the Scout Movement, visited Easingwold as commander of the Northumbrian division of the newly formed Territorial Force. Easingwold's Scout Group was founded two years later and is now the longest serving youth movement in the area. Governance The town is situated within the Thirsk and Malton UK Parliament constituency. The town gives its name to the electoral division of North Yorkshire County Council in which it resides, as it does for the ward of Hambleton District Council. The town has its own Town Council made of 11 councillors, with three attendees who are District Councillors. Geography The town was bypassed by the A19 in November 1994. The town is the focal point for many nearby villages and the nearest larger settlements are York to the south; Boroughbridge to the west; Thirsk to the northwest and Malton to the east. The highest point in the town is at the town's edge on the Oulston Road at . Demography According to the 1881 UK Census, the town had a population of 2,044. According to the 2001 UK Census the population was 4,233, of which 3,428 were over the age of sixteen. Of those 1,843 were in employment. The 2011 Census showed the population as 4,627. Parks After the closure of the Claypenny Hospital, the land was developed into a housing estate with a 34-acre parkland in between called Millfields Park opened in 1999 and now run by the Woodland Trust. The park is bounded to the west by a hawthorn hedge, to the north by a stock proof fence and by the housing estate around the rest. There are a number of informal footpaths across the site as well as the Sustrans National Cycle Route 65. Among the tree species planted here are sessile oak, cherry, field maple, ash, birch, rowan, walnut, whitebeam and larch. Some of the shrub species found here are holly, hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn and dogrose. Supported by the council and local community, Millfields Park hosts the 5 km Millfield parkrun every Saturday at 9 am. Towards the centre of the town is Memorial Park. The site was formerly occupied by private tenants, a tennis club and a garage. After several years of planning and delay, the park was opened in September 1955. Economy There are a number of local retail businesses in the town. The number of public houses has significantly reduced since the 19th century, when there were also a number of local brew houses, the names of which can still be seen on local houses. Easingwold is served by bus services to nearby villages, towns and the city of York. This includes services formerly partly run by the local coach business, Stephenson's of Easingwold, now fully run by Reliance Motor Services The Cabinet Office have their Emergency Planning College at the Hawkhills, Easingwold. Public services The police station on Church Avenue is only open on part-time basis on request. The fire station on Stillington Road is a retained station, which is manned by crews of firefighters who provide on-call cover from home or their place of work. St Monica's Community Hospital is part of the York NHS Foundation and is located in Long Street. It has no Accident & Emergency facilities. Hambleton District Council has local offices in Church Hill. The town has a public library situated in Tanpit Lane, just off the Market Place. The tourist information office for the area is located in Chapel Lane. Education In 1781, a grammar school was founded in the town, which is now the site of Easingwold Community Primary School. A National School was built in 1862 in