York Historic Environment Record

Middlethorpe was incorporated into the city in 1937, together with Acomb and Dringhouses. This conservation area was designated in 1975 around the hamlet of Middlethorpe, a medieval township which stretched from the River Ouse to Dringhouses in the west. It formed a subordinate part of the Manor of Dringhouses owned by Byland Abbey. It is situated in York's Green Belt. It is also an Area of Archaeological Importance on the basis of its importance as a medieval manor in the vicinity of York. The main elements of the character and appearance of the area area: 1) Middlethorpe, which retains a separate rural character, completley outside that of urban and suburban York 2) The feelings of an 'estate village' created by the juxtaposition of the two large buildings and the surrounding smaller ones 3) The relationship of the settlement with the open countryside which contributes towards the setting of the conservation area