The Landscape around Copmanthorpe

As we have seen on the previous page, the landscape around York is mainly flat but dominated by small ridges of hills called Terminal Moraines one of which extends from the centre of York to Bilborough The Landscape of Copmanthorpe is split into two. The North of the village is hilly as part of the Terminal Moraine encompasses this area. The centre and South by contrast is very flat.

Contrast the hilly Pike Hills Estate in the North as shown in the picture below with the very flat St Giles Estate just South of the village. The rooftops clearly show the line of descent of the Terminal Moraine down St Nicholas Road. Indeed St Nicholas Road and Pike Hills Mount are one of the highest points around Copmanthorpe.

The soil around Copmanthorpe (as with the Vale of York itself) is also high quality, arable soil. However, there is an anomaly here - Askham Bogs just North of Copmanthorpe is a peat bog. The reason for this anomaly will be explained in the next chapter.