St Simon’s Chapel, Coverdale

Description

St Simon’s Chapel, Coverdale MYD4484 (c) YDNPA, 2023

The ruins of a chapel dedicated to Saints Simon and Jude. It was founded by Ranulph Pigot in 1328 and maintained as a chapel-of-ease by Coverham Abbey. Such chapels were located in places where the local population was too far from its main parish or monastic church to worship there regularly. There is also evidence that in the early 16th century it was used as a hermitage. By 1582-3 it was recorded as a ‘ruined chapel’. It survives today as a roofless shell 15.4 metres east to west by 5.8 metres internally between stone walls 1.2 metres thick at the gable ends and 0.7 metres at the sides. The north wall still stands to a maximum height of 1.9 metres with a possible entrance at the west end of the south wall.

Source:

Jones, E A (2004) ‘Canons and Hermits: the Chapel of St Simon and St Jude, Coverdale’ Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. Vol 76 pp153-169