Kellington

Kellington
Kellington  Kellington shown within North Yorkshire
OS grid reference	SE551249
Civil parish	Kellington
District	Selby
Shire county	North Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GOOLE
Postcode district	DN14
Police	North Yorkshire
Fire	North Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Kellington is a small village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, on the banks of the River Aire. Situated almost equidistant between the towns of Pontefract and Selby, the village dates back to at least the 11th Century when it was listed in the Domesday Book (as Chelinctone). The semi-rural community grew in size with the advent of local mining as housing was built to accommodate the workers of nearby Kellingley Colliery.

Due to its location at the southernmost tip of North Yorkshire, the village is close to the borders of West, East and South Yorkshire. Its proximity to both the A19 and M62 major roads has resulted in a steady population growth, although to a lesser extent than its neighbour, Eggborough.

The low lying ground that separates the village from the River Aire has given rise to a history of flooding the surrounding farmland, most recently in 2000 when residents were woken in the middle of the night by police who advised them to evacuate as a precationary measure. As it was only two people took the police's advice and, along with their dogs, spent the rest of the night at Sherburn High School. The floodbanks easily contained the threat to the village itself.

The Selby District Councillors for the village are local husband and wife team, John and Mary McCartney. John is also the North Yorkshire County Councillor for the division of Osgoldcross, which includes Kellington.

In 2008 the continuation of Kellington as a separate village was put at risk because of a proposal to turn it, along with neighbouring Beal and Eggborough, into a new town, under a scheme being promoted by the then Labour government of building so-called eco-towns around the country. This specific proposal was put in by a Leeds based developer, GMI. Led by John and Mary McCartney all three villages rose up in anger. Using imaginative media stunts, innovative campaigning, sending thousands of emails and letters to decision makers and local and regional newspapers, lobbying those those decision makers and attracting TV coverage the villagers were within a year successful. And, GMI, after spending many thousands of pounds scuttled back to their hideout in Leeds.

Amenities

The old vicarage of Kellington

Sitting in the shadow of nearby Eggborough Power Station, Kellington has a variety of housing, with traditional country cottages, council housing and modern housing estates. The village is served by a pub, hotel & restaurant, Kellington Manor Hotel, [1] which was previously known as Tree Tops and also as Squires, a small public house, The Red Lion, as well as a small convenience store and a Post Office. There are also two guesthouses in the village and a retirement home. The majority of local children attend Kellington County Primary School, which as of February 2006 was serving 133 pupils.

Points of interest

Of interest in Kellington is the local parish church, St Edmunds, dating back to at least 1185, its gate posts were built in 1698 and are under a protection order.

Located just inside the village boundary is Beal Carrs, a watered area formed in 1999 as a result of extensive flooding. Popular with birdwatchers, the Carrs are visited by Kestrels, Grey Herons and other birds and wildfowl.

HMS Kellington

A Ton class minesweeper Kellington was named after the village. The vessel was recently vandalised while docked in Middlesbrough.

External links

• Kellington Village website
• Kellington Manor website
• Tom Yates's Website a local resident