Middlethorpe Grange

History of Bishopthorpe

The village of Bishopthorpe has a long history.  It lies in an area which was farmed by the Knights Templar in Medieval times.  The Templars were led by a body of monastic knights who were not permitted to marry.  They were formed after the First Crusade to protect pilgrims on the route to the Holy Land.  They became very wealthy and powerful with estates in many countries.  Their largest British estates were in Yorkshire.  One of their Preceptories was nearby at Copmanthorpe and some archaeological evidence of their building work still remains in the area.

Since 1226 Bishopthorpe has been the most important historical village in England.  This was the year in which Walter de Gray, the Archbishop of York and a supporter of King John, purchased the land upon which he built the Manor of Thorpe St Andrew.  This became the foundation for the present Archbishop's Palace.  The records of the Archbishops' can be found in "The Annals of Bishopthorpe".

Our offices are situated at Middlethorpe Grange on Simbalk Lane.  The 'balks' of Simbalk Lane were the small strip fields which used to ornament the road.  This farm has been owned by the Blacker family since the 1960's.  Presently the farm is entirely devoted to arable cropping.  The barns, which form the centerpiece of the office development, date back to the 19th Century and they are shown on a map dated 1853.  The farmhouse is much older. It was built in the late 17th Century and it boasts a priest hole, where Catholic Priests, in danger of their lives could hide .  Unfortunately the priest hole cannot now be accessed.