What is "cowlam"

Cowlam is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the Yorkshire Wolds approximately east of the village of Sledmere. It lies south of the B1253 road, and forms part of the civil parish of Cottam. Cowlam was previously a medieval village that was deserted after the Black Death. The church of St Mary, Cowlam is one of the churches on the Sykes Churches Trail. It is a small medieval church restored in 1852 to a design by Mary E. Sykes, daughter of Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet. In 1966 the church was designated a Grade II listed building and is now recorded in the National Heritage List for England, maintained by Historic England.

Cowlam consists today of six farms, the Church, the Rectory, three cottages, four houses, a bungalow and a bus shelter (although not on any known bus route). Most Cowlam inhabitants descend from families that have lived in the hamlet for many decades working on the surrounding land.

Due to its location high on a hill it experiences extremes in weather, becoming snowed-in nearly every winter even when the local town of Driffield is bare.