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Akebar

Image Credit: Akebar Park

Akebar is a township within the Richmondshire district in North Yorkshire that’s around 8 miles away from the town of Richmond. There are less than 100 people living in Akebar according to the 2011 census.

Akebar Park

Akebar Park. image Credit: Gocaravanning

Akebar Park is a family friendly touring caravan park. Onsite is the famous Friars Head pub, a golf course, and a children’s play area.

The Friars Head

Located in Akebar Holiday Park is The Friars Head, which is a well known pub in North Yorkshire. As of September 2022, the pub is temporarily closed as new tenants are needed.

Religion in Akebar

St Andrews. Image Credit: Lower Wensleydale Churches

Located at the edge of the park in Akebar is The Church of St Andrew. It was built during the 12th century on the same patch of land where the first church in the township was. The Church of St Andrew has since been listed as a Grade II building and is still active.

The church was built in the Early English style, however, despite this there are Anglo-Saxon elements that can be found throughout the building. One example of this is the blocked doorway that leads to the nave which dates back to around 1140. Another Anglo-Saxon finding is the cross-head which dates back to the 9th century.

St Andrew was rebuilt in the 14th century with extras added to the building in the 18th and 19th century. In 1904, a complete restoration was carried out followed by renovations in 1959 and 1964.

In the 14th century, St Andrew was rebuilt with extras added to the building during the 18th and 19th century’s. In 1904, a complete restoration was carried out to modernise the building. This was followed by renovations in 1959 and 1964.

At one point in time St Andrew became known as a plague church. It got this name after the villagers moved to nearby Finghall hoping to escape the disease.

History of Akebar

The township of Akebar is a medieval Yorkshire village with Danish origin that was lost over time. Before the viking invasion, Akebar was a village settlement before it became a township.

At one point, Akebar was abandoned by its residents. At the time, the plague was rife and Akebars residents believed that it was a waterborne infection. As a result, they decided to move to nearby Finghall to escape the plague and find, what they belived to be, clean water.

James the Deacon was a disciple of St Paulinus and accompanied him on Paulinus’s mission to Northumbria. During the 7th century, he helped to establish the original church in Akebar. After James died, he was given saint status.

Akebar is recorded in the 1290 Jervaulx Abbey records. It was a grand farm for the abbey up until the dissolution of monasteries around 1530. Not only were the abbot and monks of Jervaulx Abbey known for their Wensleydale cheese, they also bred horses of exceptional quality. A large number of these horses were kept at Akebar.