TMC/Bachmann - Goathland Church

TMC/Bachmann - Goathland Church

Goathland is now known as a tourist centre in the North York Moors National Park. It has one of the main railway stations of the North York Moors heritage steam railway (used as a film location for Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film) and is the fictional village of Aidensfield in the television drama series 'Heartbeat'.

The spiritual origins of Goathland (or Godeland), however, go back much further. Towards the end of the eleventh century, a small group of Christian brothers settled by the Eller Beck to the south of modern-day Goathland. They built a chapel called ‘Mary a Godeland’, probably close to their hermitage buildings. Records from 1568, during the reign of Elizabeth I, tell of St. Mary’s Chapel, which was by then probably near to the site of the present church. By 1821 a new church building had been completed, standing on a site next to the present church in what is now the old churchyard. The present church was designed by William Brierley of York and completed in 1896.

The style is perpendicular, with some Arts and Crafts overtones. Much of the woodwork was made by Robert ‘’ Thompson of Kilburn. The church has some good pictorial stained glass, the east window (designed by A.L. Moore) and the south wall windows (by J.C.N. Bewsey) being from the early twentieth century. The two west end windows are modern, commissioned for the Millennium, by Ann Sotheran. Another portrays local saints Cuthbert, Hilda and Aidan, thus creating a genuine link between Goathland and Aidensfield. Although the church is late Victorian, it contains several artefacts from the earlier churches and chapels, dating back to the Norman or even Saxon period.

The Bachmann Scenecraft 00 scale TMC Exclusive model of St Mary's church (44-101Z) is priced £69.99 + p&p and is available from TMC-Direct, 'Hill Farm', Beck Hole YO22 5LF - Tel: 01947 896040 (Monday -Friday 10:00 - 18:00) - Online: www.themodelcentre.co.uk

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