Acomb , is a village and suburb within the City of York unitary authority area, in North Yorkshire, England, to the western side of York. 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 was recently 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 residents due to their vast numbers and variance from the original proposed plans for the area. However, after successful campaigning by residents, the number of bollards was reduced in late 2024 as part of other street improvements.
History
thumb|right|Acomb Green
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 other spellings can be found during the next hundred years, 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 follows:
- "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.
12th to 16th century
During the 12th century, St Stephen's Church was built and measured 52 feet by 25 feet. The original structure would last until 1832, when a new and slightly larger building was erected.
Acomb was a typical Anglo-Saxon village in the 14th century, being made up of local farms and smallholdings. During the reign of Edward III, the king began to raise money from regional traders to fund military ambition on the continent. Many Yorkshire wool merchants played a large part due to their involvement in the establishment of a near monopoly in the English wool trade through the exclusion of foreign imports. Edward III made use of the capital by establishing loan agreements, to which one John de Acomb, a local farmer from the village, made an independent contribution though the venture ultimately failed.
Acomb Grange was the residence of the masters of the medieval hospital of St Leonard, the lands having been given to the Order by Henry II.
17th to 19th century
thumb|left|The Plantation at Acomb, in 1842, by [[William Etty ]]
thumb|left|[[Acomb House]]
From 1623 to 1855, Acomb Manor reverted to the control of archbishops. The population of Acomb rose steadily in the early 19th century from 587 in 1801 to 762 some 30 years later. The former railway carriageworks in the neighbouring district of Holgate and around Leeman Road were built around 1854 and many of the workers lived in nearby Acomb and aided in the growth of the village. A portion of the land of Acomb Manor was sold to the North Eastern Railway Company to allow right of way for the track. According to the 1871 census, the village of Acomb had fewer than 1,000 residents. Acomb was part of the district council of Great Ouseburn, until 1894, when it became a district council in its own right. In 1855 the manor as then constituted, including the manor house, was sold to Frances Barlow for £20,500. His heir, Mr. Algernon Barlow, was the last lord, since the lordship of Acomb was ended in 1925. at which time it was estimated that the population had risen to 7,500 and the 1951 census showed more than double the number, 16,235, now lived in its boundaries.
20th century
thumb|Central Acomb
In 1920, the Corporation of York purchased Acomb Hall to provide maternity facilities in the city. The Maternity Hospital opened in 1922, but was re-classified for geriatric treatment in 1954, when maternity facilities were opened in Fulford.
Governance
Acomb is part of the City of York Unitary Authority and is represented on the council by two wards, Acomb Ward and Westfield Ward. Acomb Ward returns two Councillors, currently both Labour, and Westfield Ward three councillors, all Liberal Democrat. This represents approximately 6.4% of the total number of City Councillors.
Following the 2023 local elections, the current Councillors for Acomb Ward are Katie Lomas and Jason Rose. The current Councillors for the Westfield Ward are Andrew Waller, Jo Coles and Emily Nelson.
On 1 April 1934 were transferred to York parish, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished and the remaining became part of Askham Bryan. In 1931 the parish had a population of 5,580.