Spofforth Methodist Church, no longer in active use, is on School Lane. Pubs The village has two pubs, the Castle and the Railway. The Castle is the larger pub in the village and has a single open plan room. The Railway is a small pub owned by Samuel Smith's Old Brewery with a traditional lounge and tap room configuration and was converted from two railway cottages. Two other pubs in the village did exist, the King William IV which closed in the early 2000s and the Prince of Wales in Castle Street closed in around 1927 and is now a private residence (Oulton House). The Prince of Wales served as the place where village inquests were held during the 1800s. Transport Spofforth is situated on the A661 Wetherby to Harrogate Road. A bypass has been previously proposed but has never been developed. The village is served by two bus services, the 7 (linking the village with Harrogate, Wetherby, Seacroft at Leeds), and the X70 (both linking it with Harrogate, Follifoot and Wetherby). Other landmarks The ruins of Spofforth Castle, which date from the 13th century, are close to the centre of the village. Stockeld Park, south of the village near Sicklinghall, is a stone-built 18th-century Palladian villa. Notable people Andrew Brons, former National Front activist and British National Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber lives in the village. Laurence Eusden (1688–1730), who was made British Poet Laureate by George I in 1718, was baptised in Spofforth. Rev Dr William Osborne Greenwood MD FRSE (1873–1947) a curious blend of both minister and qualified surgeon. Blind Jack Metcalf (1717–1810), the road builder, lived in Spofforth in his later years and is buried in the village churchyard. Gerald Smithson (1926–1970), Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England cricketer, was born and grew up in Spofforth. His great-grandparents, Joseph and Rosina Smithsons, are buried in the village churchyard. His grandfather, George Robert Smithsons (1869–1955), played for Spofforth Cricket Club for over fifty years, and his team photographs still hang in the current Spofforth cricket pavilion. References External links Spofforth at genuki Villages in North Yorkshire English Heritage sites in North Yorkshire Borough of Harrogate