Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England on the edge of the North York Moors. It lies 7 miles (11.3 km) south-east of Middlesbrough and 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of Stokesley on the border with the unitary authorities of Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 4,570.
The village was the boyhood home of Captain Cook, the British explorer and navigator.
The name Great Ayton is thought to derive from Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and 'ea' meaning river. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was a centre for the industries of weaving, tanning, brewing and tile making. It was home to the Great Ayton Friends' School (Quaker) from 1841 until its closure in 1997.
The village is served by Great Ayton railway station on the Esk Valley Line.
Read more about Great Ayton: Geography, Captain Cook Connection
Famous quotes containing the word ayton:
“The morning rose, that untouched stands
Armed with her briars, how sweet she smells!
But plucked and strained through ruder hands,
Her sweets no longer with her dwells,
But scent and beauty both are gone,
And leaves fall from her, one by one.”
—Sir Robert Ayton (1570–1638)