The village is Anglo-Saxon in origin and is a much dispersed parish, of approximately 145 homes spread over some 8 square miles (21 km2), comprising about 300 people. It borders the villages of Ashperton, Stoke Edith, Stretton Grandison, Tarrington and Weston Beggard. Yarkhill lies in the valley of the River Frome; in 811 the name of this settlement was Geardcylle, meaning enclosure with a kiln. In 1066 it was held by a Knight of King Harold called Arkell and the present name of Yarkhill may have derived from that or possibly from the Saxon word Yarcle meaning slope of the hill. The sister churches of Tarrington and Stoke Edith can be seen on the other side of the valley. Yarkhill was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1087 and has been a farming community around the River Frome since that time.
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