Swinner Gill Kirk

Shortly after this fall the Stream had dried up. Swinner Gill only springs to lif when East Grain joins it. During the seventeenth century when the Church of England was still in it’s infancy, those that did not adhere to the state religion were often persecuted. These people who did not conform to the church teachings, or non-conformists as they were known, had to hold their meetings in secret to avoid being heavily fined or worse, in some cases even execution. Swaledale, like many parts of the North Pennines, had many who resented the imposition of the new Church of England and this isolated, difficult to get to gorge was one of their meeting places hence the name “Kirk” or church. The meetings would be held in the open area in front of the falls and a lookout would be positioned on the fell above. At the sound of any warning the service would be stopped and the congregation would head into the cave for shelter. The cave itself is quite low at the entrance forcing anybody entering to bend over but once in, it opens to the height of a room. Sufficient to give shelter in times of trouble.

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