Church Fenton

The name 'Church Fenton' means a village with a church in fen or marshland.^[4] The village was recorded along with nearby Little Fenton as Fentun in the Domesday Book of 1086, with no mention of a church. However in 1338 the establishment of church was signified by the name Kirk Fenton.^[5] The two names have been variously used to describe either the village or a parish including the hamlets of Little Fenton to the south and Biggin to the south-east.^[6] The area was agricultural with some quarry work until the arrival of the Leeds and Selby Railway in 1839, resulting in the development of local industry, including a brickworks and tileworks.^[5][7]

There was also a gas holder and tank works in the 1920s.^[7] Further lines to Harrogate, Leeds and York followed, so that at one point there were three stations. All but one were demolished in the 1990s.^[5] A row of terraced houses is called Chicory Row indicating the crop which was grown, boiled and bottled locally at one time.^[7]

In 1936 RAF Church Fenton was built as a fighter base and took part in the defence of northern cities and the east coast during the Second World War. Later it was used as a pilot training base.^[7][5]

It was historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974,^[8] but is now in the county of North Yorkshire.^[9] From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the Selby District, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

The village has a community shop which is run by the residents of the village as volunteers^[10] and two public houses: The Fenton Flyer, by far the better of the two, and the newly reopened White Horse pub^[11] which was bought by the villagers through a share buy in scheme.^[12] Formerly there were three pubs. The former railway station booking office is now a licensed Indian restaurant, Sunar Bangla.^[13] The school, Kirk Fenton Parochial Church of England Primary School reflects the name of the local ecclesiastical parish.^[14] Village commuters are served by Church Fenton railway station. The village is also home to a Met Office Weather station.^[15]

The studio scenes for the 2016 television series Victoria were filmed in a converted aircraft hangar in Church Fenton.^[16]

St Mary the Virgin's Church, on Church Street, dates from the 13th century, with a 15th-century tower and is one of the smallest cruciform churches in England.^[6][8][7] It is a Grade I listed building.^[17] The Old Vicarage, on Main Street is also a listed building, Grade II,^[18] as is the Village Cross.^[19] The church was originally dedicated to St John the Baptist and one of the three bells (18th century) has the figure of St John.^[6] It is of Magnesian Limestone with slate roofing.^[17] The tower is square with battlements^[17] and as well as the bells contains a clock which was installed in 1780.^[6] It is fitted with aircraft warning lights because of the nearby aerodrome.^[7]

The Methodist church dates from 1892.^[5]

There is also an exclusive new development of 9 executive houses built near the station, Maple Drive, making the area a more upmarket residential commuter village.

• Listed buildings in Church Fenton