About Thixendale

Aerial shot

The population of the parish is around 130, which includes the surrounding farms, but excludes the sheep. These outnumber us by a large margin.

We have the reputation for being isolated, particularly in the winter, with all incoming roads being single track. However many visitors, cyclists and walkers find it a worthwhile village to seek out and explore.

There is controversy over the meaning of the name ‘Thixendale’. Some suggestions are:

  • Sixteen Dales: there are said to be 16 dales that lead in to Thixendale. See how many you can find! (Or ask for some help).
  • Sigsten’s Valley: Sigsten/Sigsteinn is an old Scandinavian name. (Sixtedale/Sixtendale/Xistendale in the 1086 Domesday book)

Many people ask about the curious undulating landscape of the area. As many know, the Wolds form part of a chalk belt running from the English Channel to Flamborough Head. The chalk is made from the shells of sea creatures which fell to the sea-bed millions of years ago. It appears that the tremendous earth movements which created the Alps had the effect of raising the sea-bed upwards to create the landscape we now see.

A fun little podcast created for the 2026 Parish Plan.

The survey results for the 2026 Parish Plan were fed into NotebookLM and it was asked to summarise the findings.

This podcast-style audio output was one of the results. It does seem to fairly represent the comments received and is presented here for anyone who is interested.