Ravensworth

Ravensworth is a small village in the Holmedale valley in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Kirkby Ravensworth, and is in the ward of Gilling West. It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-west from Richmond and 10 miles (16 km) from Darlington. The village has a population of 255, according to the 2011 Census.

Ravensworth was historically situated in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and has been a part of North Yorkshire since 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972. The village has ancient origins dating back to the time of Viking settlement. The village contains the remains of the 14th century Grade I listed Ravensworth Castle, the ancestral home of the FitzHugh family. After the FitzHugh line ended, the castle was abandoned, and it began to be pulled down in the middle of the 16th century. although the gatehouse remains almost wholly intact. There are a number of listed buildings situated around the village green, mostly dating from the eighteenth century, with many of them built using remnants of the castle.

Ravensworth is primarily a commuter village, and the historically important agricultural sector now employs only a small number of people. Stone mining was once important to the local economy, and although that industry had died out by the 20th century, a sandstone quarry has recently opened outside the village. The village is served by a primary school, a public house and a chapel.

Ravensworth is well known in the media as the home of the former international cricketer Ian Botham. The village is also known regionally for the Ravensworth Nurseries horticultural business.