After booting up we followed the road out of Silton and turned into a field at a gate. Although easy to miss behind the telephone pole there is a green footpath sign here, but most of today's route shows little indication of having being walked. Whilst shown on the map, tracks across the fields are mostly non-existent.
|
The old school house, Over Silton, built 1844 |
|
The Manor House in Over Silton |
|
And a Happy New Year to you too! |
|
New fencing to secure the horses |
We walked through fields until we reached Greystone Farm, passing by the attractive and tidily kept buildings to a small open barn where rosettes and prize certificates awarded to their Suffolk sheep are proudly displayed.
|
Greystone Farm |
|
A prize winning flock.. |
|
.. of Suffolk Sheep |
|
Suffolk Rams |
|
......and more Suffolk Rams |
We continued along field paths until we reached Nether Silton where we crossed the road and to rejoin our path across fields, which led us to Hall Farm.
We were amused to see a couple of very large turkeys here who had survived Christmas and obviously had the run of the place.
|
Weather vane at Nether Silton |
|
Turkeys at Hall Farm |
We continued beyond the farm to walk through fields until we reached the footbridge over Sorrow Beck.
|
Through fields..
|
|
.. and past a large pond |
|
.. to reach Sorrow Beck |
|
Sorrow Beck from the footbridge |
After crossing the beck we walked through fields to reach a stone footbridge that is built over what used to be a 3.5 mile narrow gauge railway. Constructed in 1833 this railway brought limestone mined near Kepwick to kilns near to the Yarm and Thirsk turnpike road. We crossed another field and joined Peasland Lane which we followed for a mile into Cowesby.
|
Railway footbridge |
|
We disturb some geese |
|
Cowesby Church and Black Hambleton in the distance |
|
Geese feeding at Cowesby |
|
We enter the village |
The first building one sees on entering Cowesby is St Michael and All Angels Church whose porch provided a seat and shelter for us to enjoy our coffee. The building was unlocked so we looked around to find the church suffering very badly with damp and mildew. It seems a shame that the local community doesn't get together to clean it up and maybe pay for a dehumidifier to be installed.
|
St Michael and All Angels, Coweby |
|
Suffering badly from damp |
|
Mildew everywhere |
|
Some TLC needed |
|
Weather vane at St Michael's |
Although the present church dates from only 1846 it replaced one of the oldest churches in the district, which stood on a Saxon site.
As we approached Kepwick we saw a stone hut. TSB
mentions that a John Henry Warner constructed two reservoirs on the moors above Kepwick in 1873 to supply water to Kepwick Hall and we looked inside to see the remains of a large metal pipe in its floor. We guessed therefore that this stone hut must be something to do with Warner's reservoir system.
|
Cowesby from Pen Hill |
|
Walking along the flank of Pen Hill |
|
Descending towards Kepwick we notice a stone hut |
|
Clive checks out the hut |
|
Water pipe? |
We didn't enter Kepwick but instead crossed the road to return to fields which took us first to the disused railway and then to Bridge Beck which we crossed on a dilapidated bridge. Only the two supporting beams are left of the bridge which has deteriorated since our last visit. A hundred yards later we reached and crossed Sorrow Beck where the bridge appeared to have been repaired, perhaps Bridge Beck will be next?
|
Crossing the road to enter fields at Kepwick |
|
Old railway bridge... |
|
... and the remains of the railway track bed |
|
Bridge Beck |
|
The same bridge in 2017 |
|
That's better, new wood at Sorrow Beck |
We now headed across fields to re-enter Nether Silton. There is no path across these fields and way-marks are few and far between, but head for the old Manor Stone which is in the middle of a field next to the manor house which dates from the 16th century. The stone is cryptically inscribed with letters whose meaning I've set out below the photograph. This inscription was the idea of a Squire Hicks to mark the spot where the medieval manor house once stood.
|
A sad sight |
|
The Old Manor House ahead |
|
16th Century Manor House |
|
I prop up the Manor Stone |
|
The letters read: Here The Grand Old Manor House Stood
The Black Beams Were Oak, The Great Walls Were Good
The Walls At The East Wing Are Hidden Here
A Thatched Cottage Like A Barn Was Erected
Year AD 1765
A Wide Porch Spans A Yard And Alcove
|
Near to the manor house is the chapel of ease of All Saints which was rebuilt in 1812. Such a chapel is built for the convenience of parishioners who find it difficult to access the main church, in this case, isolated St Mary's. We found it unlocked and went inside.
Tom Scott Burns explains that wood used in the altar rails and other refurbishments were presented by a R M Jaques, and were from HMS Dreadnought of Lord Nelson's day. This chapel was in far better repair than the church at Cowesby.
|
All Saints, Nether Silton |
We were interested to see a memorial to the fallen from WWI listing seven men from this tiny hamlet, and in the graveyard saw a memorial to one of them, a soldier who fell at the Battle of Marne.
|
Clive up in the Gods |
|
Died at the Battle of Marne |
|
Our home is sad and lonely now, since one we loved so well is gone, the bitter tears of grief do flow, as dreary hours roll slowly on |
|
His languishing head is at rest, his thinkings and achings are o'er, his quiet immovable breast, will heave by affliction no more |
After wandering round the graveyard and reading some of the cheering Victorian epitaphs we left the church and immediately turned off the road at a white gate opposite, just near to the post box.
There is no sign to indicate this public path, which leads through to fields. Once in the fields we were now returning and parallel to Greystone Farm and its Suffolk sheep.
|
No sign but we need to be through the white gate at the Old Post Office |
|
Across fields and Kirk Ings Lane |
After crossing the tarmac of Kirk Ings Lane we reached St Mary's Church, which appears abandoned in the middle of a field, positioned some distance from the village of Over Silton.
This church used to suffer from damp but recent roof repairs have made a terrific difference to its condition. We popped in for a minute to see if there were any Christmas decorations (nope) but hopefully will return for a better look in summer on a different walk.
|
St Mary's Church, Over Silton |
|
Only candlelight at St Mary's |
A short walk from the church took us to the houses of Over Silton and the car.
No comments:
Post a Comment