Stanwick St John is a village, civil parish, former manor and ecclesiastical parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, (formerly "North Riding" of Yorkshire), England. It is situated between the towns of Darlington and Richmond, close to Scotch Corner and the remains of the Roman fort and bridge at Piercebridge. Nomenclature The name 'Stanwick' is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word 'steinvegges', meaning "stone ways". It has been established that in 1225, Stanwick was known as 'Steinweg'; a document of that date concerning a dispute over church revenue, which led to the church being attacked and the vicar barricading himself inside, refers to "murder, fire and sacrilege within the church at Steinweg". Church of St John the Baptist Not much remains of the once thriving settlement at Stanwick except the Church of St John the Baptist, the parish church, which dates from the 13th century, although large sections of it were rebuilt during a major restoration in 1867–8, to the designs of the architect Anthony Salvin's, under the auspices of the lady of the manor the Dowager Duchess of Northumberland who lived at the now demolished manor house of Stanwick Park. The remains of a 9th-century cross-shaft in the tower and a number of carved stones set into the walls suggest that an earlier building may have occupied the site. Its location within an unusual circular churchyard also hints at a possible pre-Norman Conquest burial ground. The church has not been used for regular services since 1990, but remains consecrated. By 1763 the Royal Arms had been painted above the Chancel (at a cost of £5), the church floor had been flagged, and new pews and a gallery under the tower built. Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications Completely surrounding the village of Stanwick St John are the Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications, a huge Iron Age hill fort system comprising six miles (10 km) of ditches and ramparts enclosing over of land. These massive fortifications are believed to have enclosed the ancient fort of Rigodunum, the capital of Brigantia and possible seat of Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, or of Venutius her rival and former husband. History Early Period Traces of early human occupation of the ancient site now known as Stanwick Camp are obviously apparent: the snaking dykes enclose a roughly triangular area of 300 hectares (740 acres) with an internal defensible sector, now a meadow known