Topcliffe, North Yorkshire

, Maidens Bower]] The name is derived from the Old English words topp and clif and combined give the meaning top of the cliff, from its position at the top of a steep bank overlooking the River Swale. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Topeclive" in the Yarlestre wapentake. At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the manor was the possession of Bernwulf. Afterwards it was granted to William of Percy. The manor became the chief seat of the Percy family until the middle of the 17th century, though there was some confusion of the line of inheritance in the 12th century. There was a short interruption to this line in the 15th century when the manor was granted to the…