setup. Agriculture Agriculture has played a major role in the development of Rufforth. Due to Rufforth's close proximity to York the production of fresh goods for transport into the city became a viable and profitable option for local farmers. The dairy industry was a major contributor to the local economy until the decline in profitability led to many small dairy farms to cease production. There is now only one dairy farm left within the Rufforth parish. Rufforth's surrounding farmland is now mainly used for a mixture of livestock, cereal and root vegetable enterprises. When travelling around the Rufforth area you will notice large numbers of beef cattle, sheep in lower numbers and a thriving equine industry. Sown cereals are mainly autumn and spring sown barley, wheat, maize and oilseed rape. Other large contributors to local agriculture are potatoes and sugarbeet (although sugarbeet quantities have sharply declined after the closure of the British Sugar Factory in York). Notable landmarks and residents The Lord of the Manor of Rufforth, Henry Justice was exiled for stealing books in the 1700s. On Rufforth Airfield the old control tower still stands and was used in the TV drama series Airline during the 1980s. A little way out of the village is Rufforth Hall built in 1860 and was used by a local York insurance company as a sports venue for its employees. There are currently four listed building/features within Rufforth. These are The village pump and trough (listed Grade II), Church of All Saints (listed Grade II), Pear Tree Farmhouse (listed Grade II) and The Pinfold (listed Grade II). The British actor Mark Addy was a longtime resident of the village. See also Rufforth Circuit RAF Rufforth References External links Villages in the City of York Former civil parishes in North Yorkshire