SLINGSBY. 535 



from Malton, 9 from Kirkby-Moorside, and Helni- 

 sley, and 23 from York : population 548. The 

 church is a rectory, dedicated to All Saints ; in the 

 deanery of Ryedale, value in the King's books, 

 12. Is. !(),, of which the Earl of Carlisle is pa- 

 tron, the Hon. and Rev. Henry Howard rector, 

 and the Rev. William Walker curate. There is a 

 good rectory house attached to the living, which is 

 the residence of the present curate. 



Village. Through Slingsby formerly passed the 

 Roman vicinary way from Malton to their station 

 at Aldbro' ; and nine or ten large tumuli in the 

 woods of the Earl of Carlisle, indicate that some 

 severe conflict has formerly taken place here. This 

 js one of the three villages in Yorkshire which still 

 retains its rustic may-pole ; an emblem of the fes- 

 tivities held by our forefathers to commemorate the 

 return of spring, and the genial month of May. The 

 village festival is still held on old May-day, and it 

 was formerly the custom to take down the old May- 

 pole annually on this day, and to erect a new one 

 in its stead; but the present which was erected in 

 1815, and is 69 feet in height, has not been renew- 

 ed since that period. From the hill to the south of 

 the village, is a fine view of the princely mansion of 

 Castle Howard, with its stately avenues, lake, park, 

 and extensive pleasure grounds. The road through 

 Slingsby, from Hovingham to Malton, instead of 

 proceeding in a direct line, to which there appears 

 to have been no natural impediment, takes a singu- 

 lar and awkward angle to the right, proceeding 

 several hundred yards due south, which Roger 



