Escrick is a beautiful, leafy village only 7 miles from both York to the north and Selby to the south. Consisting of around 1100 residents, the village is surrounded on all sides by countryside and farmland, providing a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. It’s also home to a number of grand and historic landmarks, many of which can be enjoyed by residents.
Frequent bus services and easy access to nearby roads makes transport around the area convenient. With an award-winning eatery - The Fat Abbot - and wellrated schools, this gem of a village is an appealing place to call home.
"In 2009, the so-called ‘Escrick ring’ was found by someone using a metal detector. It was dated back to Anglo-Saxon times and was sold to the Yorkshire Museum for £35,000."
The origins of Escrick can be traced back to medieval times. Interestingly, during the last ice age, a glacial region ended in Escrick, leaving behind a ridge as it retreated. The name Escrick can be translated to ‘Ash Ridge’, so it’s assumed that in its early years, the village must have been developed in an area of ash.
The village’s famous Escrick Hall, now Queen Margaret’s School, was developed and extended after merchant and politician Sir Henry Thompson acquired it in the late 1600s. Escrick went on to become the estate village for Escrick Hall, which was a major agricultural player of the time.
Escrick’s small population more than doubled in the 1960s and with the more recent construction of new roads, the village has gone on to become a popular location for commuters.
Riccall is a pretty village south of Escrick. With traditional brick terraced houses, as well as semi and detached properties, this location has an appealing village green and church at its heart. You’ll also find a primary school, post office, shop and a pub.
Skipwith has a mixture of property styles, mainly semidetached and detached. This tiny village is blessed with a parish church, gastropub and the beautiful Skipwith Common, a nature reserve where Exmoor ponies, Longhorn cattle and Hebridean sheep roam.
The thriving village of North Duffield is well-provisioned and well-located. There’s a primary school, two churches, a shop and a pub.
With pretty double-fronted houses, shops and a popular pub on the village Main Street, it’s easy to see the appeal of Bubwith. There is also the handy Bubwith Sports and Leisure Centre, as well as a primary school and a GP surgery.
Property in Escrick is highly desirable and comes with a price tag to match.
You’ll find mainly detached and semi-detached homes, many of which are brick-built affairs with gabled windows, making them a truly aspirational purchase.
The main population groups represented in the village are working age adults and children, who are attracted by the aesthetic of these historic family homes. Other tree-lined roads in the village contain bungalows and modern family homes, meaning there is something here to please all tastes.
Kelfield is a small village served by the nearby local villages of Riccall and Cawood. The village has a pub and a cricket club.
This tiny village lies to the south of Escrick. A church and a pub are situated in the village alongside pretty traditional houses.
Average Property Prices: £579,250
Average Rent: £950 Per Calendar Month
Population of Escrick: 1,078 approx
Data from Zoopla & Plumplot
Escrick has its own primary school, pre-school and private school, and within a few miles are plenty of options at all levels. Secondary schools in the area are well-rated by Ofsted with a number ranked as outstanding. There is also a special school for children with additional educational needs.
Escrick Pre-School Playgroup - Good
Riccall Pre-School - Good
Zac’s Club, Riccall - Good
Wheldrake Playgroup - Good
Windmill Nursery, Riccall - Good
Naburn CoE Primary School - Outstanding
Riccall Community Primary School - Good
Bishopthorpe Infant School - Good
St Oswald’s CoE Primary School - Good
Escrick CoE Primary School - Not Yet Rated
All Saints RC School - Outstanding
Huntington School - Outstanding
Millthorpe School - Good
Fulford School - Academy conversion – Not Yet Rated
Queen Margaret’s Girls School, Escrick ISI - Rated Excellent
Applefields School - Good
After a decline in agriculture in the area, the vast estate at Escrick Park had to diversify. It is now home to residential properties, holiday lets and company offices. The Escrick Park Rideways is located here, as is the Skipwith National Nature Reserve, where you can enjoy walking through the lowland heath of this Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Built in the 1840s, the Parsonage Hotel and Spa is a beautiful building where original period features have been carefully maintained. Set in 6 acres of grounds, you can enjoy the views as you take afternoon tea in the gardens, or book a treatment at the Cloisters Spa. In the evening, you can enjoy a tasty meal in The Fat Abbot, the onsite award-winning gastropub.
For gardening fans, Stillingfleet offers a great day out where you can explore the stunning gardens described by their owners as ‘quintessentially English’. They are a haven for wildlife and you can learn how to make your own garden wildlife-friendly at the Annual Wildlife Day. Peruse the nursery for plants to take home with you and before you leave, pop to the tea room for coffee and cake.
In Skipwith, you’ll find the Yorkshire Paintball and Outdoor Activity Centre, which is a premium venue for paintballing, also offering other outdoor activities. Adults and older children can enjoy archery or axe throwing, and younger kids can enjoy Nerf and junior paintball at one of the centre’s onsite birthday parties.
In this 150-hectare nature reserve, you can really get away from it all. It’s a lowland meadow which also has wetland terrain, and there’s a walking route that follows the edge of the reserve. As you walk, you can see water voles and otters, and in the winter, huge flocks of birds pass as they migrate to warmer climes.
Over a million maize plants make up this popular attraction on the southern edge of York, only 8 miles from Escrick. There are over twenty rides and attractions at the park, most with corn-themed names. But the star attraction is the maze itself, which is one of the largest in Europe.
Selby Abbey is a fine example of a Benedictine church and at over 1000 years old, it has seen much renovation and repair. Now the Abbey is fully restored and makes a great day out. You can explore the Abbey via a guided tour, taking in the medieval architecture and famous stained glass.
Just a ten minute drive from Escrick is the Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park. Here, you can explore a beautiful woodland area while viewing all kinds of animals, from monkeys to meerkats, and geckos to goats. The park also has a gift shop and café, making it a great day out for all the family.
In Escrick itself, you’ll find a convenient Spar and in nearby Selby and York, you’ll find larger supermarkets. There’s an array of shops at the nearby Designer Outlet York, which is less than ten minutes away. For a mix of high-street names and independent shops, you can also visit the historic, winding streets of York.
The Fat Abbot is a renowned gastropub in the Parsonage Hotel, right in the heart of Escrick. There’s also a Thai restaurant and the Escrick Black Bull serves good food. Just north of Escrick is the White Swan, another pub offering quality dining options.
The Fat Abbot and the Escrick Black Bull are both popular pubs in Escrick village. Riccall, Skipwith, North Duffield and Bubwith each have at least one pub, and most are highly-rated. For nightlife options, you can head north to York, or south to Selby.
Nearby York has the largest number of cinemas in the area, with the comfortable Everyman and arthouse City Screen Picturehouse two of the best. Selby also has the Globe Community Cinema. In Tadcaster, you’ll find the Tadcaster Theatre Company and back in York, you’ll find Theatre@41, as well as the beautiful York Theatre Royal.
Escrick is home to the Hot Tap Dance School, and there are spa facilities to enjoy at the village’s Parsonage Hotel and Spa. Bubwith village has a convenient sports and leisure centre. A short distance away in York, there are multiple chain-gyms, such as Bannatynes and David Lloyd, as well as York City Gymnastics Foundation.
A few minutes from Escrick is The Oaks Golf Course, a beautiful place with 8 lakes set amongst woodland. This golf club has various tees which can accommodate all skill levels. There are additional golf clubs at Swallow Hall Golf Course, Fulford Golf Club and Pikes Hill Golf, all within easy reach of Escrick.
You’ll find a wide range of entertainment options in nearby York and Selby. Enjoy tenpin bowling at Hollywood Bowl York or at Selby Superbowl. There’s also an ice rink at The Ice Factor York.
Although the village of Escrick has remained relatively small over the last few decades, there are major plans in the pipeline for a new village of 4000 homes to be created there. The proposed village, a brainchild of the Escrick Park Estate, will be called Heronby and intentions are for an affordable and walkable community with easy access to green space.
Red House Farm is another exciting development, which can be found at Skipwith. There are 3, 4 and 5 bedroom traditionally-styled homes available on the site, which is designed to take full advantage of local amenities. Another ongoing development called Manor Drive is located in Barlby, with 13 new homes, each with 4 bedrooms.
"A range of community activities take place on Escrick’s village green each year, including a 10k run, ‘Carols on the Green’ at Christmas, and even an annual Easter duck race."
Escrick is conveniently located between the major northern cities of York, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield. It is wellserved by the area’s main roads and bus services, taking less than 15 minutes to get to the popular centres of York or Selby, and only 40 minutes to Leeds. Although there is no train station in the village, there are connecting stations easily accessible.
"Escrick was known as Ascri until at least 1600."
The journey from York station to Leeds takes 22 minutes. London Kings Cross can be reached in 1 hour 55 minutes.
The A19 bypasses Escrick, but links the village with both York and Selby. The closest motorways are the A1(M) and the M62, both around a 20 minute drive away.
Leeds/Bradford Airport is the closest - a distance of 35 miles or under an hour by road. Manchester is 86 miles and 1 hour 20 minutes while London Luton is 178 miles and 2 hours 59 minutes.
There are bus services connecting Escrick and the villages with the wider local area including the 415 – York to Selby which runs every 10 minutes.
JP Harll in association with
