Kilton
A journey around modern Kilton, of
farms, a ruined castle and a small village of Kilton Thorpe to capture the
essence of the two century home of our family
This page
should be read in conjunction with the History
of Kilton.
Directions
Kilton is
the agricultural land which lies to the south of Brotton,
west of Loftus. I suggest that you approach
from Brotton, down Kilton Lane, where you
will first see a wind turbine in the field. If you have visited the Old Churchyard at Brotton,
where many of the Kiltonian Farndales can be found,
you just head south, cross the roundabout and take the right fork in the road.
Around
Kilton
The field in
front of you, in which there is now a wind turbine, is Howe Hill where, in his Returned
Emigrant, John
Farndale imagined his return to Kilton after years of absence when he
took the well known lane down to Kilton, when at
Howe Hill, and seeing a towering chimney above all; what misgivings now
trouble his unprepared, peaceful breast. But when he neared his father’s
homestead, and no place of it could be found, he moved forward, and looking
right and left, he saw some twenty cottages and farmsteads, and behold that
beautiful hall and stables that once graced this little town had all
disappeared. And he would have enquired had there not been some eruption or
some hostile invasion, or had the city not been burnt to ashes, for said he,
here are marks of violence and desperation. But “I know nobody no not I, and
nobody, nobody here cares for me,” and he lifted up his voice and wept aloud.
And he began to examine the book of records, and genealogies of former days,
days of his fathers’, and of his youth.
Johnny Farndale, Old
Farndale of Kilton, moved to farm at Howe Hill.
Continue on
the road to the junction at Kilton Hall Farm. Here William Farndale, Martin
Farndale, Charles
Farndale and George Farndale
farmed in turn. This was once a much larger estate village and you can explore
the maps of the village as it once was at the
Kilton page. This was once home to hundreds of members of our family, for
about two hundred and fifty years.
Stank House
is now along a private road and you will need to ask permission to visit, but
this was home for many of our family.
Kilton
castle is now very difficult to access and you may well need permission to get
to it, together with jungle experience.
You might
then drive to Kilton Thorpe, which again features in many family stories. As
you approach the hamlet you will see ridge and farrow signs of medieval
agriculture.
or
Go Straight to Chapter
15 – the Lost Village of Kilton
Go Straight to Chapter 16
– the Other Kilton Farndales
Another
webpage on Kilton includes research notes,
source material and a chronology.