Wold Newton: Landscape, Buildings and History

Wold Newton lies in the Great Wold Valley. The village brings together a changeable watercourse, buildings and historic sites: the Gypsey Race runs through the south of the village, while Bronze Age burial mounds lie in the village centre. There is also an exceptional coin hoard and the memory of a meteorite fall near the village. If you would like to take in the landscape and different periods of local history on your trip, this combination offers a tangible way to discover Wold Newton.

Landscape along the Gypsey Race

The Gypsey Race is an intermittent chalk stream. Its flow depends on the weather: in very wet conditions, it can carry water upstream as far as Wold Newton again. The village landscape therefore has two aspects: the stream’s course through the south of the village and the possibility that, in particularly wet conditions, water may reach Wold Newton. The term “intermittent” helps explain this variable flow without suggesting that the stream flows steadily all year round.

Church nave and Wold Newton Hall

The nave of the Church of All Saints dates from the 12th century. Wold Newton Hall offers a different architectural and historical note: the house dates from the early 19th century and an extension was added in 1904. It is built of brick with ashlar details and slate roofs. The garden façade is arranged over three storeys and three bays; a canted bay window extends the full height of the building.

The Hall’s design can be read through its features: the materials and roof give an impression of its construction, while the three-storey façade and full-height bay window define its layout. Together with the older church nave, these offer two distinct historical points of reference in the village. The dates mark different periods of construction: the Hall is a house from the early 19th century, its extension dates specifically from 1904, and the church nave goes back to the 12th century.

The two burial mounds at Butts Hills

Two Bronze Age burial mounds stand in the centre of Wold Newton and are locally known together as “Butts Hills”. One is 1.5 metres high and 19 metres in diameter. The second measures 2 metres high and 22 metres in diameter. The second mound is therefore half a metre higher and three metres wider. These measurements offer a direct comparison of the two monuments without treating them as a single mound.

Here, a shared local name goes hand in hand with clearly distinct dimensions. The burial mounds are in the village centre; their association with Butts Hills links them, while their height and diameter show how they differ. Both details matter when identifying the sites: the shared name as well as their separate measurements.

Coin hoard and meteorite fall

The Wold Newton Hoard is considered the largest hoard of its period found in northern Britain. It comprises 1,857 copper coins hidden in a ceramic vessel. The most recent coins suggest that the hoard was buried in 307. This date is therefore an estimate derived from the coins. The coins, vessel and dating each tell a different part of the same find: what it contained, how it was concealed and when this probably happened.

Another event is part of the area’s history: on 13 December 1795, a meteorite fell on a farm field near Wold Newton. The impact created a crater about 50 centimetres deep. The monument southwest of Wold Cottage commemorates the fall. The location of the crater and that of the memorial monument should be considered separately: the impact occurred near the village, while the monument is described as being southwest of Wold Cottage.

Practical information

The Anvil Arms is a hospitality business in Wold Newton (YO25 3YL). If you are planning to visit, check the latest opening details before you set off. This keeps general orientation around the village separate from the practical question of when to visit.

Discover more destinations: Ulrome, Barmston, Rudston, Pocklington, Coniston, Carnaby, Aldbrough, South Cave.

For the broader travel overview: East Riding Of Yorkshire.