Visit Ravensworth Places

Welcome to Visit Ravensworth Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Ravensworth

  

Ravensworth Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Ravensworth

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Ravensworth history

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Etymology

The name of the village derives from the given name of Hrafn, the founder of the settlement. Originally called Ravenswath, “wath” was the Old Norse word meaning “ford” and would suggest that the Holme Beck that passes through the village was forded in Viking times.

Early settlement

The earliest archaeological find in the Ravensworth area is a coin from the early Roman period. The village is documented in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having 21 households. A fortress was built during the reign of Henry II as the ancestral home of the Fitzhugh family. The fortress would have offered protection to the local population during Scottish raids from north of the border.

Ancient parish

Ravensworth was historically the largest settlement in the ancient parish of Kirkby Ravensworth. The ancient parish encompassed an area of 15,000 acres, including Ravensworth itself, as well as the townships of Dalton, Gayles, Kirby Hill, New Forest, Newsham and Whashton. The parish church since 1397 has been the Church of St Peter & St Felix in Kirby Hill.

Village history

The anchoress Margaret Kirkby was born in the village, possibly in 1322. The poet Cuthbert Shaw was born there in 1738–9. In 1773, Samuel Hieronymus Grimm made several sketches around the village.

Nineteenth century

J. M. W. Turner made several sketches of the castle on 13 July 1816. The Wesleyan chapel was built in 1822 and is the oldest chapel in the Richmond circuit. Walter Scott referenced the village in “Rokeby” (1813), an epic poem set in the area.

Twentieth century

The village lost 23 men in the First World War and 5 in the Second World War. In 1974, the village became a component of North Yorkshire, having previously been situated in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The former England cricketer Ian Botham has lived in the village since 1990 and in 2020 became Lord Botham of Ravensworth.

Ravensworth geography / climate

Ravensworth is 217 miles (349 km) from London. The village is situated on a slight knoll to the south of the Holme Beck, a minor tributary of the River Swale. The houses are generally built of sandstone and have distinctive “Yorkshire” roofs, a mix of soft red pantiles and slate.

You can visit Ravensworth places with Walkfo Ravensworth to hear history at Ravensworth’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Ravensworth has 10 places to visit in our interactive Ravensworth map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Ravensworth, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Ravensworth places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Ravensworth & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 10 audio facts unique to Ravensworth places in an interactive Ravensworth map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Ravensworth Places Map
10 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Ravensworth historic spots	Ravensworth tourist destinations	Ravensworth plaques	Ravensworth geographic features
Walkfo Ravensworth tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Ravensworth

  

Best Ravensworth places to visit

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Ravensworth has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Ravensworth’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Ravensworth’s information audio spots:

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Visit Ravensworth plaques