Whaw

Whaw
Whaw is located in North Yorkshire
Whaw
Whaw
Location within North Yorkshire
OS grid referenceNY984047
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
PoliceNorth Yorkshire
FireNorth Yorkshire
AmbulanceYorkshire
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
54°26′17″N 2°01′30″W / 54.43794°N 2.02503°W / 54.43794; -2.02503
Looking north across Arkle Beck to Whaw

Whaw is a hamlet in Arkengarthdale in North Yorkshire, England. It is one of few settlements in the dale and is one of the smallest. Its name derives from the Old Norse of Kvi and Hagi, which means the enclosure of the sheep.[1] It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Langthwaite and 5 miles (8 km) north west of Reeth.[2] The adjacent Arkle Beck Meadows form a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[3]

The hillsides around Whaw are scarred with the remnants of lead mining and former hushes are still in evidence. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the hamlet was (and the whole of Arkengarthdale) were subject to a higher population because of the miners working in the hills. In 1840, a Wesleyan chapel was built in Whaw, this survives but no longer as a religious house.[4][5]

The 1851 census counted 18 houses in Whaw.[6] In the 2011 census, Whaw was counted in Arkengarthdale Parish as having 231 residents overall.[7]

  1. ^ Chrystal, Paul (2017). The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales (1 ed.). Catrine: Stenlake. p. 89. ISBN 9781840337532.
  2. ^ "Genuki: In 1822, the following places were in the Parish of Arkengarthdale:, Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Arkle Beck Meadows, Whaw" (PDF). naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Swaledale & Arkengarthdale Barns & Walls Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). yorkshiredales.org.uk. March 2015. p. 31. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Monument No. 576316 (576316)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  6. ^ Batty, Margaret (1982) A View of Akengarthdale. Teesdale Mercury Press. pp 14.
  7. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Arkengarthdale Parish (1170217109)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 January 2019.