Kirby Misperton is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England and has a population of around 370. Geography It is about south from Pickering by road and about north from Malton, just west of the A169 road. Adjacent to the village lies one of the most popular amusement parks in England, Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo. A gas field nearby, discovered in 1985, pipes gas to the Knapton Generating Station. The fields were bought by Kelt UK Ltd (owned by Kelt Energy plc and Edinburgh Oil & Gas plc) from Candecca Resources Ltd (owned by BP) in 1992. History The place-name 'Kirby Misperton' conflates the names of two adjoining places. Kirby is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Chirchebi. This means 'church village' in Old Norse. Misperton is also first attested in the Domesday Book, where it appears as Mispeton. This may mean 'foggy hill' or 'dung hill', possibly from mistbeorg in Old English. The two names first appear together in early Yorkshire charters, as Mispertona Kirkeby circa 1090, and as Kircabimispertun in 1157. The Domesday Book recorded a total population of 14 households (13 villagers and 1 priest) with a total tax assessed of 2.8 geld units. The Lord in 1066 was recorded as Thorbrand, son of Karli and from 1086 the Canons of York (St. Peter). The Tenant-in-chief in 1086 was Berengar of Tosny. Kirby Misperton Church The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Laurence and is part of the Benefice of Kirby Misperton, which is made up of the parishes of Kirby Misperton, Normanby and Salton, and the Benefice of Middleton, which is made up of the parishes of Middleton, Newton and Sinnington. The church has stood in the village since the 9th century. Incorporated in the stone work of the chancel walls are a number of 'wheeled crosses' and fragments of a tomb headstone, dating from the late Anglian period which came to an end with the Danish invasion of Northumbria in 867 AD. Kirby Misperton is thought to have been one of the few stone-built churches to have existed in Yorkshire at this time when "there was not a stone church in all the land, but the custom was to build them all of wood." The church was entirely rebuilt in the 15th century, and no part of the present