Bowes

Bowes
Bowes
	Bowes Castle
	Bowes Location within County Durham
Population	442 (2021)
OS grid reference	NY995135
Civil parish	Bowes;
Unitary authority	County Durham;
Ceremonial county	Durham;
Region	North East;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BARNARD CASTLE
Postcode district	DL12
Dialling code	01833
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Bishop Auckland;
	List of places UK England County Durham 54°30′58″N 2°00′32″W / 54.516°N 02.009°W

Bowes is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. Located in the Pennine hills, it is situated close to Barnard Castle. It is built around the medieval Bowes Castle. In 2021 the parish had a population of 442.^[1]

Geography and administration

Bowes lies within the historic county boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, but along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District it was incorporated into the non-metropolitan county of Durham for administrative purposes on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.

The A66 and A67 roads meet at Bowes.

History

The Roman name for Bowes was Lavatrae. A Roman fort was located there, which was re-used as the site for Bowes Castle.

The place-name 'Bowes' is first attested in a charter of 1148, where it appears as Bogas. This is the plural of the Old English boga meaning 'bow', probably signifying an arched bridge.^[2]

The village church is dedicated to St Giles.

The only pub in the village, the formerly named George Inn owned by the Railton family and now named The Ancient Unicorn,^[3] is reputed to be haunted by several ghosts. This 17th-century coaching inn famously played host to Charles Dickens as he toured the local area. Dickens found inspiration in the village schools which he immortalised as Dotheboys Hall in Nicholas Nickleby, and the graves of two of the people who inspired characters portrayed by the great author can be seen in Bowes churchyard to this day. George Ashton Taylor, who died in 1822 aged 19, apparently inspired Dickens to create the character of Smike in the same novel.

From 1861 to 1962, the village was served by Bowes railway station. Just to the north of the village at Stoney Keld, is the site of the former RAF Bowes Moor, a chemical warfare agent storage site between 1941 and 1947.^[4] The Bowes Loop of the Pennine Way goes through the site.^[5]

The village is also home to possibly the smallest former working men's club in the country.^{[citation needed]} Now known as Bowes Social Club, it is run by volunteers and is often used as a venue to raise money for local events.

Education

Bowes has a single primary school at the centre of the village, Bowes Hutchinson's C of E (Aided) Primary School.^[6]

Notable people

Thomas Kipling (bap. 1745, d. 1822), dean of Peterborough, was born in Bowes.^[7]

John Bailey (1750–1819), mathematician and land surveyor was born in Bowes.^[8]

Richard Cobden (1804–65), manufacturer and politician, was schooled in Bowes.^[9]

References

^ Table PP002 - Sex, from "Parish Profiles". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
^ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p.56.
^ The Ancient Unicorn
^ "Tests at former mustard gas site". BBC News. 27 December 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
^ Dillon, Paddy (2017). The Pennine Way : from Edale to Kirk Yetholm (4 ed.). Cumbria: Cicerone. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-85284-906-1.
^ Bowes Hutchinson's C of E (Aided) Primary School website
^ Robert Hole, ‘Kipling, Thomas (bap. 1745, d. 1822)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 2 May 2011
^ T. F. Henderson, ‘Bailey, John (1750–1819)’, rev. H. K. Higton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 2 May 2011
^ Miles Taylor, ‘Cobden, Richard (1804–1865)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 accessed 2 May 2011

External links

[census2021-1] Table PP002 - Sex, from "Parish Profiles". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 August 2024.

[2] Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p.56.

[3] The Ancient Unicorn

[4] "Tests at former mustard gas site". BBC News. 27 December 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

[5] Dillon, Paddy (2017). The Pennine Way : from Edale to Kirk Yetholm (4 ed.). Cumbria: Cicerone. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-85284-906-1.

[6] Bowes Hutchinson's C of E (Aided) Primary School website

[7] Robert Hole, ‘Kipling, Thomas (bap. 1745, d. 1822)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 2 May 2011

[8] T. F. Henderson, ‘Bailey, John (1750–1819)’, rev. H. K. Higton, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 2 May 2011

[9] Miles Taylor, ‘Cobden, Richard (1804–1865)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 accessed 2 May 2011

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v t e Civil parishes in County Durham
including Stockton-on-Tees (north of the river)
Darlington	Parishes Archdeacon Newton Barmpton Bishopton Brafferton Coatham Mundeville Denton East and West Newbiggin Great Burdon Great Stainton Heighington High Coniscliffe Houghton le Side Hurworth Killerby Little Stainton Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent Middleton St. George Morton Palms Neasham Piercebridge Sadberge Summerhouse Walworth Whessoe Unparished areas The former Darlington County Borough
County Durham	Towns Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland Chilton Ferryhill Great Aycliffe Greater Willington Peterlee Seaham Sedgefield Shildon Spennymoor Stanley Tow Law Parishes Barforth Barningham Bearpark Belmont Bishop Middleham Bolam Boldron Bournmoor Bowes Bradbury and the Isle Brancepeth Brandon and Byshottles Brignall Burnhope Cassop-cum-Quarrington Castle Eden City of Durham Cleatlam Cockfield Cornforth Cornsay Cotherstone Coxhoe Croxdale and Hett Dalton-le-Dale Dene Valley Easington Colliery Easington Village Edmondbyers Edmondsley Eggleston Egglestone Abbey Eldon Esh Etherley Evenwood and Barony Fishburn Forest and Frith Framwellgate Moor Gainford Gilmonby Great Lumley Greencroft Hamsterley Hamsterley Common Haswell Hawthorn Headlam Healeyfield Hedleyhope Hilton Holwick Hope Horden Hunderthwaite Hunstanworth Hutton Henry and Station Town Hutton Magna Ingleton Kelloe Kimblesworth and Plawsworth Lanchester Langleydale and Shotton Langton Lartington Little Lumley Lunedale Lynesack and Softley Marwood Mickleton Middleton in Teesdale Middridge Monk Hesleden Mordon Morton Tinmouth Muggleswick Murton Nesbitt Newbiggin North Lodge Ouston Ovington Pelton Pittington Raby with Keverstone Rokeby Romaldkirk Sacriston Satley Scargill Seaton with Slingley Shadforth Sheraton with Hulam Sherburn Village Shincliffe Shotton South Bedburn South Hetton Staindrop Stanhope Startforth Streatlam and Stainton Thornley Toft Hill Trimdon Trimdon Foundry Urpeth Waldridge Wackerfield Weather Hill Wood West Auckland West Rainton and Leamside Westwick Wheatley Hill Whorlton Windlestone Wingate Winston Witton Gilbert Witton-le-Wear Wolsingham Wolsingham Park Moor Woodland Wycliffe with Thorpe Unparished areas The former Chester le Street Urban District Consett Parts of the former Durham Municipal Borough Parts of the former Bishop Auckland Urban District Crook and Willington Urban District Stanley Urban District
Hartlepool	Towns Headland Parishes Brierton Claxton Dalton Piercy Elwick Greatham Hart Newton Bewley Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough
Stockton-on-Tees	Towns Billingham Parishes Aislaby Carlton Egglescliffe Elton Grindon and Thorpe Thewles Longnewton Newsham Preston-on-Tees Redmarshall Stillington and Whitton Wolviston Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Teesside County Borough
For further information about the above parishes, see List of civil parishes in County Durham. For the part of Stockton-on-Tees (borough) south of the River Tees, see List of civil parishes in North Yorkshire.

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
National	United States

Bowes
Bowes Castle
Bowes Location within County Durham
Population	442 (2021)
OS grid reference	NY995135
Civil parish	Bowes
Unitary authority	County Durham
Ceremonial county	Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BARNARD CASTLE
Postcode district	DL12
Dialling code	01833

Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East

UK Parliament	Bishop Auckland
List of places UK England County Durham 54°30′58″N 2°00′32″W / 54.516°N 02.009°W / 54.516; -02.009