Strensall

Strensall Common is a huge conservation area, covering more than 5 square kilometres, that is popular with dog walkers, hikers and birdwatchers alike - and is right on your doorstep if you live here! Maintained by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, it is a mix of habitats that include wet and dry heath, birch.oak woodland and spots of standing water. With more than 150 plants species and over 60 species of bird, with other wildlife on show, it is a true piece of the region’s beauty. With the Yorkshire Moors just a short drive away, too, you’re blessed with nature here.

Sports fans can enjoy York Golf Club in the village, which was established back in 1890 and boasts some of the finest greens in the city. Elsewhere, there is a sports club with a multi-use games area, tennis and a hall that can be booked along with a football team in the York and District Football League.

The village hall has undergone numerous renovations thanks to grants and fundraisers, which means it can now play host to martial arts, adult education, the Women’s Institute and much more. The Anglican, Christian church of St Mary’s serves both Strensall and Towthorpe and can be found in the village.

While the village offers a number of amenities with grocery shops, a post office, pubs, hairdressers, takeaways, doctor’s surgery, a vet’s, library and a pharmacy, it is also close to the large out of city shopping centres of Monks Cross and Vangarde that have a number of big stores and restaurants. You can get all products for the home from a Tesco Express and Costcutter in the village. Options for eating out include the fish and chip takeaway of Strensall Fisheries and the two pubs of the Half Moon Inn and the Ship Inn.

There are a number of options around Strensall, and these are the schools within a 5-mile radius:

• The York Montessori Nursery
• Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy
• Ralph Butterfield Primary School
• Headlands Primary School
• Wigginton Primary School
• Huntington Secondary School
• Joseph Rowntree Secondary School
• Canon Lee Secondary School

The York to Scarborough railway runs splits the place - three times - but there is no longer a station for residents here. Bus routes 5, 5A and 100 run from Strensall to York, and during school term the H5 runs to Huntington School with J2 heading to Askham Bar for York College students. The city centre can be reached by car in 10 minutes with the A1 a further 5-10 minutes, and the Yorkshire Moors are easily accessible.

With origins dating back to a reference in the Domesday Book as Streonaeshaich, it is a case of old meets new when it comes to Strensall. In the 19th century, Strensall had an economy based around brickyards, potteries, farming and a tannery, the latter of which is now a housing development. The south of the village houses the 1,800 acre Queen Elizabeth II Barracks, where troops have been trained and resided since 1884. By the end of the 19th century, the rapid increase in population brought more businesses.

The village hall was initially used in the Suez Crisis as an army hut before being bought by residents and brought back from Egypt.