Marton Village

History

There are many Martons in England, and a fair number of them are in the north east.
Our Marton lies to the south of the main A170 Scarborough road not far from Pickering.
Marton is part of the medieval Manor of Sinnington with Marton and Little Edstone.

The village, at a bridge-point over the River Seven, is built on a river terrace protected by a levee built after the 1927 flood. The place name recorded in Domesday Book is derived from the Old English mere + tun (a farmstead by the pool). Its pastoral economy became, with progressive drainage and after the 1785 Enclosure, one of mixed cereal, cattle and sheep production on small family farms. Today, fewer farms with bigger acreages grow a variety of crops, including sugar beet & oilseed rape, with sheep the main livestock. In 1851 there were 10 farmers and 37 other farmworkers; but by the 1990s only 10 worked on farms and related activities. Never solely dependent on farming, in 1851 23 occupations were listed in Marton including 17 craftsmen (5 smiths, 6 shoemakers, 6 joiners), 8 clothing workers, 5 retailers, a miller, an innkeeper and 4 professional, two of whom taught at the village school. In contrast the 24 occupations in the late-1990s were mostly in the professional, business and local government sectors.

Retirees now exceed children, though in the past 20 years young families have helped to raise numbers to 190 in 2001 from a post-war low of 140.

The village’s buildings reflect its history. Around the green, east of the bridge, are a number of 18th-century stone pantiled cottages with gardens on former orchards that produced gooseberries and plums for Leeds. Two old Longhouses with attached barns, one a 1704 cruck house, have been extensively renovated. The few old houses west of the bridge include the former mill, the old joiner’s cottage & the 1771 Appletree Inn, (formerly The Spotted Cow).
The numbers of dwellings in Marton has doubled since the 1950s but all retailers are gone. The 1870 Primitive Chapel remains, as does the Mission Room, formerly also the school (built 1849 & closed in 1969). Recently refurbished, it houses many activities as does the Village Hall, a former World War I army hut.

Of Gooseberries and LLamas

Before World War II gooseberries were Marton's claim to fame. Most cottages had gooseberry bushes and late June/early July saw the picking season. The produce was supplied to a factory in Leeds which made them into jam.
Marton was also home to Augusto's Miniature Circus, which exhibited, amongst other things Llamas. Llamas are still kept in Marton owned by a family whose origins go back to those who brought first Llamas to the village.

Marton Today
Marton today is a popular holiday destination for those who enjoy the North York Moors and surrounding countryside. A number of cottages in the village are available as holiday lets and Guest House accommodation is available from a number of local residents.

A book "Marton- A Short History" written by Professor Richard Lawton was published in 2009. More details from info@technologyforgrowth.co.uk.

Business
A number of small businesses are run from Marton and details can be found on our Business Sponsors page.