Wilberfoss Village

Wilberfoss lies close to two ancient Roman roads—one to the east of the village and another to the south, now beneath the A1079. The village was first mentioned around 1150 AD in an early charter as "Wilburgfos," indicating its likely origins as an Anglian settlement.

Evidence of Roman occupation has been discovered, along with Viking artefacts that suggest a possible connection to the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. However, Wilberfoss is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, as it was part of the Catton Estates.

Before 1174, Ilgerus de Eggleton of Durham held the Manor of Wilberfosse. He adopted the title Ilgerus de Wilberfosse, becoming the forefather of the Wilberfoss family. Among his descendants was the renowned abolitionist William Wilberforce. William's branch of the family eventually left the area and altered the spelling of their surname.

The Wilberfoss family home was the Manor House, which stood on the site of a Benedictine Nunnery next to the 12th-century St. John the Baptist Church. The Nunnery remained for 400 years until the Reformation. The Manor House, after falling into disrepair, was demolished in 1948.

An old photograph showing a windmill that once stood in Wilberfoss
An old photograph showing a child and baby feeding ducks with St John the Baptist Church and Church Bridge in the background

Wilberfoss Parish

Wilberfoss, a typical Wolds village until the mid-20th century, had a windmill on the hill at the western end of the village until the 1970s and a brickyard. At that time, 75% of the population was engaged in agriculture or husbandry. The Main Street was the road from York to Hull until the A1079 bypass was built in 1963, and the Village Hall was replaced by the Lottery-funded Community Centre in 1999.

In 1823, the village had 335 inhabitants, with occupations including fifteen farmers (some landowners), three shopkeepers, two wheelwrights, two blacksmiths, a butcher, a bricklayer, a corn miller, a baker, a tailor, a wholesale brewer, and the landlords of the True Briton, Horse Shoes, and Waggon and Horses public houses.

According to the 2011 UK census, Wilberfoss parish had a population of 1,866, an increase from the 2001 UK census figure of 1,855. The latest estimates suggest a population of around 1,800 people.

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