Masham is special, not just because it's a lovely place. It’s a peculier, a self-governing district outside the jurisdiction of the bishop. This ecclesiastical history might go some way towards explaining some of Masham’s quirky character.

Once upon a time, much of the land around Masham was owned by Roger de Mowbray. He fought in the Crusades, was captured and held to ransom, until freed by the Knights of the Templar. Roger de Mowbray donated the living of St. Mary’s Church in Masham to the Church of St. Peter in York.

Thanks to the trade in sheep and wool, the church would have been wealthy then. Despite this, the Archbishop wasn’t keen on travelling to the 'wilderness' of Wensleydale.

The Archbishop established the Peculier Court of Masham, giving it the right to deal with certain offences that would otherwise be dealt with in York. These offences ranged from not going to church often enough, to hiding Roman Catholic priests, and ‘carrying a dead man’s skull out of the churchyard and laying it under the head of a person to charm them to sleep’...

A group known as the Four and Twenty still remains in Masham. Established 700 years ago, they would have once been part of the Peculier Court, but now manage a charitable trust.

The Four and Twenty ‘good men of Masham’ recently admitted women for the first time!

*and yes, in this case it's spelt peculier!