History
The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as having three ploughlands, but it does not list any inhabitants.[3] The name of the village derives from Old English (cropp tūn), which means a swelling, mound or hill with a farmstead, settlement or village.[4] At the 2001 census, the parish (including Aislaby) had a population of 354,[5] decreasing to 321 (including Stape) at the 2011 Census.[1]
The Great Yorkshire Brewery, a microbrewery, is located to the rear of the New Inn on the edge of the village.[6] The owners of the pub started brewing their own beer in 1984, though beer had been brewed in the village as far back as 1613.[7] To the rear of the brewery is the site of a Motte-and-bailey castle, known as the Round Hill, which is scheduled ancient monument.[8]
Just outside the village and to the north, is the site of a set of Roman practice marching camps at Cawthorne, excavated by universities in recent years.[9] The camps are thought to be there as the village was on the route of a Roman Road between York and Dunsley Bay (Sandsend), on the Yorkshire Coast near to Whitby.[10] These have been registered as ancient monuments.[11] To the north of the village lies Cropton Forest, a 9,050-acre (3,660 ha) woodland that has a caravan park within it.[12] The forest is also noted for a programme to reintroduce beavers, which was successful in producing kits (baby beavers) in 2021.[13][14]
St Gregory's Church is a grade II listed structure, and whilst there is no accurate record of its building date, it was rebuilt in 1844.[15][16] In the churchyard is the base of a medieval cross. There is a poem and tradition associated with taking a drink and leaving money at the cross.[17][18]
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches south to Normanby with a total population taken at the 2011 Census of 1,542.[19]
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