Brignall
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox UK place
Brignall is a village and civil parish in the south-west of County Durham, England. It is located in an elevated position adjacent to the River Greta, Template:Convert upstream from Greta Bridge. The nearest town is the market town of Barnard Castle.
At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 54.<ref name=census2021>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The village is known for the scenic valley section of the River Greta known as Brignall Banks, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
NameEdit
The name means "Bridge by the nook of land between the stream and the river". Brig is from Medieval English brig and Old English brycg, meaning bridge; en is a common abbreviation of Medieval English atten ("at the, by the"); hale is from Old English healh ("corner, nook, secret place, corner of land left by the stream in a river valley").Template:Sfn
The name was recorded as Bringhenale in the Domesday Book.<ref name=Brignall_opendomesday>*{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
The village was recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as a settlement in the hundred of land of Alan Rufus in the county of Yorkshire.<ref name=brignall_NZ0712>*{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The village had:
- Households: 16 villagers. 3 freemen. 6 smallholders. 1 men
- Ploughland: 152.5 ploughlands. 6 lord's plough teams. 12.5 men's plough teams.
- Other resources: Meadow 12 acres. Woodland 1 * 1 leagues. 1 fishery. 2 churches.
GovernanceEdit
At the upper tier of local government, Brignall is in the County Durham unitary authority. For elections to Durham County Council, it is part of the Barnard Castle East electoral ward.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the lower tier, Brignall is a civil parish, which has a joint parish council with the neighbouring Rokeby and Egglestone Abbey parishes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Historically, Brignall was in the Startforth Rural District of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974. It was then in the Teesdale district of County Durham from 1974 to 2019.
Art and cultureEdit
The River Greta and the Brignall area were painted by John Sell Cotman<ref>Brignall Banks on the Greta – John Sell Cotman, Leeds Art Gallery. Retrieved 10 March 2008.</ref> and J. M. W. Turner<ref>The Turner Gallery. A Series of One Hundred and Twenty Engravings Template:Webarchive, Antiquarian Maps and Prints. Retrieved 10 March 2008.</ref><ref>Brignall Church by J.M.W. Turner Template:Webarchive, Antiquarian Maps and Prints. Retrieved 10 March 2008.</ref><ref>Yorkshire, Brignall Church, after Turner, 1855, Steve Bartrick Antique Prints and Maps. Retrieved 10 March 2008.</ref> amongst others.
The area features in Sir Walter Scott’s 1813 poem 'Rokeby': "Oh Brignal banks are wild and fair/ and Greta woods are green".
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
SourcesEdit
External linksEdit
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