Kirk Smeaton

Etymology

The name Smeaton is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, in the form Smedetone. This derives from Old English words smiþ (in its genitive plural form smiþa) and tūn ('farm, estate'), and thus once meant 'smiths' farm'. The kirk element of the name is first attested in 1311 and is a northern English dialect word for 'church', coming from the Old Norse word for 'church', kirkja. This element was added to the name to distinguish the settlement from nearby Little Smeaton.

History

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book, along with Little Smeaton, with the land being tenanted by Ilbert of Lacey. In 1840, Earl Fitzwilliam donated land for the foundation of Kirk Smeaton CE J&I Primary School.

Geography

Kirk Smeaton and its sister village, Little Smeaton, face each other across the River Went, the most southerly boundary of the Celtic Kingdom of Elmet. A footbridge links the two, providing both villages with walks to Brockadale Nature Reserve and Wentbridge.

The North/South Yorkshire boundary lies close to the south of the village and, to the east, it begins to follow the River Went all the way to the River Don.

Transport

A railway from the Leeds–Doncaster line past Drax power station used to run close to the south of the village.

Kirk Smeaton railway station opened in 1885 on the Hull and Barnsley Railway. The station was closed to passengers in 1932 and the line closed completely in 1959.

The village is served by one bus route, which is operated by Arriva Yorkshire; the 409 connects the village with Pontefract.

Amenities

Kirk Smeaton CE J&I Primary School is a small school, with a mixture of new and old buildings, a sports hall and a community room. It has good links with the community and St Peter's Church. A pre-school class meets on-site in term-time; there are breakfast and after-school clubs.

The village pub is the Shoulder of Mutton on Main Street. There is also a Post Office, sited opposite.

References

References

1. "Kirk Smeaton Parish".
2. "History of Kirk Smeaton, in Selby and West Riding {{!}} Map and description".
3. (2023). "2021 Census Data". Kirk Smeaton Parish.
4. A. H. Smith, ''The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire'', English Place-Name Society, 30–37, 8 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1961–63), [https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/epns/documents/west-riding-of-yorkshire-part-2.pdf part 2], p. 51.
5. (1947). "The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names". Clarendon Press.
6. "[Kirk and Little] Smeaton {{!}} Domesday Book".
7. "Brockadale". The Wildlife Trusts.
8. (21 May 2017). "Station name: Kirk Smeaton". Disused Stations.
9. (2023). "Kirk Smeaton Bus Services". Bus Times.