Love hidden, historic, beautiful places? This little spot is a delight, frozen in time, hidden from the world. Look closely at the first photo, and you'll get an inkling of this 13th century site, just off the Middleham to Kettlewell road. It's hard to believe this place was once the centre of important events. Coverham is a tiny hamlet on the banks of the River Cover. Take a slow wander to spot some wonderful details.
Coverham Abbey isn't usually 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 graveyard wall, from the short path from the bridge, and across the river (best in winter before the foliage obscures the view). On 3rd August it will be open to the public for just the day as part of National Garden Scheme.
This was never a huge order, founded by monks from northern France, 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, and if you look carefully you'll see some of the decorative stones used in nearby walls and buildings.
Nearby stands 14th century Trinity Church, no-longer in use but still open to visitors. You have to fiddle with the gate a little to open, which only adds to the anticipation. It's tiny, yet filled with fascinating features. 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.
There's a local story of a poor, beautiful girl murdered by her rich lover when he thought she loved another. Her ghost haunts the area as she 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.
