Hovingham

Coordinates: 54°10′18″N 0°58′44″W / 54.17175°N 0.97895°W / 54.17175; -0.97895

Hovingham is a large village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the edge of the Howardian Hills and about 7 miles south of Kirkbymoorside.

History

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book by its current name and lay within the Maneshou hundred. The lands at the time of the Norman invasion belonged to Orm, son of Gamal. After the invasion, the lands were granted to Hugh, son of Baldric. The etymology comes from a combination of houc meaning a place of graves, ing meaning a meadow near a river, and ham meaning a settlement.

There is evidence of Roman activity around the village which sat on the Malton to Aldburgh road in those times. During the construction of Hovingham Hall gardens, a Roman bath, tessalted pavement and other artefacts were uncovered.

The village used to be a stop on the Malton & Thirsk branch of the North Eastern Railway.

Governance

The village is within the Thirsk and Malton UK Parliament constituency. It is also part of the Hovingham & Sheriff Hutton electoral division of North Yorkshire County Council and the Hovingham ward of Ryedale District Council. The local Parish Council is a joint one with nearby Scackleton and the council has seven members including the Chair.