God's Own County

Horse Racing in Yorkshire

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Hortoris

There is a Yorkshire racecourse to suit all tastes for a day visit or evening out! Some key links are listed below to find dates and times of key events.
Where there’s muck there’s brass but it might be horse muck and horse brasses so don’t bet the farm.

Catterick
Beverley
Doncaster
Pontefract
Redcar
Ripon
Thirsk
Wetherby
York

York Special Mention
The celebration of fifty years of the John Smith’s Cup on 10th 11th July 2009 was an event not to be missed. The informal party highlight of the year combines betting excitement and summer fun. Ever since it was first run in 1960, the John Smith’s Cup has had a story to tell.
On 15-16 June 2012 enjoy top class racing whilst raising money for charity. Since 1971 this charity event has now raised over £5,000,000. The John Smith Cup meeting is on 13-14 July this year
The support of the Tadcaster brewer makes this the longest running sponsorship on the flat anywhere in the world and the golden jubilee celebrations promise to be fun. A range of special cask ales will be brought in specially to toast the occasion. Other special events will be announced here as the big day approaches.

Photo credits

Horse race by Boston Public Library CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Horse racing by Paolo Camera CC BY 2.0

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Horse Stables around Middleham

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Hortoris

Horse racing and stabling may go back to the monks of Jervaux Abbey who were reputed to be the first horse breeders in Wensleydale.
Did King Richard III exercise on ‘Low Moor’? Or is it down to the Middleham racecourse that opened in 1739. What ever the reason Middleham is known for its stiff winds, ‘High Moor’ and strong air and being a great base for Racehorse training and stables.
Set high in Wensleydale, trainers, jockeys and horses alike can enjoy sensational scenery also enjoyed by many visitors. It is common place to see the horses on the gallops or if you stay in bed and breakfast or a local hostelry you may be woken by the early string on its way to exercise on the common land that is the Moor.

Gaitowners were those who have grazing rights over the land and they caused problem and injury to horses in the holes left by grazing cattle. Horses are now such a large part of the economy in Middleham that sensible arrangements have been created to allow the exercise and training to tackle place on undamaged ground.

Issac Cape of Tupgill Park stables may have been the first trainer to be based in Middleham. Many famous racehorses have been trained here including Derby winners Pretender 1869 and Dante 1945 and St Ledger winner Theodore. Another trainer Neville Crump turned out three Grand National winners from his famous yard Warwick House Stables, Sheila’s Cottage 1948, Teal 1952 and Merryman II 1960. More results and history from 1800 on Yorkshire Racing.

There are fifteen Jockey Club-licensed trainers in and around Middleham. Eight of them have their stables in Middleham and the others are at Coverham nearby. Between them the trainers have in their charge over 500 racehorses.

Middleham online has details of places to stay and other interesting things to do and helped compile this list of Stables:

Warwick Lodge Stables – the home of George Moore – National Hunt and Flat trainer with over 600 winners to date – another who played a leading role in Middleham’s racing revival.

Manor House Stables – where Patrick Haslam trains – with runners all year round on the flat, jumping and especially renowned for his successes on the All-Weather.

Wynbury Stables – Ferdy Murphy’s well known National Hunt yard at West Witton – with a string of successes including Cheltenham.

Ashgill Stables – for 42 years the yard of Ernie Weymes and now his son John Weymes has taken over the reins already with many successes. The yard has been re-furbished and restored and can boast excellent facilities as well as being handy for the Equine Pool and Gallops.

Kingsley House – probably the best know yard here today, home of trainer Mark Johnston. With around 160 horses in training and winners of some of the most prestigious Flat races in the world. Their logo says ‘Always Trying’ and they are doing just that – putting Middleham firmly on the racing map since arriving here in 1988! He is the first trainer ever to have 100 winners in ten consecutive Flat seasons!

Castle Stables -The home of Kate Milligan – small yard with successes in National Hunt racing.

Sharp Hill Farm – Kate Walton’s – another small but very successful yard.

Oakwood Stables – The yard of Micky Hammond.

Glasgow House Stables – Chris and Judy Fairhurst train at this famous old yard ~ which in 1822 sent out the first four in the St Ledger!

Sharp Hill Farm The yard of Chris Thornton – with modern American Barn style stabling
for 27 horses with excellent facilities and private access to Middleham Moor gallops

High Beck, Brecongill, Coverham. The yard of young trainer Jed O’Keeffe former assistant
to Micky Hammond.

Ashgill Yard 2 – Andy Crook’s yard.

Spigot Lodge – the home of trainer Karl Burke.

Thorngill, Coverham, Middleham – The yard of James Bethell

Brecongill, Coverham, Middleham – One of the oldest training yards in Middleham dating from the 18th century and where Sally Hall has trained since 1969

I have had many happy weekends with the family staying around Middleham and if you choose to visit take time out to sample local hospitality.

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Bread Bred as Teacakes

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Hortoris

Now everyone is over Easter and the glut of ‘Hot Cross Buns’ I thought I would dust off an old chestnut ‘ Does a Yorkshire teacake contain currants?’ I am clear that a breadcake is plain usually flat and useful for lunchtime sarnies. A teacake can also be, sans dried fruit, made into a savoury sandwich but is lighter and more cakey than bready. Many’s the ‘Drip Teacake’ I ate from the Ivegate pork butchers in the 1960’s when I was training.

A currant teacake is just that, a simple teacake with some currants, nothing more nothing less. A fruit teacake can have all manner of bits and pieces including my favourite sultanas. Both make a brilliant toasted teacake with lashings of butter.

A couple of years ago the Dalesman ran a discussion group on the subject and some contributions can be found here.

Continue reading →

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Otley Chevin Forest Park Day Out

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Hortoris

You might expect to find climbers on the rocks at the Chevin but I think you would be surprised to see elephants. (see at the bottom of the page)

The Chevin Forest Park is a wooded escarpment overlooking the market town of Otley with magnificent views of the Wharfe Valley.
Massive rock outcrops dominate the park which rises steeply to a height of 280m above sea level at its highest point. For bouldering enter the park at Caley Crags from the A660 Otley to Bramhope road.
The whole park was designated as a local nature reserve in 1989 in recognition of its fantastic wealth of wildlife.
There are a couple of orienteering courses available from the Airienteers website.
Geocaching is a fun way to learn how to find your way around, using maps and following clues. There are six geocache sites for you to discoverand it is a fun activity to do with children – go to www.geocaching.com.
After a brisk walk there is nothing like a bacon buttie at the White House Cafe and Visitor Information Centre
When I spoke of surprising elephants I was not thinking about surprise view which is a good place to park and access the Chevin from York Gate road by the Royalty pub. From this lofty spot 280 meters circa 800 feet high you can look down on Leeds Bradford airport runway and watch the planes take off and land. Also there are views of the Wharfe Valley, Otley, Pool and off towards York
For the wild life enthusiast there is a deal of flora and fauna to look at.

Chevin Forest

There are a number of different woodland types within the Chevin Forest Park.
Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland can be found beyond the West Chevin Road.
The Danefield area of the park contains plantations of mixed broadleaved and coniferous woodland.
As the photos show there is wood sculpture as part of the natural management of the wooded areas.
Those infested with Himalayan balsam were subject to a lot of effort last year by volunteers who removed the weed by hand.
Great Dib Wood is designated a site of special scientific interest SSSI due to its special geological interest. This includes features such as the exposures of rocks from the Namurian series, in particular the fossil rich bed known as the Otley Shell Bed.

A 5.5 mile walk around the Otley Chevin Forest trail will set your endorphins buzzing

The Chevin. forest recommends walks or horse riding through the gentle woods, to picnics in the level grassy open areas at Danefield or climbing on the grit at Caley Crags as some of the activities you can try. I recommend the fun of an impromptu gamer of rounders off East Chevin road.
For more on Bouldering see link

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Wakefield Facts – Interesting & Unusual

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Hortoris

Wakefield is the principal City of the West Riding and County Hall was the administrative centre for West Riding County Council from 1898.
The name “Wakefield” may derive from “Waca’s field” (but then it would be near Liverpool surely) meaning open land belonging to someone named “Waca”. More likely it is derived from witch or wake a festival in a field.

The Arts and Wakefield

‘There is no such thing as bad weather, every sky has its beauty.’ A quotation from Wakefield’s Victorian novelist George Gissing. His former home is open on a Saturday as the Gissing Centre in Thompsons Yard. The centre houses family memorabilia, exhibition material and a large collection of books by and about George Gissing.
For an unusual museum visit the Museum of Mental Health at Stephen Beaumont museum Ouchthorpe Lane (what an address for Fieldhead hospital).
Drury Lane London eat your heart out! Drury Lane Wakefield is the home of our own Theatre Royal, The Art House and the Artwalk. John Godber and company are based at the theatre.
‘The Hepworth’ sculpture gallery is already speaking for itself as a new art space designed by architects David Chipperfield (like a circus tent then?). Thursday evenings looks like a favourite with late opening, dining and shopping until 9.00pm.

Coal was dug from Wakefield from the 15th Century. By 1869, there were 44 different coal pits.
In the post-war period the National Coal Board was the biggest employer.
The two biggest coal mines – Manor Colliery on Cross Lane and Park Hill colliery at Eastmoor were closed in 1982, one of the first major closures of the 1980s
In 1906, Scottish/American businessman Andrew Carniege gave a grant of £8,000 for the Wakefield Library on Drury Lane.

History of Wakefield

The area around Wakefield was the home of the Brigantes until it was occupied by the Romans around 43 AD.
During the Wars of the Roses, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York was killed in the Battle of Wakefield on 30 December 1460.
During the Civil War, Wakefield was a Royalist stronghold until Sir Thomas Fairfax captured the town for the Parliamentarians in 1643.
An Act of Parliament was passed in 1699 creating the Aire-Calder Navigation which provided the town with access to the North Sea and helped Wakefield become a prosperous market town.

The medieval Chantry bridge and Chantry Chapel over the River Calder in Wakefield.

Photo: J3MRs

Odd Unusual Facts about Wakefield

Two children’s nursery rhymes already have local ‘connections; “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” which may have been sung by women inmates at Wakefield prison and “The Grand Old Duke of York” which may allude to the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, referring to Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York.’ From wikipedia
In the Middle ages Wakefield was known as the “Merrie City”
Wakefield Trinity renamed themselves the Wildcats for Rugby League premiership.

Wakefield is known as the capital of the Rhubarb Triangle.

Photo Credits
Injured Observation by neonbubble CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 at Wakefield Trinity match
The Hepworth Wakefield by diamond geezer CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ‘Wakefield’s new landmark sculpture gallery rises up at the foot of a weir on the river Calder’
Northgate Wakefield & Cathedral Silhouette by rofanator CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Posted in Yorkshire Facts - Interesting and Unusual | Tagged facts | 1 Comment

From Yorkshire to the Burmese-Thai Border

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Hortoris

Charity begins at home can only hold true if you have a home!

Thousands of Burmese ‘Karen people’ from the Irrawaddy delta of Burma have fled their homes in terror! Their villages were burned down, their families forced to suffer rape, torture or the horror of watching KNLA soldiers and the Burmese Military following a ‘flush and kill policy’.

Those who fled to Thailand were herded into camps and even after over 10 years armed guards prevent them from leaving the camp. Some of the worst suffering comes to babies and children who must rely on outside intervention, education, health and support.

Enter Leeds Charity Kidz in Kampz

Since the 1990’s the unpaid staff at Kidz in Kampz have raised funds to support the educational and welfare needs of children living in camps such as Nupo.
A vibrant charity shop behind Asda at Holt Park Leeds redirects virtually all its funds (+87%) to the Kampz for health, hygiene, and education projects.

Examples of support include the 60 young people without parents who live in Kidz in Kampz safe boarding houses and the new mother and baby centre providing training and nutritious food for 600 malnourished mothers.
The charity also funds the school of hope for children with special needs in Nupo camp.

Kidz in Kampz have built two pre-school nurseries, accommodating 200 two to four-year-olds. ‘Here they have two nutritious meals each day, plus fruit and milk. However more important a chance to play together – just for a short time every day nursery activities provide a brief respite from the harsh conditions of camp life.’

The charity is a hands direct support project and not a lobbying and campaigning organisation. For this reason Yorkshire folk can feel happy supporting Kidz in Kampz knowing any goods or money will be put to good use. The link above shows how you can help financially or just call into the shop.

The patron of Kidz in Kampz is the Leeds politician Greg Mulholland MP and the charity registered number is 1096118.
The Charity manager is Madge Davey and this is a link to a story about one of her efforts for the kidz.

Photographs have been supplied by Kidz in Kampz .

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Get thisens down Stump Cross Caves

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Hortoris

Harrogate, Skipton, Grassington, Hebden and Pateley Bridge all claim Stump Cross Caverns as their own. That will give you a clue as to where you can find Stump Cross; in the middle of nowhere on Greenhow Hill.
Do not be put off from making a visit as the B6265 was conveniently built to run passed the caves and Grimworth Reservoir.

To me they are called caves but to many it is Stump Cross Caverns. Under the limestone there are 4 miles or more of caves, one mile of which have been open to the public for many years. The cave system was discovered in 1860 by lead miners William and Mark Newbould. Stump Cross became a must visit tourist attraction in the 1960’s and 70’s then four Reindeer fossils and animal bones were discovered in Reindeer Cave and this was opened to the public in 2000.

A range of stalactites, stalagmites and unusual rock formations are illuminated along level pathways that make a descent into the caves an unforgettable experience for people of all ages. Sparkling stalactites (tights go down as I was taught) and stalagmites (growing upward) add an extra ingredient to the water sculpted rock walls of the cave. Some of the stalagmites at Stump Cross Caverns are known to be at least 170,000 years old and caves themselves must be very much older.
Many have been given special names like the ‘Butchers block’ which is lit in bloody red lighting.

Whatelse Can Stump Cross Offer

There are good tea rooms offering a robust sandwich and a good cuppa. The lecture theatre displays a 20 minute video detailing the history of the caves and the local area. Useful for the school parties who find a surprise in the all year round even temperature in the caves.
The obligatory gift shop stocks a wide variety of geological pieces including minerals, fossils and crystals.
Locally there are walks over the hills or around Grimwith reservoir and all the towns near by offer accommodation and food.
Locally it is a good area for birds such as Eurasian Wigeon, Teal, Geese and at various times Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Common Redshank, Curlew, Reed Bunting, Lesser Redpoll, Whinchat and Sedge Warbler have all been spotted.

Credits
Stump cross cave pano by vapour trail CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Stump Cross Caverns by spli CC BY-SA 2.0
Stump Cross Caverns by Jez B CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Glide around Baildon

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Hortoris

From Dobrudden farm and the surrounding area you will see many model planes and enthusiasts. If there nwas a pilot in the balsa wood plane they would get a rapidly changing picture of path ways, slopes, bracken and clouds.

Baildon Facts

Trench Meadows near Shipley Glen is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Denso Marston Nature reserve is near Baildon bottom Charlestown.
Bracken Hall countryside centre is worth a visit with the kids. It is on Shipley Glen and can be reached via the glen tramway.
Baildon has a population of 15,500
Baildon has been inhabited for eons as the cup and ring stones on the moor testify but was first recorded in AD 835 in a letter from the King to the Archbishop of York.
Hall Cliffe Community Garden is near the Ian Clough Hall.
Baildon railway station has only one platform and a single track on the section from Shipley to Ilkley.
A commuter zone for Leeds and Bradford of which it is part.

Areas that are part of Baildon

Otley Road
Tong Park
Charlestown
Woodbottom
Ferniehirst
Shipley Glen
Baildon Moor
Milner Field

Read Views and Walks over Baildon and see Trig points

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Yorkshires Climbing Walls

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Hortoris

It is enough to drive you up the wall – literally. There are new walls going up all over the country and no more so than in Yorkshire. Gone is the popular image of a beardy bloke with bobble hat climbing Kilnsey Crag (although he is still there as well). Enter the indoor sports and climbing enthusiast climbing a purpose built facility. Often they are upwardly mobile in several senses.

Leeds University can claim the first indoor wall built in 1964 to help climbers to keep fit during winter nights and days. Don Robinson would admit his low brick wall with chiselled holes was primitive by current standards. At my local sports and leisure centre Guiseley they built an early wall that was opened by Chris Bonnington.

The Leeds Wall is said to rival Kilnsey Cragg due to its fierce overhangs and Sheffield 1990 saw the opening of a complex wall resembling an indoor crag.

Moving up to date the video was taken at the relatively new Harrogate Climbing Centre where they run and post bouldering league results. ‘Things are hotting up, especially in the Under 16 categories, keep going guys, let’s see who comes out the winner!
It’s all still to play for in the adult women’s round though, let’s see a few more girls taking part 1st March 2011’.
To go with the physical exercise and the social side they also run a series of workshops such as one to focus on helping climbers to enhance their training by learning about how the mental side of climbing can help or restrict performance. Plus practical techniques to reduce barriers and maximise your focus, concentration and motivation…

Outdoor Bouldering Sites in Yorkshire
Earls Crag with overhangs and lips.
At Scugdale the most popular spot is Scot Crag with climbs at every grade but best for the easier grades. Barkers Crags is quieter but has the best selection of quality climbs at every grade. Stoney Wicks is the smallest outcrop with climbs rarely above 3m high but is in a pleasant east facing situation and makes for a great warm up area. Snotterdale is the least popular, hidden away in the woods, it does however have a number of climbs that are worth seeking out especially on a windy day. A recently published venue at the head of Scugdale is White Stone
Crookrise is a good old-fashioned gritstone escarpment, located north of Skipton

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York Mystery Plays 2014 and Prior

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Hortoris

York Mystery plays were committed to writing by monks in the 14th Century as a cycle for performance by the craft guilds. 48 of the original 50 plays tells the the story of mankind from a middle ages interpretation of the bible. Starting with the creation, through the old testament to Crucifixion, Resurrection and Judgment Day. Even back in 1379 it is reputed that Richard II witnessed the festival from Micklegate Bar.

On 11th & 18th July 2010 twelve plays will be performed on waggons at various locations in York. ‘The waggons move through the city streets accompanied by music – a colourful and vivid spectacle. The open air performance using moving pageant waggons harks back to the original spectacle of the medieval Corpus Christi day festivities…

The plays were not performed after 1572 until 1951 when the manuscript at the British museum and an 1885 transcript were used in the revival.

Various organisations take part including old guilds such as the Scriveners and Cordwainers. The flags and banners of many old Guilds can be seen in the magnificently timbered Merchant Adventurers Hall. This is located between Fossgate and Piccadilly.

2014 Mystery Plays

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