God's Own County

Ilkley Moor Baht’at not Baht’camera

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Hortoris

Hats were not needed by this family on the slopes of Ilkley Moor last Boxing Day. The sun shone on the sledging and created long shadows of Mary Jane and family a few years after the cooartin’.
Escaping the fatal crowd a black hat was now covering the bald spot and thee will not need buryin’.
Given the weather it was too cold for t’worms too cum and eat thee oop but with all the poultry eaten over the holidays there is no telling who will be getting their oahn back.

Well back to a Turkey sandwich for lunch.

Read about Ilkley in Spring On Top of Ilkley

‘The Calf’

Down t’town

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Hawes Interesting and Unusual

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Hortoris

The picture shows Hawes Church rebuilt during Queen Victoria’s reign. It is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch.

Interesting and Unusual Facts about Hawes

The railway is gone and you can only get to the Museum by bus as Hawes railway station was been converted into the Folk Museum. Well, since Dr Beeching zapped the Dales, you can take shank’s pony and walk or even take the car if you want to pay for parking.

The cultural museum was inspired by Marie Hartley and Joan Ingleby, the prodigious authors of Yorkshire sociology and history. The museum covers all you could want to see about life in the dales from the ice age forward and explains a lot about the Yorkshire psyche. There are lots of interactive activities to keep the young and old amused and kids get in for free!

The Wensleydale Vintage Bus service uses two buses from the 1940’s (named Dorothy and Edith) and Bessie from 1961 to run between Ripon and Hawes, Garsdale and Redmire. Bus passes accepted! In summer this links to the Wensleydale Railway.

Recently in the news is the Hawes bookshop that charges you to go inside. Bloomingdales or blooming cheek where customers who enter the shop and browse are charged 50p entry fee. This has given folk something to complain about but don’t let that put you off as you may find the book of your dreams and get the 50p back into the bargain.

A good walk from the village will take you through fields to The Green Dragon. Dating from 13th century this pub is home to the famous Hardraw Force, England’s highest single drop waterfall. Access to the waterfall is only through the pub and a paying turnstyle.

Hawes had its own ropeworks and nearby is the village of Gayle famous for its cotton mill.

Gayle Beck and Ford

Aims and Objectives of the Friends of the Dales Countryside Museum

* To promote the improvement of the museum
* To raise funds to help in maintaining and enlarging the collection. (Registered Charity No. 519 546)
* To arrange events for the interest and education of the Friends

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire History and Heritage | Tagged nostalgia, Transport and Travel | Comments Off

Yorkshire Roots of The NSPCC

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Hortoris

Benjamin Waugh of Settle is credited with forming the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in 1884. With Lord Shaftesbury as president they had 32 national branches or aid committees within 5 years. Each branch raised funds from donations, subscriptions and legacies to support an inspector, who investigated reports of child abuse and neglect.
Queen Victoria became the Royal Patron of the NSPCC in 1895 when it was granted its Royal Charter. It retained the name as NSPCC was already well established and it avoided confusion with the RSPCA which had already existed for more than fifty years. Did and Do we put animals or children first?

Benjamin Waugh was born, the son of a clergyman, in Settle, North Yorkshire and attended theological college in Bradford before moving to London. As a Congregationalist minister in the slums of London, Waugh was appalled at the deprivations and cruelties suffered particularly by workhouse children. In addition to being a founding secretary for the NSPCC he wrote a book ‘The Gaol Cradle, Who Rocks It?’ and subsequently urged the creation of juvenile courts and children’s prisons as a means of diverting children from a life of crime. Waugh worked to raise awareness lobbying government and publishing detailed reports of abuse and neglect. These Victorian values still seem to be required in today’s society see ‘Horrendous Child abuse uncovered in Doncaster’ or the Daily Mirror reported around Christmas 2008 ‘ The serious case review, which Doncaster council slipped quietly on to their website, is the latest scandal to rock social services departments after the death of Baby P. The report branded social services “chaotic and dangerous….’

Read 2 Hours in Settle

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Folk | 1 Comment

Settle Interesting & Unusual Facts

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Hortoris

The North Yorkshire settlement of Settle may have been populated by Angles in the 6th century and there are prehistoric remains amongst the limestone hills nearby.

Interesting Facts

Settle is well known for its position on the Settle to Carlisle railway, where steam trains still run on occasion, beware the station is well south of the town centre. The railway was opened in 1875 but Settle was connected to the rail network 25 years before that via a road link to Giggleswick station.
Nearby the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct over Batty Moss was built by navvies in the 1870’s and has 24 arches
.
Long before railways and possibly even wheels, the land was inhabited by wild animals and our ancestors. Victoria Cave contained remains of mammoth, bear, reindeer and hippopotamus as well as stones, flint, bone and other implements and ornaments.
Set in the midst of great walking country, Settle is a bustling center for tourists and day trippers. For that reason there are numerous cafes, tea shops and pubs offering refreshment.
The river Ribble provided the power for Settle’s former cotton and paper mills and now is a base for many walks. Try the three peaks if you want a tester.
Overlooking the town is Castlebergh, an impressive 300 feet limestone crag which flies the flag even when England are not in the world cup.

Continue reading →

Posted in Villages, Towns and Cities | 2 Comments

Take a Turkish Bath to Unwind your Mind

Posted on January 31, 2017 by tejvan

Pamper yourself at the Turkish Baths in Harrogate. In the 21st century it is seen as a luxury way of relaxing but it was not always so. At one time it was a treatment and possible cure for a range of diseases.

In 1596 William Slingsby discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire and that became a forerunner to Harrogate’s prominence as a Spa town. He built an enclosed well at what became known as the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters.

The Victorians built the current Turkish bath which is still operating from the entrance on Parliament Street. the Moorish design includes elaborate Islamic images, arches and screens.

As the Bath’s promotion says it is a place to ‘unwind your mind and invigorate your body’. A minimum 90 minutes is recommended and towels are provided. Children under 16 are not permitted because you go for relaxation and kids can prevent you doing that.

Areas have Roman names rather than Turkish ones; Tepidarium is the Warm Room, Calidarium the Hot Room and Laconium is the hottest Room to purify and detoxify the body by opening the pores and stimulating the circulation. Then you can take the plunge in guess what the Plunge Pool.

http://www.turkishbathsharrogate.co.uk/Pages/home.aspx

Credits
Turkish Baths by UK Pictures CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Harrogate by kpc CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Bath Time by Superlekker CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ‘Victorian Turkish Baths in Harrogate. Where staring at the ceiling is utterly entertaining, not to mention to very very hot rooms and nice steam to make you so clean… Believe me, two hours and a half in there just fly by.’

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Dewsbury – Facts Interesting and Unusual

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Hortoris

Dewsbury Markets

Wednesday and Saturday General Markets in Dewsbury are still the largest and most renowned market in Yorkshire.

The open market boasts over 300 stalls and the permanent Victorian Market hall has a further 36. Amongst these permanent stalls is the famous ‘Tripe Shop’ shown above.

On Fridays there is a Second-Hand Market with an array of goods and around 100 stalls each week, a bargain hunter’s paradise.

‘If you love browsing and hunting out valuables then what better way to spend your Sunday morning than at the Car ‘Bootless’ Sale, 7.30am to 12.30pm? For sellers stall prices are £12.30 each and you can set-up at 7am on any available stall

Minsters In Yorkshire

Dewsbury is one of 4 minsters in Yorkshire. We all know York Minster and probably Beverley but Howden and Dewsbury Minsters were unknown to me.
Dewsbury Minster dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.The Christian Community has met to worship on the site of the minster since AD 627.
Now the Minster includes or is largely a heritage centre for the presentation of Anglo-Saxon sculpture and notable crosses.
There is a newly created pilgrimage chapel to St Paulinus.
Minsters differ from Cathedrals in that they are basically a monastery church or local collegiate church.
The minster houses “Black Tom”, a bell which is rung each Christmas Eve. There is one toll for each year since Christ’s birth, and this is known locally as the “Devil’s Knell”.

History of Dewsbury.

The population of Dewsbury in the Heavy Woolen District of Yorkshire is around 55,000.
Dewsbury has been an important trading area for centuries. The river Calder, canal links and the railway all helped.
There was a cloth market in Dewsbury from the 14th century. During the industrial revolution wool, cloth and textile engineering were major industries.
Large immigration took place from the Indian Sub-continent when people arrived to work in the textile industry. Their influence is now very significant in the area. Aishah Azmi a local school teaching assistant gained notoriety in 2006 by refusing to remove her full-face veil in the classroom.
Dewsbury Museum is located within the mansion house in Crow Nest Park.
Fourteen buses are stored in a small building in Ravensthorpe, near Dewsbury as part of Dewsbury Bus Museum’s collection.
Tradition records that Robin Hood is buried in the 12 century Cistertian convent that is now part of Kirklees Park.
Bed manufacture is the main industry as textiles have dramatically reduced.

Crime Shouldn’t Pay

Karen Matthews shocked the country when she came up with the plot to use one of her children in a fake kidnapping to claim reward money.With Paul Drake, aka Michael Donovan, she was found guilty on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, and perverting the course of justice and both were given eight-year prison sentences.
Mohammad Sidique Khan lived in Lees Holm Dewsbury and became a suicide bomber when in July 2005 with 3 others he detonated bombs on three London Underground trains and one bus killing 55 people and injuring over 700.
Several children aged 12- 15 were arrested in 2008 on suspicion of the murder of Amar Aslam. Amar was beaten so savagely that his body was initially unidentifiable.
On 2 January 1981 Peter Sutcliffe, then calling himself Peter Williams was arrested before being transferring to Dewsbury. A knife was discovered in the toilets at the police station and eventually Sutcliffe confessed he was ‘The Ripper’.
Not in the same league but Baroness Warsi has not been the sole of rectitude. First parliamentary expenses and then business dealings were questioned and the issues rumble on.

Posted in Yorkshire Facts - Interesting and Unusual | Comments Off

World Coal Carrying Championship at Gawthorpe Again

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Hortoris

Every year the World Coal Carrying Championship is held in Yorkshire on Easter Monday. At Easter in Gawthorpe grown men l run the mile from The Beehive public house to the Royal Oak, known locally as t’Barracks , carrying a hundred weight sack of coal. The 54th World Coal Carrying Championship is scheduled for Easter Monday 2017. Bookings

According to the organisers this is how the World Championship came about ‘Reggie Sedgewick and one Amos Clapham, a local coal merchant and current president of the Maypole Committee were enjoying some well-earned liquid refreshment whilst stood at the bar lost in their own thoughts. When in bursts one Lewis Hartley in a somewhat exuberant mood. On seeing the other two he said to Reggie, ” Ba gum lad tha’ looks buggered !” slapping Reggie heartily on the back. Whether because of the force of the blow or because of the words that accompanied it, Reggie was just a little put out.‘’ Ah’m as fit as thee’’ he told Lewis, ‘’an’ if tha’ dun’t believe me gerra a bagga coil on thi back an ‘ah’ll get one on mine an ‘ah’ll race thee to t’ top o’ t’ wood !’’ ( Coil, let me explain is Yorkshire speak for coal ). While Lewis digested the implications of this challenge a Mr. Fred Hirst, Secretary of the Gawthorpe Maypole Committee ( and not a man to let a good idea go to waste) raised a cautioning hand. ” ‘Owd on a minute,’’ said Fred and there was something in his voice that made them all listen. ‘Aven’t we been looking fer some’at to do on Easter Monday? If we’re gonna ‘ave a race let’s ‘ave it then. Let’s ‘ave a coil race from Barracks t’ Maypole.’

2009 was the 46th World Coal Carrying Championship and the BBC claim these facts about world champions
1. Window cleaners, builders and farmers are the most successful at winning the title
2. The best weight for an entrant to be is 10st 7lb
3. Competitors need to have strong legs and lungs

The sponsors are H.B.Clark independent brewers of Wakefield so a fourth fact would be an appetite for beer.

Gawthorpe is between Dewsbury and Osset and also has a good May Day tradition. with dancing on the FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY EVERY YEAR. Gawthorpe itself can be dated back to the Romans and is believed to be named after a Viking Chief called “Gorky “. At the lower end of the village is an earth mound known as Fairy Hill. This is thought to be a Viking burial mound.

It is confirmed that a coal mine was established at Gawthorpe as long ago as 1366 during the reign of Edward III

Maypole dancing itself dates back as far as Richard II in England, and during the reign of Henry VIII reached most of the rural villages including Gawthorpe. Mayday itself became a public holiday until Oliver Cromwell (1649 – 1660) banned May Merrymaking and all such festivities. These were fortunately re-established by Charles II.

Photo credits
coal mens race 2 by SFB579 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
coal female winner by SFB579 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Posted in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Tagged beer, events, nostalgia, sport | 1 Comment

Fly Fishing for Yorkshire Anglers

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Hortoris

Open mouthed you may catch more than the odd fly on the river Aire but Yorkshire anglers know far better rivers to enjoy their sport of fly fishing.

Fly Fishing

Yorkshire Anglers is a commercial club with 35 acres of water in two reservoirs and over a mile of the river Wharfe. 15 miles from Leeds this intimate private fishery has brown trout and rainbow trout weighing 1.25 lbs and occasionally much more. ‘The waters leased by Yorkshire Anglers are hidden gems, tucked away in the midst of typically beautiful Yorkshire scenery and are a refreshing tonic to the numerous ‘muddy puddles’ masquerading as fly fishing lakes. The two reservoirs and a stretch of the River Wharfe provide ample scope for the discerning fly-fisher to test his skills against fish which very quickly wise up and start feeding naturally.’

Fly fishing lessons are on offer with Steve Rhodes and the Yorkshire based Go Fly Fishing . Yorkshire has some of the most famous fly fishing locations in the UK with the equally limestone Rivers Wharfe, Ure and Aire in the Yorkshire Dales where Grayling and Trout are available. From fly tying to lessons on technique would make an interesting day out or a fine present.

Angling Resourse and Associations

The Grayling Society promotes awareness, conservation and angling for grayling worldwide.
The Wild Trout Trust – is dedicated to the conservation of wild trout in Britain through the protection of their habitats.
The Anglers Conservation Association – (ACA) fighting against polluters to clean up our streams, rivers and lakes.
Salmon & Trout Association Western Yorkshire branch runs courses at Bolton Abbey and Grassington and there are branches for South Yorkshire, North and East and Swale, Ure & Nidd,
Nidderdale Angling Club has waters on the river and at Scarr House reservoir
Thrybergh Country Park in Rotherham is a council run water which offers fly fishing only for the Rainbows and Brown Trout that run to 5lb. The water is restocked on a regular basis. Tickets are purchased from the vending machines and offer plenty of alternatives including 7 day permits and also concessions. Plenty of parking and toilets including disabled ones.
Helwith Bridge Fly Fishery is located in the Yorkshire Dales close to the villages of Ingleton and Settle, just off the A65.
Malham Tarn fly fishing courses include residential weekends.

Let us know your favourite fishing spot or resource.

Flyfishing for Coarse Fish by Dominic Garnett
Pike, Rudd, Carp, Roach, Perch, Barbel, Chub, Zander, Dace, Tench and Bream are all covered in some detail in this new authoritative book.

Photo Credit
Angler_03 by getty CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Fly Fishing on the Big Hole River, MT by CircumerroStock CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Spring fly fishing by Beneath_B1ue_Skies CC BY 2.0
humpy_trout_fly_selection12_assorted_humpy_flies CC BY 2.0

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes | Tagged resourses, weekend | Comments Off

Langsett, Midhope Moor and Reservoir

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Hortoris

History For Walkers, Birdwatchers and Cyclists

Previously known as Penisale, Langsett first appears in a charter of 1252 which tells of an agreement, whereby Walter de Houdham granted his whole manor at ‘Langside’ to Elias de Midhope now an area named Upper Midhope. It held a weekly market on a Tuesday until this was transferred to near-by Penistone.
Langsett reservoir was built between 1889 and 1905. It is around a mile long and supplies water to Sheffield and Barnsley.

Bird Watching Langsett Reservoir and Moor

The habitat like many Pennine reservoirs is surrounded by conifer plantations. There is extensive open heather moorland to the southwest which can be seen from the Low Moor view point.
For timing the autumn is good for Red Grouse and birds of prey. Spring and summer show most of the breeding species.
Species include a large range of ducks, Teals, Mallards and Tufted Ducks. Owls and wood peckers can often be seen and the fringes of the fields and moors have breeding meadow Pipits, Ouzels and occasional Twites.
Access from the village via a minor road sign posted Strines & Derwent valley which passes over the reservoir dam where you can watch the reservoir birds. Then move on through Upper Midhope, turn sharp right and park near a sign Privilege Footpath for Low Moor and views of the moors and paths through the woods.

The Local Inn and Cafe

The yearly visit from Thurlston Brass Band to the Waggon and Horses takes place in June – (24th June 2012 from 12 until 5.)
Langsett independent film festival has been bringing people together for over 17 years to show and enjoy films at the inn.
The Waggon and Horses Inn is the watering hole of choice for walkers, birdwatchers, cyclists and local beer drinkers.
Langsett cafe has won cyclist cafe of the year chosen by local CTC members. ‘It serves good food at a very reasonable price and is very cyclist friendly.’

I like the vision of created by the Guardian ‘Gazing across the broad acres of Langsett Moor and the Thurlstone Moors towards the formerly “forbidden” Snailsden Moor at the head of the Holme Valley I was reminded of the words of Halliwell Sutcliffe (1870-1932). Though perhaps remembered best as a creator of historical romances, this son of the West Riding was a pioneer thinker on open access to the high country, for so long reserved exclusively for grouse shooting. He highlighted in A Benedick in Arcady the rules to be followed, tongue-in-cheek, by the “Complete Trespasser”. read the full article from a Country diary.

Photo and Other Credits
Langsett Reservoir by sheffieldhammer CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Moorland Grouse by timdifford ‘Photographs taken on a family stroll around Langsett Reservoir’ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
IMG_0835 by http://underclassrising.net/ CC BY-SA 2.0 A ‘look at The Haunted House on a Hill overlooking Penistone and Holmfirth then onto Langsett Bank Woods Moor, and reservoir Sheffield’

Yorkshires top Twelve Birdwatching Sites

Walk 1 around the reservoir and history
Yorkshire Water Langsett, Midhope Moor and Reservoir Walking.
Share my Routes

Posted in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Tagged birdwatching, cycling, walking | Comments Off

Visit Top Ten Gardens in Yorkshire

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Hortoris

As the winter months loom larger I have picked out some Yorkshire gardens that have all year round interest for visitors. Then follows a review of the floral and special gardens you can plan to visit from Spring. This selection have free entry for members of the Royal Horticultural Society but have varied charges for the public.

Autumn & Winter Gardens

Thorp Perrow Arboretum and woodland garden has dramatic foliage through autumn and thousands of naturalised daffodils to see in spring. The old and venerable trees look majestic at any time and within the 100 acres there are 66 ‘Champion Trees’, that is the largest of their kind in Britain. Additionally there are 5 National Collections of Walnut, Limes, Ash, Cotinus and Laburnum. The birds of Prey and Mammal centre provides extra interest particularly when the fly the Falcons.
Ripley Castle Gardens are open until 4.30pm all year but the woods and views are the main winter features. The walled gardens contain amongst other items a national collection of Hyacinth so the scent is something to look forward too in May.
Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley are shown in the photograph above. A deal of lottery and other funding has been spent on this garden in recent years and the pleached trees and stumpery are something to behold. A series of gothic follies and other structures enhance the viewing but for the fit a walk in the adjacent parkland is a bonus. If there was a speciality it is the acid loving collections of Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias.
Ripley Castle Gardens are open all year except Christmas day.

Year Round Garden Visits

Harewood House gardens close at the end of October so it may have to be on the list to visit next year. It will open again in February. It will be interesting to see how the new Himalayan garden performs next spring. I expect to see plenty of Primulas as well as the old favourites. If it rains you can always visit the house or look at the various garden sculptures from the tea rooms.
A boutique garden that opens for the old gardeners charity Perennialis York Gate Garden in Adel. Laid out as 14 separate gardens in less than an acre it is bound to give you some inspiration and ideas for your own garden. Only open Thursday and Sunday afternoons it is well worth making the journey to see.
Parcevall Hall Gardens are open to the public from April to October and have 25 acres of formal and woodland garden. Some of the views of Wharfedale are spectacular but for me the prize area are the Rockery and Herbaceous beds.

In February it is a quiet time to visit these gardens but as spring starts to break out it can be a rewarding activity.

If this inspires you to renovate parts of your own garden it is still not too late to plant some Tulips for flowering in Spring 2010 from Thompson & Morgan. Gold and purple tulips in flower at RHS Harlow Carr Gardens (open all year).

Other Yorkshire Gardens to Visit

Scampston Hall walled gardens are worth a visit at Malton North Yorkshire
Millgate House in Richmond is only open in winter by appointment.
Thorp Perrow is open all year except for special event days.
Burnby Hall Gardens have great water lilies in summer
Burton Agnes Gardens have good but complex opening arrangements. Before traveling to far check out your timings.
Wentworth Castle garden is open all year.
Brodsworth Hall gardens are open all year except over Christmas.

To add plants to your own garden consider

Posted in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Tagged gardening | 2 Comments