Great Ayton

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 7mi southeast of Middlesbrough and 3mi northeast of Stokesley on the border with the unitary authorities of Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough. According to the 2011 Census, it has a population of 4,629.The name Great Ayton derives from the Old English Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and ea meaning river.HistoryIn the 18th and 19th centuries Great Ayton was a centre for the industries of weaving, tanning, brewing, and tile making. Subsequently, whinstone was also quarried from the Cleveland Dyke.It was home to the Great Ayton Friends' School (Quaker) from 1841 until it closed in 1997.GeographyGreat Ayton is at the foot of the Cleveland Hills beneath Easby Moor and the distinctively-shaped Roseberry Topping. The River Leven, a tributary of the River Tees, flows through the village and links its two centres, High Green and Low Green.