Sockburn
Encyclopedia
Sockburn is a village and civil parish
in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated at the bottom of a loop of the River Tees
, south of Darlington
, known locally as the Sockburn Peninsula. Today, there is not much there apart from an early nineteenth-century mansion, a ruined church and a farmhouse built in the late eighteenth century.
Sockburn was once a larger parish. The ancient parish included the townships of Sockburn in County Durham, and Girsby
and Over Dinsdale
, both on the opposite bank of the River Tees in the North Riding of Yorkshire
. In 1866 Girsby and Over Dinsdale became separate civil parishes. By 1961 the parish had a population of only 32.
Sockburn is a site of great antiquity, Higbald, Bishop of Lindisfarne
having been crowned there in 780 or 781 and Eanwald, Archbishop of York
, in 796. For many centuries the estate was in the hands of the Conyers family
. In medieval times a Sir John Conyers is said to have slain a dragon
or "worm" that was terrorising the district. The stone under which the Sockburn Worm
was reputedly buried is (or at least until recently was) still visible, and the falchion
with which it was said to have been slain is in Durham Cathedral
Treasury. As Sockburn was the most southerly point in the Durham diocese, the sword was ceremonially presented by the Lord of the Manor
to each new Bishop of Durham when he entered his diocese for the first time at the local ford or the nearby Croft-on-Tees
bridge. This custom died out in the early nineteenth century, but was revived by Bishop Jenkins
in 1984, the Mayor of Darlington doing the honours.
The Conyers family died out in the seventeenth century, and their manor house fell into ruin. The estate came into the hands of the Blackett family
, industrialists from Newcastle
. A new farmhouse was built in the late eighteenth century. In 1799, this was occupied by Tom Hutchinson, who is said to have once bred a seventeen and a half stone sheep, and his sisters Mary and Sara. They were distant relatives of the family of William Wordsworth
. He lodged with them for six months in 1799, and eventually married Mary. His friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge
also stayed there, and fell in love with Sara, but he was already married; his feeling for Sara found expression in his poem "Love", which contains references to the church and the dragon legend.
A new mansion, Sockburn Hall
, was built around 1834 for Henry Collingwood Blackett and the church was closed and allowed to become dilapidated, presumably because the occupant wanted a fashionable picturesque ruin in his grounds. A bridge
to the south of the house was built in 1836/7, although all that remains today are the abutments. A new church for the locals was built at his expense across the river at Girsby
. In about 1870, Henry's widow, Theophania, erected another footbridge some way north of the house, to enable the faithful to access their church without using a ford near the house.
Another literary association is with Lewis Carroll
, the author of Alice in Wonderland. His father was sometime rector
at Croft-on-Tees, and it is said that the legend of the Sockburn Worm provided the inspiration for his poem Jabberwocky
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in 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 at the bottom of a loop of the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
, south of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, known locally as the Sockburn Peninsula. Today, there is not much there apart from an early nineteenth-century mansion, a ruined church and a farmhouse built in the late eighteenth century.
Sockburn was once a larger parish. The ancient parish included the townships of Sockburn in County Durham, and Girsby
Girsby
Girsby is a village and civil parish in the district of Hambleton in North Yorkshire, England. The village lies on high ground on the eastern bank of the River Tees....
and Over Dinsdale
Over Dinsdale
Over Dinsdale is a small village and civil parish in the Local Government District of Hambleton in North Yorkshire, England. The village straddles an ancient Roman road on the border with County Durham. Over Dinsdale is located on a peninsula in the River Tees, approximately 6 miles from Darlington...
, both on the opposite bank of the River Tees in the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
. In 1866 Girsby and Over Dinsdale became separate civil parishes. By 1961 the parish had a population of only 32.
Sockburn is a site of great antiquity, Higbald, Bishop of Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
having been crowned there in 780 or 781 and Eanwald, Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, in 796. For many centuries the estate was in the hands of the Conyers family
Conyers Baronets
The Baronetcy of Conyers of Horden was created in the Baronetage of England on 14 July 1628 for John Conyers of Horden, County Durham.Between 1099 and 1133 the then Bishop of Durham, Ralph Flambard, granted lands at Sockburn, in County Durham and Hutton, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, to a Roger...
. In medieval times a Sir John Conyers is said to have slain a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
or "worm" that was terrorising the district. The stone under which the Sockburn Worm
Sockburn Worm
In the folklore of Northumbria, the Sockburn Worm was a ferocious wyvern that laid waste to the village of Sockburn in Durham. It was said that the beast was finally slain by John Conyers....
was reputedly buried is (or at least until recently was) still visible, and the falchion
Falchion
A falchion is a one-handed, single-edged sword of European origin, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao....
with which it was said to have been slain is in Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
Treasury. As Sockburn was the most southerly point in the Durham diocese, the sword was ceremonially presented by the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
to each new Bishop of Durham when he entered his diocese for the first time at the local ford or the nearby Croft-on-Tees
Croft-on-Tees
Croft-on-Tees is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. South of Darlington, it stands on the opposite side of the River Tees from Hurworth-on-Tees and is situated on the A167. The bridge over the Tees between Croft and Hurworth marks the boundary...
bridge. This custom died out in the early nineteenth century, but was revived by Bishop Jenkins
David Edward Jenkins
David Edward Jenkins is a Church of England cleric and former Bishop of Durham, a position he held from 1984 until 1994.Jenkins was born in Bromley, Kent and educated at St Dunstan's College, Catford...
in 1984, the Mayor of Darlington doing the honours.
The Conyers family died out in the seventeenth century, and their manor house fell into ruin. The estate came into the hands of the Blackett family
Blackett Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Blackett family, both in the Baronetage of England. One creation is extant as of 2008...
, industrialists from Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. A new farmhouse was built in the late eighteenth century. In 1799, this was occupied by Tom Hutchinson, who is said to have once bred a seventeen and a half stone sheep, and his sisters Mary and Sara. They were distant relatives of the family of William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
. He lodged with them for six months in 1799, and eventually married Mary. His friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
also stayed there, and fell in love with Sara, but he was already married; his feeling for Sara found expression in his poem "Love", which contains references to the church and the dragon legend.
Sockburn Hall
Sockburn Hall is privately owned 19th century country house at Sockburn, near Darlington, County Durham, England. It is a listed building. As at 2008, both the Hall and adjoining Grade II coach house are listed by English Heritage on the Buildings at Risk Register, as is the adjacent ruined Grade I...
, was built around 1834 for Henry Collingwood Blackett and the church was closed and allowed to become dilapidated, presumably because the occupant wanted a fashionable picturesque ruin in his grounds. A bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
to the south of the house was built in 1836/7, although all that remains today are the abutments. A new church for the locals was built at his expense across the river at Girsby
Girsby
Girsby is a village and civil parish in the district of Hambleton in North Yorkshire, England. The village lies on high ground on the eastern bank of the River Tees....
. In about 1870, Henry's widow, Theophania, erected another footbridge some way north of the house, to enable the faithful to access their church without using a ford near the house.
Another literary association is with Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
, the author of Alice in Wonderland. His father was sometime rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
at Croft-on-Tees, and it is said that the legend of the Sockburn Worm provided the inspiration for his poem Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
.