In today's world, with so much technology and information available, I find it remarkable and reassuring, that there are still some places that hardly anyone knows about. Coverdale is one of the lesser known Yorkshire Dales, with some wonderful secret haunts.
Take the road out of Middleham towards Kettlewell and just after the gallops (used to train racehorses), you'll see a drive on the left leading to Coverham Abbey and then a little further on, a sign to "Historic Church".
This little spot is a delight, frozen in time and hidden from the world.
Take the road out of Middleham towards Kettlewell and just after the gallops (used to train racehorses), you'll see a drive on the left leading to Coverham Abbey and then a little further on, a sign to "Historic Church".
This little spot is a delight, frozen in time and hidden from the world.
13th century Coverham Abbey on the banks of the River Cover isn't open to the public but you can see its ruins from several tantalising vantage points: from the top of the field next to the church, from the driveway and the short path from the bridge, and from across the river (best in winter before the foliage obscures the view).
It was never a huge order, founded by monks from northern France and probably housing fewer than 20 monks clad in white habits, known as the 'White Canons'. Visiting this serene little haven now, it's hard to imagine that anyone would ever bother to disturb their peace but the abbey was at the centre of several dramas: attacked by rampaging Scots in 1318; dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536; and then used as a rallying point for those wanted to go back to the old religion. It's now in private hands, with a home built from some of the old stones. The original elegant arches can still be seen.
It was never a huge order, founded by monks from northern France and probably housing fewer than 20 monks clad in white habits, known as the 'White Canons'. Visiting this serene little haven now, it's hard to imagine that anyone would ever bother to disturb their peace but the abbey was at the centre of several dramas: attacked by rampaging Scots in 1318; dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536; and then used as a rallying point for those wanted to go back to the old religion. It's now in private hands, with a home built from some of the old stones. The original elegant arches can still be seen.
Nearby stands 14th century Trinity Church, no-longer in use but still open to visitors. It's tiny, with plenty of interesting features to see. There's an anglo-saxon stone, now used as a lintel over the door, and a carving in the stone door frame. Inside is an unusual Victorian tiled wall, created when the church was extended to provide space for the expanded Coverdale population. Some of the stained glass windows are much older, such as that dedicated to Catherine Dawson who died in 1570, after the dissolution of the monasteries.
I derive an odd pleasure looking at ancient gravestones, sad to read of children carried away too soon, and quietly hopeful when I find a number of graves belonging to those who lived to over 70. Sometimes the stones yield more information, telling of great deeds or pointing to the area's history.
Several gravestones are connected to horse-racing, for which nearby Middleham is famous. I noticed a couple for people from Newmarket, who'd presumably come to Middleham to sell or train horses. A jockey called John Osborne is commemorated, known as the 'Bank of England' because he was such a safe bet, and the grave of 19 year old jockey, Benjamin Thompson, has a fine horse carving. Next to this is the grave of James Fieldhouse who was killed by lightning, together with his horse. Apparently there's another grave, dug by its occupant but I didn't find that one.
I derive an odd pleasure looking at ancient gravestones, sad to read of children carried away too soon, and quietly hopeful when I find a number of graves belonging to those who lived to over 70. Sometimes the stones yield more information, telling of great deeds or pointing to the area's history.
Several gravestones are connected to horse-racing, for which nearby Middleham is famous. I noticed a couple for people from Newmarket, who'd presumably come to Middleham to sell or train horses. A jockey called John Osborne is commemorated, known as the 'Bank of England' because he was such a safe bet, and the grave of 19 year old jockey, Benjamin Thompson, has a fine horse carving. Next to this is the grave of James Fieldhouse who was killed by lightning, together with his horse. Apparently there's another grave, dug by its occupant but I didn't find that one.
According to Ian Scott Massie's Tales of the Dales, a story has long been told of a poor, beautiful girl murdered by her rich lover when he thought she loved another, and that her ghost haunts the area as she looks and waits for him. In the 1950s peat diggers on the moors found a corpse in a shallow grave: it was wrapped in a black lace shawl... She was reburied in the churchyard at Trinity Church.
There's a gate at the far side of the churchyard, facing the church door. Go through it and you'll hear the loud rushing of the stepped water fall which once fed a mill pond, and which now joins the River Cover. Just around the corner is an ancient beautiful arched bridge.
There's a gate at the far side of the churchyard, facing the church door. Go through it and you'll hear the loud rushing of the stepped water fall which once fed a mill pond, and which now joins the River Cover. Just around the corner is an ancient beautiful arched bridge.
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