Bowes

Village in County Durham, England

This article is about the village in County Durham, England. For other uses, see Bowes (disambiguation).

Human settlement in England

Bowes

Bowes Castle

Bowes

Location within County Durham

Population| 471 (2011)
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

England
County Durham

54°30′58″N 2°00′32″W﻿ / ﻿54.516°N 02.009°W﻿ / 54.516; -02.009

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Main article: Bowes Castle

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

[edit]

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

## Notable people

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bowes.

* Bowes village website
* grid reference NY995135

* 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
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Stanley
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Barforth
Barningham
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Belmont
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Boldron
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Mordon
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Muggleswick
Murton
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Waldridge
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Weather Hill Wood
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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
Gilesgate
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

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