Invasion and settlement

After the departure of Roman forces from Britain, around 400 AD, the steady settlement of the area by Germanic immigrants helped to produce much of the pattern of villages you can see today. Village names ending in –ham, -ton, and –ing indicate Anglian origin or influence; those ending in –by and –thorpe are Scandinavian. Have a look at an Ordnance Survey map for these clues to the origins of the settlements in our present landscape. For example, many landscape features have names deriving from the Norse – rigg instead of ridge and foss for waterfall. The Norse kirkja means a farmstead by the church and this survives in the name Kirkbymoorside.

Christianity starts to take a hold during this period, with monasteries being founded at Whitby (AD 657), Kirkdale (Anglo-Saxon) and Lastingham(AD 659), together with a Priory at Hackness (c.AD 680).

What you can see today ...
Kirkdale and Lastingham churches are of particular interest. Carved stones can be seen at Middleton and Lythe churches, subject to opening.