Sexhow

{{Short description|Hamlet and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| static_image = Track of Old Railway - geograph.org.uk - 108356.jpg

| static_image_caption = Track of old railway line through Sexhow

| latitude =

| longitude =

| official_name = Sexhow

| civil_parish = Sexhow

| population =

| population_ref =

| unitary_england = North Yorkshire

| lieutenancy_england = North Yorkshire

| region = Yorkshire and the Humber

| constituency_westminster =

| post_town =

| postcode_district = TS15

| postcode_area = TS

| dial_code = 01642

| os_grid_reference =

}}

Sexhow is a hamlet and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. The name of the hamlet derives from Old Norse of either sexhou or sekkshaughr, which means the hill of Sekk, a personal name.{{cite book |last1=Ekwall |first1=Eilert |title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names |date=1947 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |oclc=12542596 |page=394 |edition=3}} The population taken at the 2011 Census was less than 100, so details of the population are included on the civil parish of Potto. However, in 2015, North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population to be 20.{{cite web |title=2015 Population Estimates Parishes |url=https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/About%20the%20council/North%20Yorkshire%20statistics/Parish_mid-year_population_estimates_2015.pdf |website=northyorks.gov.uk |accessdate= 27 January 2020|page=11 |date=December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604015709/https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/About%20the%20council/North%20Yorkshire%20statistics/Parish_mid-year_population_estimates_2015.pdf|archive-date=4 June 2022|url-status=dead}} It is on the River Leven and {{convert|5|mi|0}} west of Stokesley.{{cite web|title=Sexhow, North Riding|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/14200|website=Vision of Britain|accessdate=10 July 2016}}

From 1974 to 2023 it was part of the district of Hambleton, it is now administered by the unitary North Yorkshire Council.

Sexhow hosts the annual Elim Festival every summer, organised by the Elim Pentecostal Church.{{cite web|title=Location|url=http://www.elimfestival.org/location.html|website=Elim Festival|accessdate=10 July 2016}}

Sexhow station was on the Picton-Battersby Line; it operated from 1857 until passenger services on the line ended in 1954.{{cite web|title=Sexhow|url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/sexhow/|website=Disused Stations|accessdate=10 July 2016}}

There used to be a hall where Sexhow Park Farm now stands. Sexhow Park Farm has been the location of the 'Cornshed' music festival since 1986.{{cite web|title=About|url=http://www.thecornshed.co.uk/about.html|website=The Cornshed|accessdate=10 July 2016}}

A legendary dragon that plagued the village is a folk tale known as The Worm of Sexhow. It was described as being a beast that would feed on dairy and breathe out fire to burn farmers crops. One day, a knight came into the village, slew the beast and rode out again. The beast's scaly skin was said to have been displayed inside nearby Hutton Rudby church.{{cite news|last1=Rhea|first1=Nicholas|title=Devilish raven attacked cobbler|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14354154.Devilish_raven_attacked_cobbler/|accessdate=10 July 2016|work=Northern Echo|date=18 March 2016}}