North Yorkshire countryside walk: East and North Cowton

Is it possible for a castle to be hidden? They are built to be seen after all. I only came across this one when I spotted the small gothicised name ‘Cowton Castle’ on the OS map which inspired this month’s walk. What a little gem it is. It looks just like a castle should – like a sandcastle, in fact, and has a tale attached to it. The story actually starts with St Mary’s Church, a stone’s throw away. A church may have been founded here in the 7th century when St Cuthbert’s tomb was rested here en route to Durham. The church fell into disrepair. In the mid-15th century Sir Richard Conyers set up home in South Cowton. He later fortified his house, now the castle, as protection during the War of the Roses when he sided with the Yorkists.

St Mary’s Church South Cowton. Paul Kirkwood He fancied a better view so built a new church on the site of the old one. Soon after the surrounding village disappeared. No-one quite knows why. Did Sir Richard remove the residents or was a plague to blame? The castle lay empty for 300 years until it was converted into a private farmhouse about a century ago.

All Saints Church East Cowton. Image: Paul Kirkwood Coincide you walk with a visit to the garden at The Manor, Birkby, two miles to the east of East Cowton. Features include a meandering woodland path, eliptical shaped orchard and specimen trees. It’s open as part of the National Garden Scheme on July 29 from 11-4.30pm. Admission £6. The Manor (closed) is the former rectory to the adjacent St Peter’s Church, one of only two brick churches built in Yorkshire in the late 18th century.

Download a leaflet about the church from bit.ly/xStMarysChurch.

1 Follow the footpath north through Whitehead Farm. Walk between gateposts and past a barn and onto a track. After another barn pass through a gate and continue to the left of the hedge. Pass through another gate and keep ahead across a field. Go over two stiles, through metal gates and bear left to pass Bowlturner House.

2 Just after a silo labelled Pig 2 turn left through a gate and across the field. Go over a stile and ditch to cross the road. Continue immediately ahead to the side of a metal gate with an electric fence on your left. Pass beside a metal gate and down a fenced path towards a barn. Pass through a gate to reach Alexander Weddings and Events. Turn right along a gravel track for 20m then turn left onto a faint grassy track keeping trees on your left. In the corner of the field bear left then immediately right and continue with a hedge on your left.

3 At Cockleberry Farm bear left to enter a field. Walk down it with the hedge on your left. Pass over a collapsed gate beside a waymarker and turn right. Cross a tarmac farm track and continue with a hedge on your right. In trees cross a footbridge. Bear right for 10m then left following a waymarker on a tree keeping the hedge on your right.

A summer field in East Cowton 4 Walk to the left of Springfield Farm across a concreted area and past an open barn. Go over a stile to reach and turn left onto the road for 20m. Pass over a stile within a hedge on the right. Continue to the corner of the field. Go over a stile and proceed down an enclosed path that emerges at Hill Top Court. Walk over the turning area to North Cowton green.

Spot the woolly fingerpost in North Cowton. PAul Kirkwood 5 Turn left onto the road to and past The Herdsman. After 50m turn right down a path past a white house. Keep ahead through three gates after which the field narrows. Go over a stile and cross a ditch. Continue ahead for 30m to a red metal gate at which turn left to pass through the gate opposite. Proceed to the right of a barn. Go over two stiles and head just to the right of a green barn.

6 Cross two stiles next to each other and over the road. Turn right onto it then immediately left onto a broad track leading past a farm to a church. Pass through the churchyard and over two stiles and bear slightly right up the bank below Cowton Castle. Go through a handgate and cross a field. Go through another handgate, cross a grassy track and keep ahead on a faint track. After 100m turn left onto a broad track which leads back to East Cowton.

For a much shorter, simpler walk access Cowton Castle and the church via the broad farm track running southwest from East Cowton. Distance: 4.5 km return.

An unexpected find – Cowton Castle. Image: Paul Kirkwood Points of interest

Paths less travelled

Eat here

The Herdsman, North Cowton. Recently refurbished family run village pub with home-cooked food. Main courses at £16.95 include burgers, pies, gammon, lasagne and battered fish. Chicken and tiger prawn sizzlers and fajitas plus dishes for smaller appetities als served. facebook.com/theherdsmannorthcowton.

The Beeswing Inn, East Cowton. Varied menu includes Cajun baked salmon fillet, Indian butter chicken curry, slow cooked pork ribs, a choice of three pies and Korean style spicy fried chicken. Takeaway including stonebaked pizzas also available seven days a week. beeswingnorthallerton.co.uk.

COMPASS POINTS

Start/finish: East Cowton, postcode DL7 0DH, grid ref NZ 312031.

Distance/time: 9.7km/3 hours.

Accessibility: The route is often overgrown with two small ditches to cross and some stiles are in a poor state of repair all of which makes for challenging navigation. Follow the directions closely.

Maps: OS Explorer 304 Darlington & Richmond, OS Langranger 93 Middlesbrough.

Parking: On street in East Cowton, with consideration.

Map link: bit.ly/TheCowtons

PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

The Beeswing Inn. Paul Kirkwood THE BEESWING INN, East Cowton
The varied menu includes Cajun baked salmon fillet, Indian butter chicken curry, slow-cooked pork ribs, a choice of three pies and Korean style spicy fried chicken. Takeaway including stonebaked pizzas, also available seven days a week. beeswinginnnorthallerton.co.uk

The Herdsman. Paul Kirkwood THE HERDSMAN, North Cowton
Recently refurbished family run village pub with home-cooked food. Main courses at £16.95 include burgers, pies, gammon, lasagne and battered fish. Chicken and tiger prawn sizzlers and fajitas, plus dishes for smaller appetities, are also served. theherdsmannorthcowton