A stop on the Great North Road
Great Smeaton was an important coaching stage on the road between London and Edinburgh. One of its four original inns, the Black Bull, still survives. Armies passed through over the centuries, William the Conqueror's among them. Anne of Denmark dined here on 10 June 1603 on her way from Edinburgh to London. The parish had 187 residents at the 2011 Census.
St Eloy's Church stands on the site of an 11th-century Saxon church and is the only church in Britain dedicated to this saint. Smeaton Manor is an Arts and Crafts house by Philip Webb. Historic England lists nine buildings and monuments in the village, including the church, Smeaton Manor, The Old Rectory, East House, Phoenix House, a milepost and table tombs in the churchyard, all Grade II.
Homes and cars
The census area around the village (LSOA Hambleton 003B, 762 households) is rural and owner-occupied:
- 65% detached, 21% semi-detached, 11% terraced, 3% flats
- 81% owner-occupied
- 63% of households with two or more cars or vans
- only 5% with no car
That is a lot of vehicles for a small place with a main road running through. People in Great Smeaton usually ask for:
- Space to park off the A167, so nobody has to stop or reverse on the main road.
- Turning space on a wider plot so cars can drive out forwards.
- Block-paved drives on newer detached houses.
- Gravel with edging for older cottages in the conservation area.
The conservation area and the main road
The historic centre forms the Great Smeaton conservation area. Front walls, railings, hedges and the line of houses along Northallerton Road and Church Garth add to its character. Ask the council before removing any of them, and keep surfaces in keeping with the older buildings. Listed buildings need listed building consent for works that affect them.
Because the A167 is a classified road, a new or wider entrance onto it can need planning permission as well as highway approval. Visibility for drivers coming out is the main test. Where you're crossing a pavement or verge, North Yorkshire Council's domestic licence is £310.20, with an approved independent contractor building the crossing. You can ask the council to quote instead, at £102.36. It says typical construction costs about £2,000 plus a 10% admin fee, and no quotation fee applies if a crossing isn't possible. See our dropped kerbs and access page.
Elsewhere in the village, a permeable front drive for a house, or one draining onto the garden, is normally permitted development.
Ground and drainage
The British Geological Survey maps Great Smeaton on Devensian till, a stony clay, over Sherwood Sandstone. Till is firm when dry but sheds water slowly. On a raised site such as this, rainwater runs off rather than pooling, but it still has to go somewhere other than the road.
Our approach on till:
- dig out to firm clay and remove all topsoil;
- lay a geotextile, then a compacted crushed-stone sub-base;
- set edge restraints in concrete;
- slope the surface to a channel, a planted border or a soakaway sized for clay.
The Environment Agency shows no flood zone within 300 metres of the village, so Great Smeaton is in Flood Zone 1.
What a drive costs
Checkatrade's April 2026 UK averages for 30m², about the size of a two-car drive:
| Surface | Per m² | 30m² |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel with a grid | about £60 | around £1,800 |
| Tarmac | about £90 | around £2,700 |
| Block paving | about £100 | around £3,000 |
| Resin bound | about £120 | around £3,600 |
A drive with a turning area is often closer to 50m², and a new entrance onto the A167 adds design and highway costs.
Choosing a finish. Block paving is tough, repairable and comes in muted colours that sit well near the older houses. Gravel suits the conservation area and is cheap, but needs a bound strip at the road so stones don't reach the A167. Tarmac is practical for long drives. Resin bound looks crisp on a modern house, provided the base drains properly.
Villages and areas near Great Smeaton
- Appleton Wiske drives: East across the fields, a village on the Wiske.
- Yafforth drives: South towards Northallerton, a small farming village.
- Brompton drives: South near the town, a conservation village.
Popular with Great Smeaton homeowners: block paving, gravel driveways, dropped kerbs and access.
All areas covered: See every village.
Questions people ask in Great Smeaton
Do I need permission for a drive onto the A167?
A new or widened entrance onto the A167 can need planning permission, and crossing the pavement or verge needs North Yorkshire Council's approval.
Is Great Smeaton a conservation area?
Yes, the historic centre is. Check with the council before removing walls or hedges, and use materials that suit the older houses.
Does Great Smeaton flood?
The village is in Flood Zone 1, with no mapped flood zone within 300 metres.
How much is a dropped kerb licence?
£310.20 from North Yorkshire Council, with the work done by an approved independent contractor. A council quotation is £102.36.
Sources: Wikipedia: Great Smeaton; ONS Census 2021, LSOA Hambleton 003B (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; North Yorkshire Council: pavements and kerbs; Checkatrade driveway cost guide (April 2026).