Fairburn, North Yorkshire
Coordinates: 53°44′45″N 1°17′11″W / 53.7458°N 1.2865°W
| Fairburn | |
 St James' Church, Fairburn |
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 Fairburn
Fairburn shown within North Yorkshire |
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| OS grid reference | SE471279 |
|---|---|
| District | Selby |
| Shire county | North Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CASTLEFORD |
| Postcode district | WF11 |
| Dialling code | 01977 |
| Police | North Yorkshire |
| Fire | North Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire | |
Fairburn is a small village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England. Situated approximately 10 miles (16 km) to the east of Leeds, lying close to the A1(M) motorway and 4 miles (6 km) from the M62 motorway.
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[edit] Geology
The village sits on the eastern edge of a narrow ridge of southern magnesium limestone which runs from near Worksop in the south to near Richmond in the north. The geology gives rise to a particularly flower-rich limestone grassland which still exists in areas unsuitable for cultivation, whilst alluvial soils and clays are found in the river-valley bottoms. This outcrop of limestone has been used to construct many of the older houses in the village.
[edit] Fairburn Ings nature reserve
Close to the village is RSPB Fairburn Ings, a nature reserve with a visitor centre. The word "ing" is of Old Norse origin and means "damp or marshy land", a reference to the area being flooded regularly by the River Aire. Fairburn Ings lies over the border in West Yorkshire.
[edit] Notable residents
William Jessop, one of the most prolific engineers of the canal age, was living in Fairburn with his wife Sarah in 1781, as their second son Josias was baptised there on 26 October. They left to move to Newark two or three years later, and Josias went on to become a civil engineer in his own right.[1]
[edit] Bibliography
- Skempton, Sir Alec et. al. (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: Vol 1: 1500 to 1830. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0-7277-2939-X.
[edit] References
- ^ Skempton 2002, p. 362
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fairburn, North Yorkshire |
- Brief History of Fairburn
- "The Ancient Parish of Ledsham". GENUKI. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Ledsham/index.html. Retrieved 2007-10-29. Fairburn was in this parish
