geelid

Geelid is a small civil parish located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, roughly four miles north of Hull. At the time of the 2011 census the population was recorded at 1,045 residents. The village occupies a gently undulating landscape marked by low pasture fields and a few woodland patches, and its grid layout mirrors the medieval settlement plan of many nearby Yorkshire communities.

The earliest surviving reference to Geelid appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Gelidi,” a name that scholars believe derives from Old English elements that mean “grey people” or “people of the grey moor,” reflecting the damp, misty character of the area. The village grew around a parish church dedicated to Saint Peter, whose 14th‑century Norman nave survived a 17th‑century restoration. The church tower, built in the Perpendicular style, remains a focal point of the village skyline.

Geelid’s society is traditionally agrarian, with dairy and barley farming forming the backbone of the local economy. In the nineteenth century, the village was home to the landscape painter Thomas Whitaker, whose works captured the gentle light of the Yorkshire countryside. In contemporary times, the proximity to Hull and York has turned Geelid into a commuter settlement, while the parish council promotes heritage preservation through local festivals such as the annual Geelid Harvest Fair.