Our Community!
Thornton Le Clay and the adjacent village of Foston are located to the west of the A64, between York and Malton. The White Swan public house sits right in the middle of Thornton-le-Clay, opposite the junction of Low Street, High Street and the road from Foston. Together with the village hall and the village primary school, it is literally at the heart of the community.
Thornton-le-Clay (pop.228) and Foston (pop.50), located as they are on the edge of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are picturesque, linear villages. Any new development is now generally, restricted to infill on the building line. For the last few years, it has continued to attract a steady influx of new, young families to the village, the small village primary school has record numbers of pupils.
The resulting demographic mix is most welcome and essential for any village to remain vibrant.
Older residents appreciate this and also enjoy social gatherings, such as coffee mornings, special occasions and charity events. The White Swan has, in the past, and can again in the future, provide generations of young people with their first taste of paid employment. A thriving, family friendly pub, which the White Swan can be in the future, is essential to villagers, both old and young.
Social isolation is a real problem in rural communities. Thornton-le-Clay has not had a bus service for several years. Elderly residents, many who can no longer drive, must rely on the goodwill of others, as they currently have to go outside the village for a meal out. A thriving White Swan, serving good food, reasonably priced, can once again cater for this essential need.
Surrounding villages, such as Flaxton (pop.336), West Lilling (pop.158), Sheriff Hutton (pop.1076), Bulmer (pop.194) and Whitwell on the Hill (pop.331), many of which have never had, or now no longer have a pub, previously enjoyed the option of eating or attending events at the White Swan. Residents’ friends and relatives also chose the White Swan as a favoured eatery.
Even business people from London, known to local residents, visiting York were frequent visitors to the White Swan.
Those who provide accommodation for visitor in all these areas, were previously able to recommend the White Swan to them, as an excellent place to eat. Located where the pub is in Thornton-le-Clay means it is close to York, Malton, Castle Howard and the main coastal access route, the A64. The White Swan has previously benefited from and has also provided benefit to the local tourist economy.
Here are a few extracts from the many objectors to the planning application, which re-enforce the glaring need for The White Swan at the heart of our community:
“Employment in the village, especially for young people, is finished if the pub shuts”;
“We ran the White Swan as a successful business for over 8 years, employing 10 staff. Two of which were full time”;
“Everybody here knows each other, everyone looks out for each other and the pub was the centre of this!”