19. Egton, Egton Bridge, St Hedda and Egton Grange

Scenes around the Upper Esk Valley

 Upper Esk Valley Index

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Upper Egton Village

A small village with two rows of quite attractive stone houses and cottages and two pubs!

The Wheatsheaf Inn, upper Egton

and close by is the Ye Horseshoe Inn, 'upper' Egton, both pubs offer good hospitality.

View across the Esk Valley from higher Egton.

St Hilda's Church, Egton

St Hilda's C of E (Church of England) is situated half-way up the bank from Egton Bridge to upper Egton village.

St Hilda's Church, Egton. At Hilda was built in 1878-1879 by the architect E. H. Smales in a Neo-Norman style.

St Hilda's Church, Egton: Smales did use some sections of stone from the preceding medieval church (which I think was down near the River Esk?).

St Hilda's Church, Egton: The south-west tower with its saddleback roof and the stained glass window of St Hilda herself.

 

St Hilda's Church, Egton: Looking into the chancel from the nave, with its round Norman-Romanesque style arches.

 

St Hilda's Church, Egton. The altar, Reredos and east window.

 

Egton Bridge

At the lower end of Egton where the road bridge crosses the River Esk.

Egton Bridge Station on the scenic Esk Valley Line.

picture of car park and coal staithes needed

The Postgate Inn by Egton Station - a popular eating out place - not cheap, but excellent food.

Some lovely big trees down in Egton Bridge.

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St Hedda's Church, Egton Bridge.

A fine apse.

The interior of St Hedda's Church

On the right of the church is the Egton Bridge County Primary School which was the original church - picture on the right.

The new memorial stained glass window depicting the life of the Catholic martyr Nicholas Postgate. the Catholic Martyr, The Blessed Nicholas Postgate, a priest who was betrayed by members of a local family, was hung, drawn and quartered in York in 1679, martyred at the age of 82. You cannot believe that this sort of practice went on in England as late as 1679 - an aspect of history I don't remember being in taught in history at school!

Details of the Nicholas Postgate painted stained glass window panels

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The story of Saint Hedda

Saint Hedda was an Anglo-Saxon (7th century) monk and bishop. We’re not sure where he was born, some of the very few sources available suggest he was an East Saxon by birth (present day Essex), another claims he comes from Headingly, near Leeds. He was educated in the monastery of the famed St Hilda of Whitby. Archaeological evidence shows the monastery at the time was in the Celtic style, its community living in small houses each for two or three people. It was a double religious establishment; the monks and nuns lived separately but worshipped together in church.

Hedda was consecrated bishop of the divided diocese of Wessex by Saint Theodore at Canterbury in 676. He was sent to be bishop of the West Saxons based initially at Dorchester-on-Thames, near Oxford. He moved his episcopate to Winchester and was the first bishop of the West Saxons to reside at Winchester instead of Dorchester-on-Thames. This change corresponded to the emergence of the Southampton-based Saxons becoming more powerful than the settlers of the Thames valley. Winchester was then the political and religious centre of Wessex and for a time the capital of England.

Hedda ruled the diocese for about 30 years, spanning the reigns of King Centwine, Caedwalla and Ina. He had some dispute with Caedwalla who expelled him (no mention to where) and Hedda did not return to Winchester until after the King’s death in Rome in 689. It is well documented that Hedda helped and advised King Ina to write a new code of laws for his people. Little else is known of Hedda’s episcopate except that he had the relics of his predecessor, Saint Birinus moved from Dorchester-on Thames to Winchester. The Venerable Bede remarked in his writings on Hedda’s prudence and innate wisdom. Bede said Hedda was “a good and just man, who in carrying out his duties was guided rather by an inward love of virtue than by what he had read in books”.

Hedda died in 705 and was buried in his Cathedral at Winchester. He was held in high esteem by his contemporaries, and was venerated in the Wessex monasteries and in Crowland (an important monastic foundation in the Fens near Peterborough). Cures for people and animals were said to have happened at his tomb by taking dust from his grave and mixing it with water. St Hedda’s relics can still be found in Winchester Cathedral. His name was added to the Roman List of Saints in the 16t century. His feast day is July 7th.

(from research by Molly Brown)

A circular Egton Grange Walk

Another Horseshoe Hotel down in Egton Bridge.

Climbing up out of Egton Bridge towards Hall Grange Farm.

Leaving the woodland and approaching the eastern slopes of Egton Grange with Grange Head Farm in the distance.

Looking across the upper estate lands of Egton Grange

The quite wild open country of Egton Grange, albeit a well manages shooting estate up here.

Beautiful large swathes of purple heather on In Moor to the east of Egton Grange.

As you pass over In Moor you pass an ancient field system just west of Struntry Carr.

You can clearly see the stones that once made up the perimeter stone & earth bank of the Struntry Carr prehistoric site.

A clear view of what seems the main outer perimeter?

Are the ancient prehistoric Struntry Carr enclosures Bronze age or Iron age?

There are usually sheep around somewhere up on the moorland fields heading down to High Burrows Farm.

Good pasture for the horses too!

Looking across towards Darnholm, Beckhole and Goathland.

The lovely green road heading back down towards the River Esk and Egton Grange to join the road above High Burrows Farm.

Looking across to 'upper' Egton.

The River Esk which you cross via a footbridge at Beckside Farm.

The River Esk from the old Egton Bridge 'toll road' - quite free today!

Egton Manor House.

Egton Grange manor house

	Egton & Egton Bridge over the River Esk, Nr Whitby, North Yorkshire: The Postgate Inn in Egton Bridge, deep in the River Esk valley, offers good quality refreshment and named after the Catholic Martyr, the Blessed Nicholas Postgate, a priest who was hung, drawn and quartered in York in 1679, martyred at the age of 82. Under the railway bridge is the fine St Hedda's Church, sometimes called 'The Cathedral of the Moors'.
	Egton is a quiet and small village set in the farmland above the Esk Valley and Egton Bridge, just off the Whitby-Guisborough A171 road. The fine stone buildings of the Wheatsheaf Inn and Ye Horseshoe Inn, close together, in the 'upper' village of Egton, both offer good pub grub.
	There is a 2nd pub called the Horseshoe at the bottom of Egton Bridge across the River Esk and down on the right. You pass it on your walking up to Egton Grange in the North York Moors National Park, which can form part of a walk round back to St Hedda's Church along the Egton Estate road just north of the river.

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