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History of Crambeck and the surrounding area
This is information picked up at various History group talks, so there may be inaccuracies. Please let us know if you have any amendments or additions. We particularly need someone to add a section on the Village since the 1700s.
Ancient Times Although the Crambeck area does not appear to have been inhabited before Roman times, the history of the surrounding area is of interest.
Investigations have revealed that a tribe of peaceful agricultural folk known as the Parisi tribe, once lived in this area, to the East of York. They are thought to have originated from Paris, France, in the 5th Century BC. Their rivals were the Brigantes tribe, a war-like tribe to the South and West of York (remains found in hill-fort near Huddersfield).
The Parisi have been described as herdsmen with unusual burial rites – but otherwise nothing special is known about them. Chariot burials have been unearthed in Wetwang, together with ornaments and weaving tools, which can be seen in Malton museum.
Roman Times around Malton / YorkshireIn the 1960s archaeologists discovered the ruins of a Roman Fortress in Malton/Norton – known as DERVENTIO. The Romans, under Emperor Claudius, arrived in Britain in AD 43. They reached the North in AD47, but it was not until AD71 that the 9th Legion created their base in York.
The Parisi were a peaceful people, with their tribal capital in Brough in Humberside. They furnished supplies for the Roman army in the whole area of Northern England – via the Humber. In AD122 many soldiers were needed to build Hadrian’s Wall and the garrison moved out of the York area to the North.
Castleford has exhibited a wealth of Roman remains, but Malton has much less to show. From 220AD onwards the Romans were garrisoned in Malton. The vicus (town) grew up around the garrison of DERVENTIO and Roman soldiers intermarried with locals. The town thus spread over the river to Norton using a ford which crossed the river near the old Majestic Cinema. The town developed around Orchard fields. Amongst the things discovered are: town houses with mosaics, and painted wall plaster showing a goddess. The houses had hypocausts for heating. Bone ornaments and Whitby jet were found amongst the burial objects, showing that people used to travel around and trade with other areas.
Norton had a strong brewing industry. A goldsmiths shop was found, with a stone tablet carved with a good luck message. The local pottery industry first evolved in Norton where they made coarse greyware – used as kitchenware. Remains of a mosaic were found at Rudston villa. Remnants have been found of a Roman villa at Langton (farmstead). Other villas have been unearthed at Beadlam (Kirbymoorside) and Hovingham, but as these were excavated early (1745) the finds were not properly catalogued or preserved. These were thought to be the homes of common agricultural workers. Aerial photography has revealed crop marks – marks where the snow melts first, where the crops grow more lushly because of deep soil infill, or where the crops are burnt off in hot weather due to walls beneath the surface etc. Because the houses were built from wood, not stone, excavation has revealed little apart from deep post-holes indicating where the houses stood. At West Heslerton there are signs of early occupation, also a Roman temple and later settlements. There are signs of significant technological and agricultural advances in the time the Romans were in the area, all of which expertise was lost when they left Britain.
Crambeck Pottery. The first signs of habitation around Crambeck seem to have been from the late Roman period as the pottery trade spread from Norton. Archaeologists have unearthed significant quantities of Roman pottery in the Crambeck area around Jamie’s Cragg. The pottery kilns were discovered back in the 1920s. They were of an interesting design – a single stoking area attached to two kilns – to be used alternately, depending on the wind direction, to create the hottest temperature. The roofs were made from clay and straw and built up over the pottery, to be broken open once the pottery was ‘cooked’.
The area from Crambe to Crambeck was good for pottery making because of the presence of two different sorts of clay, plus timber for burning in the kilns and the river for shipping the goods. Oxford Clay was found around Crambeck, and Boulder Clay nearer to Crambe. Wood was found on both sides of the river. It is thought that the industry moved uphill away from the river as the wood was gradually used up. Pottery was a wintertime industry. For the rest of the year the workers would be occupied with forestry or farming.
Crambeck Pottery was coarse greyware (unglazed) and most of the production was for kitchenware – particularly Jars with two small handles (for olive oil/sauces) and Mortaria – dishes with a pronounced lip and a grit layer inside the base to extend the life of the pot which would otherwise wear out.
Crambeck pottery was very fragile and the broken pieces were frequently disposed of on rubbish heaps and in latrines. The technological advances and skills learnt during the Roman occupation seem to have been lost when the Romans left and the population reverted to using animal skins instead of pottery containers.
A Burial cist (coffin) was found beside a kiln in Crambe dating from 365 AD. Anglo Saxon artefacts have been found in the area – including the Coppergate helmet. After the Romans left we know nothing of Crambeck until the 3rd Earl of Carlisle built Castle Howard in the 18th century.
The Crambeck Road Bridge was designed by the famous architect John Carr, and was built in 1785. The sides of the Crambeck stream have been quarried, and it is suspected that although good quality stone was used for facing the sides of the bridge, lower grade ‘Crambeck’ stone was used as infill. The bridge has been strengthened and widened in more recent times.The School in 1964 - |
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Many of the vessels had a raised lip and a
pouring spout. Decoration was very simple - patterns and
indents. There were also many flat dishes which have been
found all over Northern England at sites where the Roman Legion was
stationed (particularly Hadrian’s wall) suggesting that Crambeck had
a contract to supply the Roman Army from around 330AD to 430 AD.
