{{Short description|Village in North Yorkshire, England}} {{Use British English|date=May 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | static_image = All Saints Church, West Heslerton.jpg | static_image_caption = All Saints' Church, West Heslerton | coordinates = {{coord|54|10|17|N|0|36|21|W|display=inline,title}} | official_name = West Heslerton | civil_parish = Heslerton | population = 409 | population_ref = (2011 census)<ref name="NOMIS"/> | unitary_england = North Yorkshire | lieutenancy_england = North Yorkshire | region = Yorkshire and the Humber | constituency_westminster = Thirsk and Malton | post_town = MALTON | postcode_district = YO17 | postcode_area = YO | dial_code = | os_grid_reference = SE911759 }} '''West Heslerton''' is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Heslerton, in North Yorkshire, England, {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} southeast of Pickering. In 1931 the parish had a population of 308.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10432765/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics West Heslerton Tn/CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=28 November 2021}}</ref> The village was named on early maps as ''Heslerton Magna''.

The village lies within the historic county boundaries of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It was part of the Ryedale district between 1974 and 2023. It is now administered by North Yorkshire Council.

==Etymology== The village name is thought to be derived from the Old English words ''hæsel'' ('hazel'), or a derivative thereof, and the word ''tūn'' ('enclosure'). Thus it once meant "hazel enclosure".<ref> {{cite book |last = Smith |first = A. H. |authorlink = Albert Hugh Smith |title = The Place-Names of The East Riding of Yorkshire and York |publisher = Cambridge University Press |series = English Place-Name Society, 14 |year = 1937 |doi = |isbn = |url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/epns/documents/east-riding-of-yorkshire-and-york.pdf}} </ref>

==History== The village is the site of one of Britain's largest archaeological excavations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/archrev/rev95_6/heslertn.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205184202/http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/ArchRev/Rev95_6/heslertn.htm |title=West Heslerton, North Yorkshire|archivedate=5 February 2012|accessdate=17 February 2015 |publisher=English Heritage }}</ref> that of a large settlement which seems to have been occupied for several centuries until about 800&nbsp;AD.<ref>{{cite web |last=Powlesland |first=Dominic |authorlink=Dominic Powlesland |date=March 1999 |title=The West Heslerton Assessment |url=http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue5/westhes_index.html |accessdate=1 May 2008 |publisher=Internet Archaeology |doi=10.11141/ia.5.4}}</ref> The settlement flourished during late Roman/early Anglo-Saxon times, but may have been occupied for a considerable length of time before the arrival of Romans in Britain. The site covers over {{convert|45|hectare|order=flip}} and contains the traces of more than 200 buildings. Excavations of Cook's Quarry in the village, unearthed a cemetery containing 250 skeletons of people buried between the 4th and 7th centuries AD.

In 1866 West Heslerton became a civil parish, on 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with East Heslerton to form "Heslerton".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10432765|title=Relationships and changes West Heslerton CP/Tn through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=26 November 2023}}</ref>

The civil parish of Heslerton had 409 residents at the 2001 census,<ref>{{NOMIS2001|id=36UF051|title=Heslerton Parish|accessdate=12 May 2019}}</ref> with the population remaining unchanged at the 2011 census.<ref name="NOMIS">{{NOMIS2011|id=E04007589|title=Heslerton Parish|accessdate=12 May 2019}}</ref>

The Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail and the Centenary Way long distance footpaths run just south of the village.

Heslerton Cricket Club play in West Heslerton and field two teams in the Scarborough Cricket League.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gregory |first1=Daniel |title=Three new sides to join new-look Beckett League |url=https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/sport/cricket/three-new-sides-to-join-new-look-beckett-league-1-8977584 |accessdate=12 May 2019 |work=The Scarborough News |date=24 January 2018}}</ref>

== Ownership == The entire village was owned by the same family for over 150 years, until 2016, when the land and property remaining in Estate ownership was put up for sale for £20&nbsp;million following the death of its last owner, Eve Dawnay, in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Village goes up for sale for £20m |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-35958871 |accessdate=12 May 2019 |work=BBC News |date=4 April 2016}}</ref> Miss Dawnay was a great-granddaughter of William Henry Dawnay, 7th Viscount Downe and of Lt.-Col. Arthur de Vere Capell, Viscount Malden, son of the 6th Earl of Essex.

The estate was purchased by Albanwise,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-39723939|title=Buyer confirmed for £20m village|date=26 April 2017|accessdate=12 May 2019}}</ref> a Norfolk-based land and property investment company which is ultimately owned by the Vighignolo Investment Trust (a not-for-profit organization), Albanwise has ever since then invested to preserve the village historic heritage and maintain the surrounding landscape <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/12/16/grounds-concern-firms-snap-freeholds/|title=Grounds for concern over firms that snap up freeholds|last=Fraser|first=Isabelle|date=16 December 2017|work=The Telegraph|accessdate=12 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

== Transport == The A64 trunk road passes through the village. A regular Yorkshire Coastliner bus service providing connections to Scarborough, Malton, York and Leeds is operated by Transdev Blazefield.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dillon |first1=Paddy |title=The Cleveland Way and Yorkshire Wolds Way |date=2016 |publisher=Cicerone |location=Milnthorpe |isbn=9781852848231 |page=61 |edition=2}}</ref>

West Heslerton was served by Heslerton railway station on the York to Scarborough Line between 1845 and 1930.<ref>{{Butt-Stations}}</ref>

==Notable people== * John Henry Hutton<ref>{{cite ODNB |last1=MacFarlane |first1=Alan |title=Hutton, John Henry (1885–1968), anthropologist |id=53568 |date=6 January 2011}}</ref>

==See also== *Listed buildings in Heslerton

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|West Heslerton}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120205184202/http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/ArchRev/Rev95_6/heslertn.htm Archive.org copy of English Heritage West Heslerton webpage]

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Category:West Heslerton Category:Villages in North Yorkshire Category:Former civil parishes in North Yorkshire