The Railway and How It Affected Life in Mid-Nineteenth Century Rillington

The railway and how it affected life in mid-nineteenth century Rillington A BALH Ten-Minute Talk by Pam Smith Slide 1 - Title Slide 2 – Introducing Rillington Rillington is a village in North Yorkshire, with a current population of 1,154, and is situated on the busy A64 between Malton and Scarborough. It is bound on the north by the River Derwent which was historically significant in the early eighteenth century when the Derwent Navigation was used to transport goods by sloop. The traveller may drive through it and not give it a second glance, unknowing of the previous importance of the nuclear village at the crossroads and its linear extension north along Low Moorgate to the farms beyond. The parish of Rillington was in the former Buckrose Wapentake and comprised the township of Rillington and the chapelry of Scampston with their mutual history inextricably linked. Slide 3 – A village in the Yorkshire Wolds This peaceful position at the northern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. is underpinned by glacial deposits from the former Lake Pickering, which still offers a rich and fertile rural landscape with a resultant, fully functioning farming community. Interestingly, the previous Baronets of Scampston Hall owned the land on which the infamous Rillington Place was built in Notting Hill, London. The village is situated on the border of the former East and North Ridings of Yorkshire and following local government reorganisation in 1974, is currently situated within the administration of North Yorkshire County Council. Slide 4 – A rural community Rillington witnessed four great upheavals after the Norman conquest namely the fall of the monasteries, the enclosure of Low Moor in 1640 and the enclosure of the open fields in 1780 when the freeholders bought out the remains of the manorial and rectorial tithes and enclosed the town fields thus shaping a village history different from most; instead of the squire buying out the freeholders, the freeholders bought out the squire making them stakeholders in the village. The rural ladder from agricultural labourer through smallholder to farmer, retained its middling rungs and therefore social stratification of the village was that of a republic and not a kingdom. Fluctuations of dynasty, religion and civil war had little effect on the rustic condition of the village - that is until the fourth upheaval arrived in the form of the railway. Life began to change, and the isolation of the village was curtailed. Slide 5 – The coming of the railway The York and North Midland Railway came to Rillington in 1845 as part of a project by George Hudson the ‘Railway King’, when a line was built between York and Scarborough Copyright © 2020 Name and Place Limited with a branch line to Whitby across the North York Moors. The station was constructed one- mile north-west of the village and Whitby became a popular destination for holidaymakers. Rail journeys became possible to London and the industrial districts of the former West Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Manchester and Liverpool and a connected railway opened up opportunities for the Royal Mail to carry mail by train. Slide 6 – A population on the rise The intervention of the railway, as part of the industrial revolution, into several hundred years of rural activity was a key indicator for a population increase; not only was a railway infrastructure being created in Rillington, a whole new service provision was required to support a growing community. This included housing for the railway workers and their families who were, by the nature of the new industry, obliged to immigrate into the village. Rural village life was transformed irrevocably and in turn attracted ‘offcomedens’. Slide 7 – Railway workers The 1851 census records 10 workers associated with the railway; labourers, clerk, courier, inspector, porter and coal porter. Although this may not seem a significant number, this category of transport worker was completely new which was not apparent in the 1841 census. Unfortunately, this innovative means of transport led to the demise of the traditional River Derwent navigation system. Slide 8 – An increase in demand for trades Consequently, an increase in population meant there was an increased demand for trades. Extra people needed housing, feeding and clothing as a basic requirement of physiological needs. The cumulative effect of these needs obliged the brickmaking industry to expand to fulfil the growing housing demand, grocers arrived to supply food, tailors and shoemakers to provide attire, transport evolved to carry goods and people to and from the station and other means of entertainment proliferated. The 1851 census discloses the trades and their families who migrated into the village to support a growing community. Evidence in the census show that some brickmakers came from as far afield as London. Slide 9 – Station Internal Looking east inside the railway station, there is an interesting view of the roof which covered the platform area and a clear view of the signal box. Edwardian dress and packing cases suggest that horse drawn carriages were required to carry people, luggage and goods on a one-mile journey back up to the centre of the village. Slide 10 Railway Hotel The Railway Hotel, otherwise known as Sally Duck’s pub, was constructed after the railway track and premises, to provide accommodation and entertainment for the railway workers. It is one of many public houses which sprang up around the same time. A bartender provides liquid refreshment for three men and their dog with a perfect view of the passing trains. Local lore relates that the upper bedrooms were used as honeymoon rooms. It is now a residential home. Copyright © 2020 Name and Place Limited Slide 11 Railway workers Next to a hip roof canopy, a group of railway workers proudly pose for a photograph in the station before an incoming train. A covered repair shed can be seen in the distance and an advertisement for Bovril can be clearly seen. The east-bound incoming train is passing the crossing which still exists today. Slide 12 – Railway workers cottagers These sturdily built homes with their long gardens were purposely built for the railway workers from bricks made in the brick pits situated close by in the Low Moor. Although the station has long gone, the houses still exist providing excellent accommodation in the northern end of the village. Slide 13 – End of the line Rillington remained a stop on the line until the station’s closure to passengers in 1930. Special trains were still stopping at the station in the early 1960's, and although the station has now permanently closed, the railway line remains open. While the bulk of the station no longer exists, the remains of the station has been converted into a home. The track and railway crossing are well- used to this day with the outlying buildings of Rillington but a fleeting glimpse from the passing trains travelling between York and Scarborough. Slide 14 - For further information Pam Smith Rillington One-Place Study Website: www.rillingtonops.org.uk Email: [email protected] Twitter: @genejean Facebook: Rillington One-Place Study With thanks to the Historical Rillington Study Group for the image of the Railway Hotel, used in this talk. Copyright © 2020 Name and Place Limited .

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