Acomb , is a village and suburb within the City of York unitary authority area, to the western side of York, England. It covers the site of the original village of the same name, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is bordered by the suburbs of Holgate, to the east, Clifton, to the north and Woodthorpe to the south. The boundary to the west abuts the fields close to the A1237, York Outer Ring Road.
Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Acomb was incorporated into the City of York in 1934.
Formerly a farming village, Acomb expanded over the centuries to become a dormitory area for workers in heavy industry, such as rail engineering, in the 19th and 20th centuries and more recently for a more diverse workforce. Though it no longer has any large-scale manufacturing, it does have a diverse retail centre. There are at least 19 Grade II listed buildings within its boundaries. It was made a Conservation Area in 1975, with the historic area along Front Street and the Green retaining its village character. It is also an Area of Archaeological Importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
Acomb comprises two wards of the City of York: Acomb and Westfield. At the 2011 Census of England and Wales, it had a population of 22,215, the largest of all areas of the city. There are six primary schools and one comprehensive school. There are also a variety of sporting clubs and one public sports centre.
Acomb is famous in York for having a very high concentration of street bollards. These were installed in an upgrade in 2023 and have since prompted great controversy among local residents due to their vast numbers and variance from the original proposed plans for the area.
History
Etymology
Acomb existed before the Norman Conquest, is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was the property of the Dean and Chapter of York Minster. It is the largest suburban area in York. The name is most likely derived from the Old English acum, meaning 'at the oak trees', and indicates that the original village was first established in a heavily wooded area of oaks. In the Domesday book, the name of the village is spelt as both Achum and Acum and during the next one hundred years other spellings can be found, such as Achu, Acun, Akum and Acham. In the 13th century, the spellings Acome, Acorn and Akome can be seen, whilst Akam and Acombe are 15th century. Once printing was established, it enabled the standardisation of spellings to the one seen today. The traditional pronunciation of the name was "Yackam".
Roman Era
The Roman Emperor Septimius Severus was reputed by some historians to have been cremated in a military funeral near the site of modern-day Acomb, having died in York (then Eboracum) in 211 AD.
10th and 11th century
During the reign of Edward the Confessor, the village of Acomb was designated as a manor. This was known through the entry in the Domesday Book for Acomb, which stated that most of the land of Acomb, including the manor, was in the jurisdiction of the archbishop. Land at that time was measured in carucates, of which the village measured two carucates. The village of Acomb is mentioned three times in the Domesday Book as follow: "In Achum 14½ carucates for geld, and 8 ploughs can be. St. Peter had, and has for 1 manor. 14 rent payers are there now, having 7 ploughs. 6 acres of meadow. Underwood 2 furlongs in length and 2 in breadth. T.R.E. it was worth 30 s.; now the same." "In Acum Ulchel has 2 carucates of land for geld. Land for one plough. He has half a plough there. Wood 9 furlongs. It is worth 4 s." "In Acum the Archbishop 14½ carucates. In the same place the King 2 carucates."
T.R.E stands for Tempore Regis Eduardi, meaning In the time of King Edward (the Confessor) and s stands for shillings. St Peter refers to the church in York where the Minster would be built. Underwood and Ulchel are the names of two persons occupying parcels of land in the manor.