For those who enjoy exploring the quieter byways of East Yorkshire, the estate village of Warter, about four miles east of Pocklington, represents one of the area’s must-see attractions. The site of a medieval priory, Warter remains an oasis of rural calm in a busy world and is one of the most picturesque places in the whole of the Riding. Martin Limon reports . . .

Criticism of Warter’s housing stock in the later 19th century led to the building of new houses like these beautiful thatched cottages close to the village green

In the last 60 years, many villages in the East Riding have seen a rapid expansion as the growth of car ownership has allowed people to enjoy the benefits of country living while commuting to work in major centres of population like York, Beverley and Hull.

However, some places have defied this trend and have smaller populations today than they did a century ago. One of these is Warter, 16 miles east of York on the B1246 Pocklington to Driffield road and surrounded by the glorious countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

In 1901, this pretty village had a population of 559 people, but, by 2001, the figure had shrunk to 159.

This ancient community is also unusual in that it is an estate village where, for the last 300 years, all the properties have been in the hands of a single owner.

The origins of Warter can be traced back to at least the 12th century, when a Norman landowner, Geoffrey Fitz Pain, granted property to establish an Augustinian monastery here. The present Church of St James stands on the site of the priory church, while in the field to the north, earthworks indicate where the other monastic buildings once stood.

Warter Priory dominated life here for 400 years, from 1132 to 1536, and the presence of this monastic house would have helped to stimulate the economy of the area. Like many East Riding villages, Warter soon had its own market and fairs, but the turbulence of life in the Middle Ages is indicated when, in 1328, the fair was banned because of a number of murders committed there!

Nor were the prior and canons of Warter Priory always above reproach themselves, for reports and visitations from the 15th century indicate occasional wrongdoing. One prior, William York, was, in 1457, removed from office by the archbishop after complaints of financial irregularities and his neglect of the monastery buildings.

With the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, during the reign of King Henry VIII came the closure of Warter Priory and its property soon passed into private hands. However, the name was to live on through the “stately home” built about a mile from the village. This began life in the late 17th century as a relatively modest country residence built for the Pennington family who, by the early 18th century, owned virtually all the freehold property in the village.

As lords of the manor, their influence on Warter cannot be overestimated, for it was they who provided employment, rebuilt the church, built the school, began the improvement of village houses and set about enlarging Warter Priory itself.

Some stunning Yorkshire Wolds scenery on the minor road from Hayton to Warter

Set amid 400 acres of parkland, the occupants of the big house lived in rather grander style than the residents of the village whose lives they dominated. An official report of 1865 reveals just how bad conditions for ordinary Warter residents could be. It said: “Warter is an extraordinarily shabby village. The population has to put up with mouldy thatch, bulging walls, uneven floors, windows that will not open and doors that will not shut. They have to sleep in windowless and chimneyless lofts.”

Perhaps stung into action by these adverse comments, the lord of the manor, Lord Muncaster, soon began to build better houses for his tenants and this was a process continued by his successor, Charles Wilson, after he bought the 11,000-acre Warter Estate in 1878.

Wilson was a wealthy ship-owner from Hull and a director of the Hull Dock Company and the North Eastern Railway. His rise to prominence was marked by his selection as Sheriff of Hull in 1870 and his election as its Member of Parliament in 1870.

Charles Wilson was raised to the peerage in 1906 as Lord Nunburnholme, but long before this, he had begun to add to his mansion at Warter Priory in order to live in the style of a country gentleman. Resembling a French chateau with a new front, corner towers and 90 rooms, here was a residence fit to entertain the cream of British society at events like formal dinners and weekend shooting parties.

The 1891 census gives us some idea of the large numbers of domestic staff required to run such a large establishment. In addition to Charles Wilson, his wife, their six children and guests, there were 23 servants, including butlers, footmen, cooks and housemaids.

Following the death of Lord Nunburnholme in October 1907, his wife continued to live at Warter Priory and to dominate the village and its inhabitants until 1929. This rather formidable lady controlled the village school through her agent and from inspection reports of the 1920s, it is possible to glean something of the tensions that this situation created.

A major issue was the state of the school building and, on 1st April, 1921, the East Riding school inspector wrote: “It is rather a pity the building, which is quite a good one, is being allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.”

A year later, the inspector advised that “a tactfully worded letter might have the desired effect on the subject of repairs” but it seems clear any complaints made by the headteacher, Miss J Pollard, fell on deaf ears for, on 21st March, 1923, the inspector reported that repairs were “urgently needed since some of the window panes will fall out before long”.

The issue of the school buildings was one that was to continue to occupy later headteachers, too, for the inspector was still commenting on the need for repairs to windows and woodwork in 1935.

Warter Priory, taken from an old picture postcard. Warter Priory lay about a mile from the village and was surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland

It took a further 40 years before the original school building, which was built in 1868, was replaced by modern premises. These days, Warter Church of England Primary School has achieved an enviable reputation for the quality of education that it offers and, in a 2005 report, Ofsted said that many of its talented pupils “travel considerable distances to attend”.

However, back in the 1920s and 1930s, inspection reports were far less complimentary.

In March 1930, the East Riding inspector made the astonishing claim that the headteacher was “inclined to look upon his pupils and the village as hopeless”; that a large proportion of the pupils were “of poor native intelligence” and concluded that “the work of conducting this small school must be depressing”.

What is immediately obvious is that the fortunes of the school have been radically transformed in the past 70 years and the high regard in which it is now held is confirmed by the statistics.

In 2005, the number on the roll was 143, whereas in 1928, when the village population was far greater than it is today, there were only 36 pupils.

Other changes, too, are apparent. Like its predecessor, the newer Warter Priory (described by some as a Victorian monstrosity) has now vanished. It was demolished after the last of its contents were auctioned in May 1972.

Another building that almost met the same fate was St James’ Church in the village. This had become redundant by the 1990s, but was rescued by the local community who formed a trust to buy it for one pound and helped to raise the £600,000 necessary to restore the Victorian building to its former glory. It is now the Yorkshire Heritage Centre, but retains the best features of the period when it was used regularly as a church.

One of those actively involved in the project was Rose Horspool.

“Nothing was taken out when it was made redundant,” she said. “We are fortunate that some fantastic stained glass by Alan Bell and some wonderful marble sculptures by George Frampton have been left intact in the building.”

The Heritage and Arts Centre opened in September 2006 and is in regular use for events such as family history days and art exhibitions, as well as concerts. One of those who has performed there is Warter’s own acclaimed musician Troy Donockley, a member of the Celtic folk band Iona. Troy told me: “I brought the band to the village church for an exclusive and very successful concert to promote the new Iona album: The Circling Hour.”

Troy has also built up a formidable international reputation as a virtuoso performer of the uilleann pipes and as a composer and arranger. From his recording studio in Warter, established 10 years ago, he has produced two solo albums of his own, two for respected singer Barbara Dickson as well as numerous musical projects for television and film.

His unique and highly-acclaimed blend of English classical and Irish folk traditions has led to music from his albums, “The Unseen Stream” (1998) and “The Pursuit of Illusion” (2003) being used by the BBC and Channel 4 for television programmes such as “Forgotten Britain” and “Flamborough Head”.

Troy told me of his attachment to the area by saying: “I have lived in Warter for more than 15 years. As I spend a lot of time travelling the world, it is the most splendidly drowsy village to return home to.

“However, I am also active in the music scene locally and have introduced many acts to neighbouring Pocklington to help promote the arts centre. I have performed there with Midge Ure, Barbara Dickson and with my new band, the Bad Shepherds, featuring Ade Edmondson.”

Another of Warter’s links with the arts is through the gifted Yorkshire artist David Hockney. In 2007, he produced his largest painting, called “Bigger Trees Near Warter”. This landscape, composed of 50 panels and measuring 12 metres long by five metres tall, was largely painted in the open air at a location close to the village during the winter months.

The painting features a windbreak of beech trees together with a Wolds cottage and was the biggest painting displayed at the Royal Academy in London during the summer of 2007. David Hockney has now donated this enormous work to the Tate Gallery, immortalising the village of Warter for all time.

For those who enjoy exploring some of East Yorkshire’s hidden treasures during summer motoring trips, Warter is therefore a place well worth visiting. There is some stunning Wolds scenery to be experienced en route to the village via Hayton (on the A1079 Beverley to York road), Burnby and Nunburnholme. For walkers, too, the area around the village also has much to offer with an excellent website called “Walking the Riding” available to help plan your route.