THE Wikipedia entry for Melsonby runs to just three paragraphs. The first paragraph says that it is a village in Richmondshire, a couple of miles west of the A1. The second says that its MP is Rishi Sunak and that its population in 2011 was 1,406.

And the third paragraph is headed “Murder of Diana Garbutt”. This paragraph tells how in March 2010, the village postmistress was found dead in her shop and that 13 months later her husband was found guilty of her murder.

The third paragraph is longer than the other two paragraphs added together.

There must be more to Melsonby than murder.

As if to prove it, a DVD of village history and life has just been produced. It is packed with interesting facts that could be used to flesh out the Wikipedia entry. For instance, the church has gone 800 years without a toilet, and so the DVD is flushing out money to prevent future generations from being caught short.

So beyond the notoriety, here are some nuggets about Melsonby, many of them gleaned from the DVD:

THE church of St James the Great has stood loo-less since the 12th Century – money raised by the DVD will help address this problem. The church is probably on the site of an older, Saxon church – although it is not recorded if the Saxons had toilet facilities a thousand or so years ago. The walls of the church tower are 5ft thick.

BELLRINGERS were filmed in St James’ tower for All Creatures Great and Small.

ON April 17, 1872, the church reopened after substantial refurbishment. The Northern Echo reported that “the appearance both of the interior and exterior has been almost entirely altered, to the great improvement of the edifice.

“The old square barn-like windows have disappeared, and have been replaced by beautifully stained glass, lancet-shaped windows, and the old-fashioned, high, straight-backed pews with doors are superseded by convenient pews, with gently-sloping backs, and without doors…

“And the old cumbrous-looking pulpit has also fallen before the march of progress.”

Three services were held by the Bishop of Ripon and the Venerable Archdeacon Cust of Ripon, who preached to a “crowded congregation”, but some might say the Victorian modernisation which removed all of these ancient features was, as in many other churches, tantamount to vandalism.

THE medieval Old Rectory was modernised in 1706 by the Reverend William Smith. The building is said to be haunted, and the owners are warned that the portrait of Rev Smith should be hung with a view of the Cleveland Hills otherwise there will be spooky trouble…

IN a field to the south of the rectory is said to be a lump which is all that remains of a turriolum – an ancient defensive tower – that belonged to William de Marske around the 12th or 13th centuries.

THOMAS DE MELSONBY was the son of a vicar of Melsonby, who became the Prior of Durham. In 1237, such was his popularity, Thomas was elected Bishop of Durham, but King Henry III preferred his own candidate. Three years of legal wrangling ensued, with the king condemning Thomas for allegedly consorting with the King of Scotland.

Henry also said that because of a curious incident at Durham cathedral, de Melsonby ought to be regarded as “a murderer for allowing a tightrope walker to perform on the towers where he fell to his death”.

The tightrope walker is said to have been a Mr Hob of Pelaw, and he was performing his fatal stunt on a feast day.

In the face of the king’s opposition, Thomas resigned in 1240 before he could be consecrated. He died in 1244 on Inner Farne Island.

A FARMHOUSE in the village used to be an apocalyptically named pub, The End of All Things. Villagers knew it as “the world’s end”.

THE Wesleyan chapel opened in 1866, £542 being raised by public subscription. It closed in 2007, and is now a private residence – although its organ survives in a nearby house.

HORSE-RACING took place on Gatherley Moor, to the south of Melsonby, in the 15th Century. Today one of the main features of the village is the stables of trainer Alan Swinbank, who has approaching 100 horses.

SPENCER House was the home of George Lascelles who was listed as a GP and surgeon in the 1851 census. The house has two doorbells – one for day patients to ring, and the other for night patients.

NEXT to Spencer House is an old stone which is built into a wall and inscribed: “Duke Spedding Wall”. This suggests that the wall is named after someone of an aristocratic nature although, as the DVD says, it is more likely that it refers to Marmaduke Spedding who in August 1756 married Margaret Baker.

THE 2010 murder of Diana Garbutt closed the last of the village’s shops in tragic circumstances. In living memory, the village once had four general shops, two butchers, a cabinet-maker’s and a blacksmith’s and two pubs, of which only the Black Bull survives.

THE DVD is introduced by the village’s most high profile resident: General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Chief of the Defence Staff. Although originally from Otley, Sir Nicholas joined the Green Howards of Richmond in 1974, and has had connections with the area ever since. Last weekend, he caused front page headlines when appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show he said he would be “worried” if Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn became prime minister because of his attitude to Trident.

THE video is written and produced by Ian Black of Dunelm Video. It costs £10 which all goes towards the St James Building Project. Copies are available from Barton Shop, or from Ian Black on 01325-718188, email dvd@dunelmvideo.com or send a cheque for £11.65, made payable to Mr Black to include postage, to Dunelm, Melsonby, Richmond DL10 5NX.