Hessle and Hill Top

Hessle and Hill Top
Hessle Hall
Hessle and Hill Top is located in West Yorkshire
Hessle and Hill Top
Hessle and Hill Top
Location within West Yorkshire
Population138 (including West Hardwick, 2011)
OS grid referenceSE248677
Civil parish
  • Hessle and Hill Top
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWAKEFIELD
Postcode districtWF4
Dialling code01977
PoliceWest Yorkshire
FireWest Yorkshire
AmbulanceYorkshire
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
53°39′11″N 1°20′53″W / 53.653°N 1.348°W / 53.653; -1.348

Hessle and Hill Top is a civil parish in the City of Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, England. Scattered settlement in the rural parish include Wragby village and the hamlet of Hessle, which is about 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of the village of Ackworth Moor Top and 3+1⁄2 miles (6 km) southwest of Pontefract.[1] At the 2011 census the parish was grouped with the neighbouring parish of West Hardwick, and a combined population of 138 was recorded.[2]

Governance

Until 1974, Hessle and Hill Top was part of Hemsworth Rural District. The parish is in the Hemsworth UK parliament constituency.

Parish

The earliest recorded date for the parish is 1066, referred to as Hessle, derived from hæesle meaning hazel tree,[3] under the administrative unit of Odgodcross and attributed to a Lord Alward in 1066 and then to Lord Mauger of Elington 20 years later.[4]

In the 1870s, Hessle, previously known as Hasel, was described as

"a township in Wragby parish...4 miles E of Wakefield"[5]

Hessle and Hill Top is a small parish largely consisting of green space and countryside,[6] with the woodland and agricultural farm land making up roughly 95% of the total land use,[7] however only 6.1% of the parish use these spaces.[8]

Within the parish are 66 dwellings.[9] Five of them, dating from between 1641 and 1810 are Grade II listed.[10] Most houses in the parish are three-bedroom[11] detached or semi-detached properties.[12]

There are no local shops within the parish, but there are other neighbouring settlements that provide services, the closest being Ackworth. Two scenic walks pass go through Hessle and Hill Top and the neighbouring parish of Ackworth,[13] visiting most landmarks and places of interest.[14]

The nearest railway stations are at Pontefract, Featherstone and Fitzwilliam.

Population

Population change of Hessle and Hill Top from 1881 to 2011

The population of Hessle and Hill Top has shown a decrease since 1881 from a total population of 296[15] to its current population of 138, according to the 2011 census, as part of a steady trend since the beginning of the 20th century. People aged 40 years old and over make up 73% of the population of the parish.[16] Other indicators of an ageing population include the mean age being 45.6 years, 6 years older than the national average.[16] The parish has an almost entirely white population, with only one person being of mixed race and the other 137 of white British descent.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top ID 60384". Mapit UK. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  3. ^ "Hessle, Yorkshire WR". Key to English Place-Names. University of Nottingham. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  4. ^ Hessle in the Domesday Book
  5. ^ Wilson, John (1870). "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales". Edinburgh: Bartholomew. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Hessle Common Lane". British Streets. British Streets. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Key Figures for Physical Environment". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National statistics. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Industry, 2011". 2011 Census. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics- Hessle and Hilltop, dwellings 2011". 2011 Census. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  10. ^ "Listed Buildings in Hessle and Hill Top, Wakefield, England". British Listed Buildings. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  11. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Rooms, Bedrooms and Central Heating, 2011". 2011 Census. Office for Neighbourhood Statistics. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Dwellings, Household Spaces and Accommodation Type, 2011". 2011 Census. Office for Neighbourhood Statistics. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  13. ^ "Ackworth and Hessle (two walks)". Ackworth and Hessle Walks. Wakefield City Council. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  14. ^ "Two Easy to Follow Walks Around Ackworth and Hessle" (PDF). Walks Akworth. City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top CP| Population Statistics". Vision of Britain Through Time. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Age Structure 2011". Neighbourhood statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  17. ^ "Hessle and Hill Top (Parish) : Ethnic Group, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 May 2013.