Jo’s Monday walk : Coverham Abbey

Coverham Abbey lies on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales in a serene and beautiful spot.  This 13th century former monastery was home to the Norbertines, but was badly damaged in an attack by the Scots in 1331.  Despite this monks remained in residence until 1536, when the abbey was dissolved and converted to a private residence.   In the 18oos Coverham Abbey House was constructed, incorporating some of the monastic features.  The original gatehouse partially survives, along with church ruins around which the garden has been sympathetically designed.

The drive swerves around to a grand entrance, and there you are, looking through the ruins of the church.

The charming knot garden was designed in 2003, but based on a  simple knot drawing in a locally discovered book dating back to 1484.

Not sure what more to expect, you round the corner to be confronted with a pair of carved stone effigies.  The knights are thought to be likenesses of the sons of Helewisia, the foundress of the abbey.

Beyond these, a sequence of delightful garden rooms, with a backdrop of sheep and fields.  A ‘faux’ wall divides opinion.  I quite like it, but my designer husband shakes his head in disapproval.

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Guarding the front of the house, two slender, alert hounds, nose deep in a thrilling concoction of cosmos and tobacco plants.

And around the corner, dining ‘al fresco’, with a colourful touch, and the most perfect of views.

Did you spot the old gatehouse, over the fence, or were you too bedazzled by the sunflowers? They were the most spectacular shades!

I’m going to finish with a flourish, because I like to.  Beyond that ‘faux’ wall lies a vegetable garden with an old conservatory.  Remember my dahlias from Six word Saturday?  I found a few more!

Not too much walking involved this week because it’s a garden visit, but there are ample opportunities in the surrounding hills and vales.  My visit was through the Open Gardens scheme, and there you’ll find all the details you need.

I don’t know if you’ve been counting squares lately?  I needed another 9 to take me to the end of September, and I believe I’ve exceeded that.  Go and have fun with Becky!  She’s loving Square in September.

Just got time to thank you all for your wonderful contributions and support.  Please do find time to read these if you can!  You may make some new friends.  I’m going to pop the kettle on now.  Join me next week?  Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.

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First this week, I’d like to introduce you to a lady called Candy.  Please do say hello :

A circular walk around Le Quillio

You know I love a marina!  Come and join Violet for a lovely little stroll :

Following the PE&NS RR!

Big, beautiful Wyoming skies from Janet!  How’s this for a sunset?

End of day

Liesbet continues to explore the neighbourhood.  This week it’s down New Mexico way :

Day Trips around Santa Fe, NM – Los Alamos

Jackie’s always ‘full of beans’, it seems :

Cowboy beans

Poor Ann Christine!  Loaded with cold and now the computer crashes.  She needs a soft landing place :

Can I please come in for a crash landing…

Kathrin takes us 2,000ft up to look down on sunny California :

Mission Peak Hike

Have you met the Rambling Wombat?

Bangalley Head Walk

Denzil’s spoiling us this week.  Choice of ten!

10 Woodland Walks

Here’s a lady you all know and love- it’s Jude, of course!

Yorkshire Sculpture Park : Part One

A favourite lady in a favourite city- Becky with some superb views :

Discovering Porto’s panoramic views

And let’s not forget one of my favourite gents.  I’m pretty sure Drake is not a vertigo sufferer :

High line

Surf’s up over at Woolly’s and he’s captured some great shots :

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk37_Surf-Coast

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Italian Lakes.  Find a little peace and sanctuary there with Mari :

Lake Orta’s Walk of Silence & Meditation

Just made it this week!  So many flowers!  Hope you enjoyed it, and have a great week everybody.

 

137 comments

  2. Jo this is a magnificent post, starting from the very first photo! What a brilliant idea they had plopping the house down among the ruins. I love the pointy trees in the square boxes,the knot garden and the dogs. I’m not a dahlia fan, but even they are wonderful. Happy Wednesday darling, two left of a fraught week for me. x:-)x

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    1. Hiya darlin 🙂 🙂 Funnily enough I was just playing about with some Florence photos I haven’t posted, whilst watching a new series An Art Lovers Guide, in Amsterdam this week. Why haven’t I been there, Gilly? Wednesday is my telly night cos Mick’s out playing cards. Glass of red at the ready. 🙂 Cheers, hon!

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  4. OMG! Now that is truly truly truly a place to take a stroll and really feel like being in the past. I love that you showed us great details very well. And my shoes off to you, you are still walking and still restless. 😀

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    1. What a treat! Thank you very much 🙂 🙂 I was so pleased to be able to visit on an Open Gardens event as they’re not often open to the public and I don’t know how much you’d be able to see normally.

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  8. Pingback: Being pampered in Das Kranzbach – Ladyleemanila

  14. What a wonderful visit, Jo, and you always find the most pretty flowers. Those effigy statues seemed like they were placed in front of the wall at a later date. They don’t quite fit in. I do love the arches and the ruins of the abbey.

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    2. Hi Liesbet! 🙂 🙂 I think I discovered that there were two posts of yours to share but I’ve only included the first? Difficult to keep track sometimes. Let me know which you want including next week, or put a link in please. Have a good week!

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    1. Very genteel, Anabel, but actually they’ve done a wonderful job with these gardens. The designer was there and we bought a couple of plants and had a chat. Lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 🙂 🙂

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  16. A bit of everything I like this week Jo (except for the lack of cake…) ruins, flowers and sculptures too. I like the lovely little greyhound keeping guard. Not a big fan of formal gardens, but I do admire the work that goes in to creating these parterres/knot gardens – all that trimming and shaping must be exhausting not to mention the pain in the back. OK I won’t mention that. My garden has been somewhat neglected recently. Badly need to mow the remaining bit of lawn and time to clear out the rather useless veggie bed, but it will all have to keep until everyone has gone home. The youngest son and wife and my youngest granddaughter are coming up this weekend, so I am keeping fingers crossed that the sun shines!! Bit hit and miss this week by all accounts.

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    1. You just needed a graveyard, an old mine and a seascape, Jude, and happiness would be complete? Sorry, can’t oblige this week 🙂 🙂 I could have taken one of those greyhounds home, but then the doorway would have looked lopsided, and my handbag’s not big enough. Not to worry- you’ll have October/November to sort that garden. Or did you have a holiday planned? Actually we did have cake in the old barn (I could sprag and say that Mick had two!) but I was so busy making squares for Becky that I forgot. 🙂

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      1. It’s going to be awfully quiet come mid-October. We might have a weekend away locally, to celebrate my birthday as OH will be in Madrid next week. I’m going to have to continue the long walks that I have got into the habit of. Need a nice warm coat though.

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      3. He’ll probably head home after the Aussies leave. I guess he’ll have to at some point, but he is really liking it down here. Even got himself a wetsuit and body board and been in the sea! Not a lot of that in Donny. I think we will probably see more of him in the future 🙂

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      7. He is a web developer so can fortunately work from home. His employers are being very good about time off and not expecting him back until after Christmas, though he might get bored at home with no walks or sea nearby!

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  18. It may have been a short walk through the garden, Jo, but a delightful one. I found the contrast between the ruins in the midst of planned gardens fascinating. And sunflowers always make me smile – such striking photos you had of them too!

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      1. It finally has – or at least I’ve developed a regular routine. I posted a few things this past weekend, and have more in the pipeline coming up. I was still exploring, getting my exercise in, but just didn’t have enough time to write things up for a while. There will be some walks in the future!

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  20. On the one hand, I like these remains of the old abbeys, and think even the ruins are still majestic, but on the other hand I keep wondering what they’d look like nowadays without the dissolution of the monasteries. Thanks for all those wonderful pictures, Jo, and habe a great week,
    Pit

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    1. Unbelievable how many of them ‘bit the dust’, Pit. Then again, I don’t know if enough people would have ‘the calling’ to keep them all in use these days. 🙂 🙂 Wishing you a great week too! It’s rather damp here 🙂

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