • Cross Keys is shown.
  • The Smithy is shown opposite Cottage farm.
  • The Cross Keys is shown.

1857

( Extracted from 1857 Post Office Directory of North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, bottom of p. 1528 and top of p. 1529, original image retrieved from Ancestry.com )

BURDALE OR BIRDALL. 9 miles south-east from Malton, consists of one farm and the station-house, on the Malton and Driffield line of railway, is the property of Lord Middleton. It is a part of the township of Raisthorpe. 37 miles from Thirsk, and thirteen from Driffield.

RAISTHORPE is a township containing one farm, in the ownership of Mr. Henry Jewison, about 2 miles from Burdale station on the Malton and Driffield line of railway. The population is 187 and the area is 2,130 acres.

THIXENDALE, 9 miles from Malton, 3 from Fridaythorpe, and 2 from Burdale station, on the Malton and Driffield line of railway, is a township and small village in the parish of Wharram Percy, in the union of Pocklington. The population in 1851 was 266; with 3,697 acres of land, the greater part of which is the property of Sir Tatton Sykes, Bart., who is lord of the manor. Church service is held in the school-room.

The Wesleyans have a chapel here. The school is entirely supported by Lady Sykes.

THIXENDALE inhabitants

Hill James, Esq. Pluckham

Butterick Robert, wheelwright and joiner

Buttle John, farmer

Buttle William, farmer

Cook Francis, farmer

Dale Thomas, boot & shoemaker

Dawson Thomas, boot & shoemaker

Dixon John, shopkeeper & carrier

Graham Nicholas, shopkeeper & carrier

Greenshaw Robert, farmer

Hesp William, tailor & woolen draper

Hill James, farmer, Pluckham

Kirby Foster, farm bailiff

Richardson John, farmer

Towse John, Cross Keys

Williamson William, schoolmaster

Wright George, farmer

TOWTHORPE inhabitants

Farthing John, farmer

Meggison Dewsbury, farmer

RAISTHORPE inhabitants

Jewison Henry, farmer

CARRIER TO MALTON- Nicholas Graham & John Dixon, from Thixendale, Saturday

1870

The new church, St. Mary’s Church was built in 1870. Prior to this, parishioners walked to Wharram Percy for births, marriages and burials. The Coffin Walk still exists from Thixendale across Raisthorpe and along Deepdale to Wharram.

On November 1st 1877, Sir Tatton Sykes provided a new organ for the church at a cost of £199.

1872

The parish of Thixendale was detached from Wharram Percy in 1872, along with Raisthorpe and Burdale.

1888+

A church drum and fife band formed in 1888. This became a brass band in 1890.

were built just before the end of the century, and were named after Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

1891

According to Genuki, Thixendale’s population in 1891 was 234.

By 1892, the Thixendale township contained 3,811 acres, and had a rateable value of £2,400. There were 50 children on the school roll. At the same time, Raisthorpe township contained 2,112 acres and a rateable value £1,301.