Kirby Sigston

Kirby Sigston is a denucleated village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Northallerton.^[1] The parish is situated on the Cod Beck river,^[2] and also includes the hamlet of Jeater Houses,^[3] east of the village on the A19 road, on the boundary with Thimbleby.^[4]

Manor House, Kirby Sigston

History

The settlement is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having 75 ploughlands, and its name derives from a combination of the Old Norse Kirkju-býr (a village with a church) and Sigges tūn (Sigge's farmstead or settlement).^[5]

During the 14th century, the parish was part of a huge deer park and hunting area on the eastern side of what is now known as the Vale of Mowbray.^[6] A deserted medieval village (DMV) lies to the south of the church.^[7]

The village has never had a shop, post office or pub, and its school, which opened in 1846 and would teach around 35 pupils, closed in 1944.^[8][9]

From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Hambleton, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

Places of interest

Sigston Castle; only earthworks remain

To the north is the site of Sigston Castle, a 14th-century quadrangular castle, surrounded by a now largely dry moat.^[10][11] South of Sigston Castle, near the grade II listed Manor House,^[12] is St Lawrence's church.^[8] The church is largely Norman but the tower was renovated in the 18th century.^[13] The grade I listed church is decorated with carvings of dragons, which Pevsner states show the Danish influence in the area.^[14]

Population

St Lawrence's Church, Kirby Sigston

The population taken at the 2011 Census was fewer than 100, so details are included in the civil parish of Winton, Stank and Hallikeld.^[15] North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population of the village in 2015 to be 100 people, an increase of ten since the 2011 census.^[16]

Notable residents

The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton, Rishi Sunak, currently lives in Kirby Sigston as his constituency home.^[17]

In popular culture

Kirby Sigston is referred to in The Mountain Goats' song "Going to Kirby Sigston".^[18]

See also

• Listed buildings in Kirby Sigston