Information on Grinton, Yorkshire
Grinton is a small village in Swaledale, situated 11 miles west of Richmond on the B6270 road. Its church, St Andrews is sometimes called “The Cathedral of the Dales” as, for centuries, it was the only church for the whole of upper Swaledale, with many burials coming from miles away along what became known as the Corpse Way. The wealthy could use horse and carts to transport bodies but the poor would have to carry the dead on their shoulders in wicker coffins. At intervals on the trail long flat rocks were either placed or made to lay the coffin down so that the pallbearers could take a well earned rest, and some of these may still be visible along the Corpse Way today. Fragments of the original Norman church remain, including the font and the tower arch, with some additions from the late 13th or early 14th century, but St Andrew’s now dates mainly from the 15th century. Grinton has an 18th century arched stone bridge crossing the River Swale alongside which is a pub, The Bridge Inn, parts of which date to the 15th century.
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