Airton

Image Credit: Doc Brown’s

Airton, also known as Airton-in-Craven, is a small village in North Yorkshire. Originally, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the 2011 census reports Airton has a population of 228.

Buildings in Airton

Airton did originally have a cotton mill which residents used to work in by the side of the River Aire. However, this was converted into residential houses. There is also a farm shop, a post office in the farm shop, and a tearoom at the north end of the small village.

This North Riding village had a chapel and a Methodist school however, these closed. Airton School, as it was called, closed in 1974 because of being a small school in a small village. As a result, they transferred its pupils to Kirkby Malham United School.

Yorkshire Dales National Park

The village of Airton is part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It’s situated on the tourist route for Malham Cove and Malham Tarn. The Pennine Way also passes on the edge of the village along the river.

Travelling In & Out of Airton

As Airton is a small village, there is very little public transport. There is no railway station, however, it has one bus stop which has daily links to Malham and Skipton. The village’s local roads link it to the A65, which travels from Leeds to Kendal in Cumbria via Ilkley.

History of Airton

Airton is recorded in the 1086 Domesday book as ‘Airtone’. The name of the Yorkshire village comes from the River Aire, which runs along the eastern side.

In the late 1600s, Airton became a significant place for the Quaker community. They developed in the village and held their meetings in the Friends Meeting House. Between 2010 and 2012, the building was restored and is still used as a place for Quaker meetings every Sunday.