Kirkham: Generations of history

WITH Georgian buildings, an Abbey which was built nearly a millennium ago and a railway crossing that is still monitored by a man in a signal box, the village of Kirkham offers a slice of history to its residents and visitors.

The tiny village is situated on a hillside above the River Derwent, between York and Malton.

It is less than a mile from the A64 dual carriageway, but there is a feeling of being tucked away in a small corner of the English countryside far away from noise and rush.

Kirkham seems to encapsulate practically every aspect of a rural landscape within its small parameters.

There is the river which meanders through two hillsides, green flat banks upon which Kirkham Priory was built and extensive woodland which stretches towards neighbouring Crambe.

The history of Kirkham is as fragmented as the ruins which lie scattered through the village.

Kirkham Priory was built in the 1120s by a nobleman, Walter L'Espec, where it was home to Augustinian Canons.

It was originally a simple stone church but over time it was extended and changed dramatically into an ornate Abbey.

There are two versions of the tale of Walter L'Espec, both of which focus on the village of Kirkham and both of which begin with the death of Walter's only son after he was thrown off his horse.

One account describes L'Espec's torment at losing his son and heir. He was advised to make Christ his heir, which he did, building Kirkham Priory.

It is believed that the altar within the Priory was positioned in the exact spot that L'Espec's son was killed.

The second portrayal claims that L'Espec's son died on the road to Firby, where L'Espec erected a simple cross in his memory.

Over time, the cross became unattached. Years later, the base became mistaken for part of a stone trough.

The pub which now stands at the site is named after this mistake - the base is found at the entrance to the car park.

The Stone Trough Inn is situated above the Abbey and has been run by Adam and Sarah Richardson since 1999.

It has won various awards for the quality of food served and earned an outstanding reputation for providing a welcoming atmosphere to all those who enter.

On a Thursday lunchtime, the bar is a hive of activity - in the Stone Trough (or simply "the Trough" to locals) there is a sense that everybody knows everybody.

The low ceilings, stone walls and open fires create a comfortable atmosphere that is home from home.

Lucy Potter, 18, who works at the Stone Trough Inn, said: "People come from miles away to eat in the pub, but there are regular customers who have been coming in for years, which provides a strong sense of community."

She added: "The summer is especially busy here because of ramblers who walk through the woods and visit the Abbey.

"You take all of the history for granted when it's on your doorstep."

Kirkham is a small village without even a shop, but it does boast The Abbey Montessori School run by Nancy Newman, which is situated directly opposite the Gatehouse of Kirkham Abbey, at Manor Farm.

It is a picturesque place for children to learn, especially as the Montessori ethos encourages children to learn through senses.

Nancy, who has four children and a fifth on the way, said: "We show the children the possibilities and give them freedom to explore.

"We go with whatever they want to do and as a result we have no misbehaviour here.

"The children are allowed to play in the Abbey - we have our own keys," said Nancy, who opened the school in January 2005.

It is magical that these children have the opportunity to roam through the remains of what once was an awesome place of worship and where there are still traces of the cloister and refectory.

Anne Henson, 66, was born in Kirkham and lives in Kirkham Hall. It is her family who hold the leases for nearly all of the properties in the village.

"There are no new houses in the village, at least none that have been built in my lifetime," said Anne, which demonstrates exactly how traditional the village appears.

"In fact, one of the only changes I can remember is when they converted Stone Trough Cottage into the pub, and that was about 20 years ago."

Another change involves the railway line which runs directly through Kirkham between Malton and York.

When Anne was a small girl the train used to stop at the station in Kirkham, carrying not only passengers but also newspapers for the people of the village.

The station stopped being used in the 60s, when the 'destruction of the railways' by Dr Beeching was underway.

However, the gates separating the road from the railway are still changed by hand, which, on entering Kirkham, makes it seem as if time has stood still for half a century.

Anne describes scenes from her childhood which included regular visits to Manor Farm "in the days that cows lived there", to collect milk.

Kirkham's time-honoured appeal is mainly to do with the opportunities it provides for people to make their own fun.

The River Derwent runs through the village with an 18th century stone bridge providing a crossing.

In the summer people from far and wide come to spend days on the banks of the river.

In years gone by, this bridge was used as the meeting point for the Kirkham Bird Fair, traditionally held on Trinity Sunday.

Youngsters from the community would arrive at 2am - with them a wide variety of ornithological species, in the hope of swapping and selling them. By day break all commercial relations were halted and celebrations began.

They would feast and drink, followed by dancing in the Abbey grounds, as a band would arrive via boat from Malton.

A community like Kirkham is a rarity in a country which is becoming increasingly modernised even in rural areas.

As Kirkham is left behind and the rush of the A64 looms closer, it is a relief that there is a place so easily accessible that can serve as a refuge from the chaos and disorder of the world, as it did to a monastic community centuries ago.

Updated: 15:18 Wednesday, March 15, 2006