Goodmanham
Encyclopedia
Goodmanham is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England
. It is situated approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-east of Market Weighton
. The village is situated on the Yorkshire Wolds Way
National Trail, a long distance footpath.
According to the 2001 UK census
, Goodmanham parish had a population of 218.
It was a parish in the wapentake of Harthill
.
The village is built in a favourable position on a south-facing slope of the Yorkshire Wolds
between two streams. It has a copious supply of water from numerous springs and naturally occurring limestone
for building. The land is extraordinarily fertile in this region and people have lived here since prehistoric times.
. There are many ancient burial sites. The boundaries of the village lie along the lines of ancient earthworks and these are evidence that it was a prehistoric place of worship. Near the western boundary of the village lies one of the most ancient roads of Britain, later adopted by the Romans
. Settlement at this time is indicated by finds of Samian ware and coins
of the period. Later in Saxon
times, after the recall of the Roman legion
s, the village reached a position of great importance and fame. It became the site of the high shrine of Anglo Saxon Northumbria
, a great temple of Woden
, the father of the gods. The dramatic overthrow of this temple in 627 AD by the high priest Coifi
upon the conversion of King Edwin
of Northumbria is related by St Bede
in his History of the English Church and People (Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
).
"I have known long since" [Coifi] said, "that there is nothing in this religion that we have professed...the more I sought the truth of it the less I found...this can give us life salvation and eternal happiness...I advise that we burn the useless sanctuary - and who better than myself as an example?"
So saying, he borrowed a war stallion and a war axe
, both of which were forbidden to him as a priest. He galloped to the temple and flung the weapon into the holy place. Seeing that no harm came to him, the company that followed him demolished the shrine and burned it to the ground.
It is often said that Coifi rode from Edwin's council in York to destroy the temple at Goodmanham, a distance of around 20 miles (32.2 km). Local tradition has it that the ride was from the king's summer camp at Londesborough, which is two miles from Goodmanham.
Although Goodmanham is very near to York, the capital of Viking
England, we have no information about Goodmanham from that period. It is next found as a listing in the Domesday book
produced under William the Conqueror at the time of the Norman
conquest. A few names of resident farmers are given: Colgri, Orm, Norman, William de Coleville. These names show the presence of Normans now occupying the land.
The church of All Hallows now stands on or near the site of the original pagan temple. This church dates from around 1130 AD and replaces an earlier one of wooden construction built in the Saxon period. A tumulus
, located to the south-west of the village, is also supposed to contain ruins. One of the many sacred well
s in Britain dedicated to St Helena
is located nearby.
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-east of Market Weighton
Market Weighton
Market Weighton is a small town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of the main market towns in the East Yorkshire Wolds and lies midway between Hull and York, about from either one...
. The village is situated on the Yorkshire Wolds Way
Yorkshire Wolds Way
The Yorkshire Wolds Way is a National Trail in Yorkshire, England. It runs 79 miles from Hessle to Filey, around the Yorkshire Wolds...
National Trail, a long distance footpath.
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Goodmanham parish had a population of 218.
It was a parish in the wapentake of Harthill
Harthill (wapentake)
Harthill was a wapentake of the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, England consisting of the central part of the county. Established in medieval times, it ceased to have much significance in the 19th century when the wapentakes were superseded by other administrative divisions for most local...
.
The village is built in a favourable position on a south-facing slope of the Yorkshire Wolds
Yorkshire Wolds
The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in northeastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie....
between two streams. It has a copious supply of water from numerous springs and naturally occurring limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
for building. The land is extraordinarily fertile in this region and people have lived here since prehistoric times.
History
The earliest traces of settlement are from the stone ageStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. There are many ancient burial sites. The boundaries of the village lie along the lines of ancient earthworks and these are evidence that it was a prehistoric place of worship. Near the western boundary of the village lies one of the most ancient roads of Britain, later adopted by the Romans
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
. Settlement at this time is indicated by finds of Samian ware and coins
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
of the period. Later in Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, after the recall of the Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s, the village reached a position of great importance and fame. It became the site of the high shrine of Anglo Saxon Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
, a great temple of Woden
Woden
Woden or Wodan is a major deity of Anglo-Saxon and Continental Germanic polytheism. Together with his Norse counterpart Odin, Woden represents a development of the Proto-Germanic god *Wōdanaz....
, the father of the gods. The dramatic overthrow of this temple in 627 AD by the high priest Coifi
Coifi
Coifi or Cofi was the priest of the temple at Goodmanham in Northumbria in 627.Bede's description of Coifi is that of the chief of priests in Northumbria; the fact that he is the chief priest suggests that there was some sort of organised pagan priesthood in existence during Coifi's time...
upon the conversion of King Edwin
Edwin of Northumbria
Edwin , also known as Eadwine or Æduini, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.Edwin was the son...
of Northumbria is related by St Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
in his History of the English Church and People (Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum is a work in Latin by Bede on the history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict between Roman and Celtic Christianity.It is considered to be one of the most important original references on...
).
"I have known long since" [Coifi] said, "that there is nothing in this religion that we have professed...the more I sought the truth of it the less I found...this can give us life salvation and eternal happiness...I advise that we burn the useless sanctuary - and who better than myself as an example?"
So saying, he borrowed a war stallion and a war axe
Battle axe
A battle axe is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes...
, both of which were forbidden to him as a priest. He galloped to the temple and flung the weapon into the holy place. Seeing that no harm came to him, the company that followed him demolished the shrine and burned it to the ground.
It is often said that Coifi rode from Edwin's council in York to destroy the temple at Goodmanham, a distance of around 20 miles (32.2 km). Local tradition has it that the ride was from the king's summer camp at Londesborough, which is two miles from Goodmanham.
Although Goodmanham is very near to York, the capital of Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
England, we have no information about Goodmanham from that period. It is next found as a listing in the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
produced under William the Conqueror at the time of the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
conquest. A few names of resident farmers are given: Colgri, Orm, Norman, William de Coleville. These names show the presence of Normans now occupying the land.
The church of All Hallows now stands on or near the site of the original pagan temple. This church dates from around 1130 AD and replaces an earlier one of wooden construction built in the Saxon period. A tumulus
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
, located to the south-west of the village, is also supposed to contain ruins. One of the many sacred well
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
s in Britain dedicated to St Helena
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
is located nearby.
Notable people from Goodmanham
- Richard Foster (Australian politician), (20 August 1856 – 5 January 1932). He emigrated to South Australia in 1880. Held various posts including Commissioner for Public Works, Minister for Industry, Minister for Works and Railways.
- William FeatherbyWilliam FeatherbyWilliam Dixon Featherby was an English first-class cricketer, who played two matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1920....
, (18 August 1888 - 20 November 1958), county cricketer for Yorkshire, lived and worked locally to Goodmanham all his life. He is buried in the churchyard.