An archbishop's village
The village was once known as Thorpe-on-Ouse, then St Andrewthorpe, after the church the monks of St Andrew's in Fishergate built here in 1202. In the 1220s and 1230s Archbishop Walter de Gray bought land by the river and built a manor house and chapel, which he gave to the Dean and Chapter of York so it would stay with his successors. That house is Bishopthorpe Palace, still the Archbishop of York's home, with the "Strawberry Gothick" west front and gatehouse added by Archbishop Drummond in 1763.
The link shows in the street names. Many roads on the post-war estates are named after past archbishops: Lang Road, Maclagan Road, Temple Road, Garbett Way, Coggan Way, Lamplugh Crescent, Drummond View, Wolsey Drive and Montague Road among them. Further south, Keble Park and its crescents form another estate off Acaster Lane, and Appleton Road and Copmanthorpe Lane lead out to the west.
The old centre is smaller: Main Street, Church Lane and Chantry Lane, with the Ebor Inn, the Marcia Inn, the village hall, the infant and junior schools and St Andrew's Church close together.
Who lives in Bishopthorpe
In the 2021 Census the Bishopthorpe ward had 1,818 households:
- 42% lived in semi-detached houses and 38% in detached homes, with 10% in terraces and only 2% in flats.
- 86% owned their home, more than half of them outright.
- 40% of households had two or more cars or vans, and only 12% had none.
Around Main Street and the streets just north of it (LSOA York 024A, 514 households), the picture is even more owner-occupied: 49% detached, 38% semis and 90% owned, with 49% of households running two or more cars.
That second car is the reason many Bishopthorpe enquiries come in. Typical jobs here:
- Widening a single drive on a semi so two cars fit side by side.
- Relaying an old concrete or tarmac drive laid when the estates were new.
- Block paving or resin across most of a front garden on detached homes off Acaster Lane.
- A new or wider crossing where the kerb has only ever served one car.
Naburn sand and the Ouse
The British Geological Survey maps the centre of the village on the Naburn Sand Member, a silty sand laid down at the edge of a glacial lake, over Sherwood Sandstone. Silty sand usually lets water soak away well, which suits permeable block paving, resin-bound surfaces or gravel on an open stone base. Pockets of clay are common in the Vale of York, so we dig a trial hole before settling on how deep to go and whether a soakaway will work.
The river is the bigger question. Bishopthorpe sits on the west bank of the Ouse, and the Environment Agency maps Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3 land within a few hundred metres of Main Street, mostly following the river and the low ground towards Acaster Malbis. If your home is near a mapped zone:
- keep the new drive permeable or draining to your own garden,
- don't raise ground levels in a way that sends water towards the house or the neighbours,
- think about channel drains at the bottom of any slope towards the house.
The conservation area and listed buildings
The Bishopthorpe Conservation Area was designated in 1989 and covers Main Street, the palace and other open areas of the village. The smaller Middlethorpe Conservation Area lies just to the north. More than twenty listed buildings stand close to the centre, including Bishopthorpe Palace and Chapel (Grade I), its gatehouse and walls and stables (both Grade II), Bishopthorpe Garth, Brewsters Cottage, The Chantry, Priory Corner, the ruined Church of St Andrew and the Ebor Inn*.
If your house is on Main Street or close to the palace, talk to City of York Council's planning team before taking down a front wall, railings or gate piers. Materials matter here too: clay pavers, setts or a bound gravel finish often sit better beside old brick than plain grey blocks.
Away from the conservation area, a front drive made of a permeable surface, or one draining to a lawn or border, is permitted development. Impermeable paving over five square metres that drains onto the road needs planning permission.
Dropped kerbs on village roads
A new or wider crossing needs City of York Council's approval. York charges £263 for an approved crossing, £131.50 to improve an existing one and £63 for a refusal, none refundable. The council expects gates on A, B and C roads to be set back at least 6 metres, so a car can pull fully off the road first. Lamp posts, trees and utility covers in the verge can affect what's allowed. See our dropped kerbs page.
How we price a Bishopthorpe drive
We price each drive after seeing it, because the area is only one part of the job. Our quote is fixed and covers everything we've agreed. In Bishopthorpe, the things that move it most are:
- What's coming up. Many post-war drives are thick concrete, and breaking it out and taking it away can be a large share of the work.
- How far the drive extends. Widening across a lawn means digging out topsoil to a firm base, edging both sides and sometimes moving a path.
- Drainage near the river. On lower ground we may add a soakaway, a channel drain or a deeper open-graded base.
- The surface. Permeable block paving, resin-bound and gravel all suit the sandy ground but differ in labour and materials.
- The kerb. A new or widened crossing is a separate application and separate highway works.
Neighbouring areas
- Driveways in Fulford: Across the Ouse to the east, with two conservation areas of its own.
- Driveways in Dringhouses: North towards the city, beyond the Knavesmire and Tadcaster Road.
- Driveways in Copmanthorpe: The next village west, mostly detached houses.
Useful pages for Bishopthorpe homes: block paving, resin-bound, dropped kerbs.
All the areas we cover: Where we work.
Questions people ask in Bishopthorpe
Is my house in the conservation area?
The Bishopthorpe Conservation Area covers Main Street, the palace and some open land around them. City of York Council can confirm whether a particular address is included.
Will a permeable drive work on Bishopthorpe's ground?
Usually, yes. The centre of the village is on silty Naburn sand, which tends to drain well. We still dig a test hole, because clay pockets are common in the Vale of York.
Is Bishopthorpe at risk of flooding?
Land along the Ouse is in mapped Flood Zones 2 and 3. Most of the estates are on higher ground, but check your address on the Environment Agency map.
Can I widen my drive for a second car?
Often, yes. If the kerb only covers one car, you'll also need the council's approval to widen the crossing.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, Bishopthorpe ward and LSOA York 024A (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Bishopthorpe; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; City of York Council: dropped kerbs and vehicle access; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens.