A Day Out in Dent

Friday was our day trip day. We decided to visit Dent, which we hadn't visited for a goodly number of years. All I could remember of Dent was that it had a cobbled street, and that there was a memorial fountain dedicated to Adam Sedgwick, who was regarded as one of the founders of modern geology. We drove to Skipton and then took the A65 to Ingleton. Just through Ingleton near the turn off left to Lancaster and Morecambe is where you will find a building which has the words Country Harvest on it.

Country Harvest is a multi facetted shopping outlet. As its title suggests it sells "country goods." At the far end of the building is a restaurant which provides some excellent country food.

Dot decided to have the Tomato and Lettuce Soup, (yes lettuce - you didn't read that wrong!) followed up with Egg Sandwiches & salad garnish. I went for the Steak, Mushroom & Ale pie in a Yorkshire Pudding, with mashed potatoes and garden peas. Both meals were excellent, hot and filling. Do call there if you are passing and want something to eat! You will not be disappointed.



The section next to the restaurant is a Delicatessan, which stocks a huge range of Home reared meats, local speciality cheeses and all the trimmings.


My eye was caught by the display of Dent Brewery Beers on sale. Here (above) are ales called T'Owd Tup, Kamikaze ( popular strong ales)and Dent Porter.

Whilst on the shelf below were Aviator, Ramsbottom and Golden Fleece. All these ales are brewed in a micro brewery at Cowgill, which is the next village to Dent.Originally the beer was only obtainable from the Sun Inn in Dent. Eventually the Micro Brewery bought the George & Dragon in the centre of Dent as a"tap house" where their ales can be obtained from the cask.




Leaving the Country Harvest car park and crossing the busy A65 takes you on a narrow country road to the hamlet of Westhouse. Here you go through glorious, if somewhat lonely scenery throught Deepdale. The view above is of Deepdale.




As you get nearer to Dent you will discover that part of the road is still gated. This was the sign on one of the gates: Have a nice day. PLEASE SHUT GATE - COWS




Not too far from Dent we came upon this striking little waterfall.




We pulled into the car park in Dent, and the first thing we noticed was the rather irregular tolling of a single bell. We headed to the church, and discovered that the bells were being "tuned"


Dent Church is dedicated to St Andrew, and is obviously well cared for. Every plaque and memorial was spottlessly clean, and those of brass were positively gleaming.




Dent St Andrew - The Altar & East Window

I have previously mentioned Adam Sedgwick, and this is his memorial plaque in the church. Adam was born on 22nd March 1875, the third of several children of the then vicar of Dent. He spent his early life rambling through the countryside and collecting rocks and fossils.

He attended Sedbergh school and then entered Trinity College at Cambridge University. He studied mathematics and theology, and obtained a BA in 1808 and an MA in 1811. In 1810 he was made a Fellow, and in 1817 he took Holy Orders. In 1818 he became Woodwardian Professor of Geology at Cambridge. In 1829 he became President of the Geological Socitey of London, and in 1845 a Vice Master of Trinity College Cambridge.

The fountain in the photo below is dedicated to him.

Back to the bells....... They had very recently been returned from the Whitechapel Foundry, and at a Dedication Service the week before had been blessed by the Ex Archbishop of York (David Hope).



The newly returned bells before re hanging in the belfry.

It is something of a tradition to fill the smallest bell with beer (this was donated by the Dent Brewery!) and pint drinks are then taken from the bell and handed round.

Ex Archbishop David Hope dedicates one of the bells.

Dent Post Office and Village Store, which you will find outside the East End of the Church.

The Main Street in Dent

Looking up the Main Street. Note the Adam Sedgwick Memorial Fountain at the top of the street.

The Sun Inn - original supplier of the ales brewed by Dent Brewery.

Stone Close Cottage Tea Rooms. We had buttered scones here, and Dot had a brew called Winter Tea, which we suspect was home mixed. She tells me it had orange peel and all kinds of herbs in it. Dot says it was delicious.