Christon Bank

The village is named after the Christon (originally Cryston) family, who were local yeoman farmers and members of the Quaker movement. In 1598 Thomas Cryston was recorded as the freeholder who held a quarter of a freehold in a local farm. The family eventually purchased the land outright from Henry Darling before it was sold in 1759 to Henry Taylor of Rock, who extended the property to the west. The farm was further expanded in the 19th century as it embraced the onset of modern farming methods such as new fertilisers, drainage and machinery. Today Christon Bank Farm is a Grade II listed building and is still the predominant farm in the area. The predominance of farming in the locality led…