Upper Poppleton
Upper Poppleton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated by the west bank of the River Ouse adjacent to Nether Poppleton, and west of York close to the A59 from York to Harrogate. The village is served by Poppleton railway station on the Harrogate Line. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,961, increasing to 1,997 at the 2011 Census. Before 1996, it was part of the Borough of Harrogate. The name is derived from popel (pebble) and tun (hamlet, farm) and means "Pebble Farm" because of the gravel bed upon which the village was built. Upper Poppleton has been referred to as "Land Poppleton" and the neighbouring village of Nether Poppleton as "Water Poppleton" indicating their position relative to the river. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. It became a Conservation Area in 1993. History In 972, the village was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles as "Popeltun" and in the Domesday Book as "Popeltune". The villages and lands were given by Osbert De Arches to the Abbot of St Mary's in York. It was, therefore, under the ecclesiastical rule of the Parish of St Mary-Bishophill Junior. During the reign of Richard II the village was the scene of the murder of a Mayor of York. In 1644 the 25,000 strong Scottish and Parliament Armies, led by the Earl of Manchester, laid siege to the city of York. To facilitate communications, they built a "Bridge of Boats" at Poppleton. This bridge was eventually taken by Prince Rupert and his Royalist Forces, but he subsequently lost the battle at Marston Moor. The village benefitted from the growth in the railways in the 19th century, when the York, Knaresborough and Harrogate Railway routed their line through Poppleton and erected a station. The village was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974. It was then a part of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire from 1974 until 1996. Since 1996 it has been part of the City of York unitary authority. Governance Upper Poppleton lies within the Rural West York ward of the City of York Unitary Authority. As of the 2011 elections it is represented by Councillors Ian Gillies, Paul Healey and Chris Steward who are all members of the local Conservative Party. It is a part of the UK Parliamentary Constituency of York Outer. Until January 2020 it also fell within the boundaries of the Yorkshire and the Humber European Parliament constituency. Locally there is a Parish Council with eight council members. Economy The Poppletons were formerly agricultural settlements with many farms, but the modern village is mostly a dormitory for commuters to the nearby towns and cities. It has benefited from its good road and rail links. The village has local retail facilities, including a post office, and some small enterprises. Demography In the 19th century the population has varied between