A perfectly preserved medieval village in North Yorkshire is like stepping back in time.
Wharram Percy is one of the largest, best preserved and most famous of the country’s 3,000 such villages and was inhabited for six centuries.
The name ‘Wharram’ comes from the old Scandinavian word ‘hwerhamm’, meaning ‘at the bends’ referring to the village’s location in the chalk valley.
The suffix ‘Percy’ comes from the prominent aristocratic family who owned the area during the Middle Ages. At this time there were about 150 residents.
The Percy family sold the area to the Hylton family in the early 1400s. Sheep farming was more profitable than grain and so most of the land was devoted to this.
Because of the change, they didn’t need as many labourers and so many moved away. The last residents were evicted in the early 1500s.
In 2004, archaeologists found human remains which revealed details of disease, diet and death in rural medieval communities.
Now, visitors can go to the village run by English Heritage and see the ruins of St Martin’s Church and the millpond as well as the outlines of the lost homes with paths running through the site.
Those wishing to visit must use the car park three-quarters of a mile away. Parts of the walk can be steep and muddy, not suitable for buggies and wheelchairs.
The Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail passes through the site and the Centenary Way long-distance footpath passes to the east of the village.
In the nearby area are the riverside ruins of Kirkham Priory which has a small shop and cafe. It is also close to Pickering Castle and Burton Agnes Manor House.
