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Aldfield

Image Credit: Chris Heaton

The village of Aldfield is located within the Harrogate district. Now in North Yorkshire, this Yorkshire village was originally part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Aldfield is around 3 miles away from Ripon and is the closest village to Fountains Abbey. In 2013, it was recorded to have 80 residents.

Aldfield Spa

Aldfield Spa. Image Credit: Fabulous Follies

In 1698, village residents discovered mineral springs in this West Riding village. At the time, Lord de Grey owned the land where the spring was and decided to build and establish Aldfield Spa.

Lord de Grey also commissioned a cottage to be built next to the spring. This would become Aldfield Spa where the water from the spring was used for ailments. Lord de Grey hired one staff member to run the spa and change the temperature of the spring baths should a visitor request it.

At the time, Aldfield Spa was extremely popular with people travelling from all over to experience the springs’ healing properties. However, eventually the volume of visitors began to decrease and soon Aldfield Spa was earning less income a year than the more popular Harrogate Spa was earning in a day. As a result, during the 1930s, Aldfield Spa closed. People walking in the area can still find the building remains.

Religion in Aldfield

Church of St Lawrence. Image Credit: Historic England

In the village of Aldfield is the Church of St Lawrence which, on the 6th March in 1967, was granted Grade II status. Local craftsmen built the church throughout the late 18th century. However, it’s since been discovered that a church has been in the same place for around 800 years.

Over time, parts of the St Lawrence Church have been replaced or restored. Despite this, the church still has some of its original features, such as the boxed pews and the three-decker pulpit.

Travelling In & Out of Aldfield

As Aldfield is only a small village in North Yorkshire, it isn’t abundant with public transport. There is only one bus stop with one service, which is the 139 to Ripon which passes through. There is no bus service on evenings or on a Sunday.

Aldfield doesn’t have its own train station. Instead, villagers wanting to travel by train must go to the railway station in Harrogate.

History of Aldfield

This Yorkshire village is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book. Aldfield was once part of Claro Wapentake. However, by 1356, the village was owned by Fountains Abbey and part of that estate.

Originally, Aldfield was part of the West Riding, but in 1974, the village changed over the North Yorkshire. Interestingly, the famous artist William Powell Frith was born in Aldfield.