Category Archives: Yorkshire Trips and Places

What to do and where to go.

Seven Yorkshire Castles

We are not a war like race but Yorkshire folk have long stood up for what is right. Sometimes it has been necessary to stand inside a castle to repel t’other side and here is a selection of Yorkshire Castles you can visit.

Scarborough Castle
The headland was a signaling station from the 4th century and used by Romans as part of their coastal defences.
The unauthorised castle was built by William le Gross in the 12th century and rebuilt by Henry III.
George Fox the founder of the Quakers was imprisoned in the castle in 1665.
The castle was in use until bombed by the Germans during World War I.

Skipton Castle
This was a fortified house and is in a good state of repair. The open sections date from 12th century.
From the 14th century the Clifford family took up residence. After it was seiged and damaged during the civil war Lady Anne Clifford restored the castle.
There are a large number of doors leading from the courtyard and children like to play in the area.
The church of Holy Trinity has a slab giving the Clifford genealogy and this is also worth a visit.

Richmond Castle
The castle is the oldest stone built castle in England which is maintained and owned by English heritage.
The remains are of a Norman castle the building of which commenced 1071 overlooking the river Swale.
The keep was added to the castle in the 12th centurywith walls of an amazing eleven feet thick.
The castle keep rises to a height of over 100 feet and can be seen from many local vantage points.
During World War I the detention cells were used to house conscientious objectors.

Middleham Castle
Built to replace a motte and bailey castle formerly on William’s Hill, Middleham castle was built in 12th century. A chaple was added in the 13th century with other additions through to 15th century.
Richard III was based at the castle when it was used as part of the government for Northern England.

Conisbrough Castle
See Conisbrough-village-and-castle

Pickering Castle
Visit Pickering via the North Yoork Moors Steam railway to start your historic trip.
The castle was started in the 11th century and wooden palisades were replaced during the 1220′s
The 15th century gatehouse is now a ruin but the Diate Hill and Rosamund’s towers can be seen with a postern gate to the inner bailey.
St Peter & St Paul church provides a historical backdrop to the castle and Pickering.

Bolton Castle
Started in 1379 Bolton Castle near Hawes in Wensleydale was a more comfortable castle than earlier designs. It is now one of the best UK examples of 14th century architecture in a secular building.
Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Bolton in 1568.

Photo Credits
Scarborough Castle by Ingy The Wingy Scarborough Castle by Ingy The Wingy CC BY-ND 2.0
Skipton, Grassington & Pateley Bridge by dvdbramhall CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Richmond Castle by Ambersky235 CC BY-ND 2.0
Middleham Castle by rofanatorCC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Conisbrough Castle by James.Stringer CC BY-NC 2.0
Pickering Castle by James.Stringer CC BY-NC 2.0
Bolton Castle by davesag CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Animated Bradford in Media Museum

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Do you love the Wombles, Bugs Bunny, Wallace and Grommit or other animation characters then get to see BAF at the National Media Museum in Bradford.
Bradford is getting animated so put a trip on your list of things to do this summer.

What is BAF

The British Animation Festival (BAF) takes place each November at the National Media Museum in Bradford. The UK’s longest running such festival features screentalks, retrospectives, workshops and a competition strand which recognises the very best in new animation from around the world.

The 19th Bradford Animation Festival will take place from Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 November 2012.

This year two films festivals will be celebrating 100 years since the birth of a truly legendary director who brought the world some of Bugs Bunny’s, Elmer Fudd’s, Road Runner’s and Daffy Duck’s greatest moments in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Chuck Jones was at the forefront of Warner Brothers’ golden era of animation, and they will be screening eighteen of his cartoons throughout the festival.

What about the Animation Gallery

Bradford’s internationally acclaimed Animation Gallery explores the history of animation and animated images, with an emphasis on animation produced in Britain. See some of your favourite characters, look back at animation through the ages and discover how animators bring drawings and objects to life.

For animation on the Small Screen you will smile again at the Smash Martian puppets, illustrating the importance of commercials to the survival of animation studios.
Continue to the realm of children’s animation to see a set from The Wombles, and artwork and storyboards from Bob the Builder. More fun is on display with the set for The Wrong Trousers, complete with Wallace and the notorious ‘Feathers’ McGraw.

For film buff explore the basic principles of perceiving movement and how animated drawings pre-date the development of moving pictures. Try your hand at optical toys such as the zoetrope, praxinoscope and the wheel of life. On display are major objects from the National Cinematography Collection such as Louis Le Prince’s single lens and 16 lens cameras, an Edison Kinetoscope and a Lumière Cinématographe, together with an interactive display showing how these devices work.

You can take a seat in our viewing booth to watch clips from animated films from 1897 onwards, then learn about range of animation techniques from cut-outs to computer animation, and the ever-popular stop-motion method. This section tells you about the work of Winsor McCay, Walt Disney, Lotte Reiniger, Norman McLaren, John Whitney, John Lasseter, and many other famous animators.

Watch clips of distinctly British animation and see original artwork, puppet models and sets from titles such as Animal Farm, Dangermouse, Morph, Andy Pandy, Jason and the Argonauts and Girls Night Out.

Batman Superman Joker Animation by Terry Bain CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Kerpow!

Ray Harryhausen is a world-renowned master of stop-motion animation famous for bringing mythical creatures to life in films such as Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Clash of the Titans (1981). The museum recently acquired Ray’s complete personal collection including original models and artwork from his film career.

BAF Game, is the festival’s popular splinter strand dedicated to exploring the overlap between video games, animation and film and features presentations and masterclasses from key industry figures.

Helmsley Walled Garden – Helmsley

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Used as a walled garden in 1759 Helmsley now boasts a renovated garden of excellence. The mission it has chosen to acept since 1984 is the conserving of old, rare and endangered garden plants using organic techniques or green gardening.

Helmsley’s tranquil walled garden is nestled away behind the car parks at Helmsley. I do not know the size of most walled gardens but this seemed to be one of the largest walled areas I had come across at about 5 acres. With the wind blowing off the Hambledon hills it was probably a good thing to have a wall around your vegetables 250 years ago when the wall was built. Nowadays there is a fine selection of flowers, fruit and vegetables thriving in the sun trap that is Helmsley walled garden.

Fruit at Helmsley
There are over 50 different Yorkshire Apple Trees planted in the garden. These heritage varieties are important resource for future breeding to say nothing of the eating. I did not realise a few miles away was a larger apple orchard at Ampleforth Abbey and College nor that there were so many orchards in Yorkshire. I list is available from ‘England in Particular Yorkshire’.

Walking around the garden at the end of June I was impressed by the size and quantity of Gooseberries on the bushes on the south wall. I was wondering who got the opportunity to eat them when I saw gooseberry crumble on the menu at the busy vegetarian cafe. Sharp and tasty crumble followed Pea soup, I put back any calories used in walking around but Mmmm.

Grape vines including Victorian dessert varieties were grown in neat rows and I am considering growing my own vine in my garden after seeing how simple they made it look.

Environmentally Friendly.
The garden tries to be organic and only struggles to avoid chemicals when it comes to treating the paths. The many volunteers were weeding and tidying as I walked around and you can imagine why so many gardeners were needed in the past when there was little or no mechanisation or specialist tools. I noticed for mulching new plantings they use ‘Strulch’ a shredded straw based mulch for organic gardening.

A special group of eco-friendly volunteers calling themselves the ‘The North Yorkshire Rotters’ are compost crazy. In addition to 4 or 5 large traditional compost bins there is a collection of more modern plastic affairs aimed at encouraging us to compost in our garden.

Sustainability of walled gardens are the aspiration of the Walled Gardens Network which is a group of national organisations with interest in walled gardens

See Helmsley walled garden’s own gallery of photographs

Langsett, Midhope Moor and Reservoir

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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.
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Visit Top Ten Gardens in Yorkshire

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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

Embsay Station and Bolton Abbey Railway

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Nostalgia is not what it used to be except in Yorkshire where you can see old railways like the one that runs from Embsay to Bolton Abbey. Of course you can also see the National Railway Museum and many working steam railways. So like Beeching’s axed railways, nostalgia is making a comeback.

embsay

This is Embsay Moor between Bolton Abbey and Embsay. It is looking north in the direction of Grassington. To the south of this photo is the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway which is run by enthusiasts for tourists and train enthusiasts. It is a beautiful part of the county, though an open cast mine diminishes the beauty of the view to the south.

Steam engine services run throughout the year on Sundays. In the summer, train services run every week. For timetable details see: Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway

For children there is the Embsay Tank Engine Club.
Embsay Tank Engine Club is an organisation for young visitors to the railway to join. The club is ideally suited for all children of all ages. On offer to members of the club are:
• free travel (on normal operating days – see our timetable for dates.)
• cheap tickets (on special event days)

For the shoppers in the family the market town of Skipton is close enough to spend a fortune, or miles away if you want to avoid the missus spending too much.

Photo Credits
Bolton Abbey Railway Station by Bods CC BY-SA 2.0
Embsay Station by reinholdbehringer CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Embsay Station by Helen Olney CC BY 2.0

Yorkshire’s Top Twelve Bird Watching Sites

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John R Mather ( ‘Where to watch Birds in Yorkshire & Humberside‘) has compiled a list of 156 Yorkshire sites from which I have selected a personal favourites list or top dozen. To make it a bakers dozen please comment below with your own personal favourite.

On the Coast RSPB Bempton Cliff stands out in more ways than one.
Humber Estuary in the East Riding you may want to check out Cherry Cobb Sands or Welwick Salting.
North Yorkshire Moors have a different environment at Dalby and Staindale Forest.
Richmond and Northwestern Dalesaround Arkengarthdale
Settle and Upper Wharfedale particularly Malham Tarn or Semer water near Hawes.
Masham and Upper Nidderdale Yorkshire Waters reservoirs at Grimwith or Gouthwaite
Nidderdale and Washburn Valley gravel-pits at Hay-a-park Knaresborough
Downstream Aire Valley you can’t beat Fairburn Ings close to the A1
Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve and Weldrake Ings.
Doncaster Area and Thorpe Marsh run by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Southern Pennines Hardcastle Crags owned by the National Trust
My own garden with feeders and bird friendly garden features.

From the various links you can see how many organisations help with the protection of birds and support their hobby of birdwatching. It can be a low or no cost hobby that you may find very rewarding.

Appropriate Birding Books

Bird watching walks in the yorkshire dales by Brendan Threfal
Bird Watching in East Yorkshire, the Humber and Teesmouth by Stephen C Elliott
Birds of the Yorkshire Dales by W R Mitchell
( ‘Where to watch Birds in Yorkshire & Humberside‘) by John R Mather

Photo Credits

Sparrow by Hitched Hiker CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Puffin by nigel_appleton CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

God’s Own County Book Club Top Ten Travel Guides

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South Yorkshire seldom gets coverage because it is not a proper area unlike our three famous ridings, North, West and East. However to redress the balance slightly I have started with this South Yorkshire County Planning Map: No. 1A by Jonathan Davey who claims to have ‘The county administrative boundary … highlighted on each map and for added emphasis the mapping outside the boundary has been faded out’.
However again and on to the main event of the evening….

Top Ten Travel Guides for Yorkshire

1.The Rough Guide to Yorkshire or ‘Roughing It Around Yorkshire’

2. ‘Images of Yorkshire Moors & Wolds’ Our own images and the coffee table book ‘The Yorkshire Moors and Wolds’ by Mark Denton

3. Yorkshire Dales: A Dog Walker’s Guide by Rob Godfrey Yorkshire is great for walkers and this leads you on countless footpaths, ancient lanes and bridleways but not necessarily with a guide dog.

4. Dent Dale Howgills, Dentdale, Ribblesdale, Airedale, Wharfdale a Cicerone Guide.

5. Waiting for a post on this book but if it is as good as Mark Denton’s other work then ‘The Yorkshire Coast’ will have earned a place here.

6. A quick guide to Slow North Yorkshire: Moors, Dales & Coast, including York – Local, characterful guides to Britain’s special places from Mike Bradshaw

7. The Insight Guide to Great Breaks in York. Our recommendation try Cycling York

8. Do not overlook the North Riding or the East Riding. We have been guilty of doing so and intend to fit it. ‘Tourist’s Guide to the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire: Containing Full Information Concerning All the Favorite Places of Resort, Both on the Coast and Inland’ by George Phillips Bevan

9. Holding temporary place at number 9 is the ‘Tourist’s Guide to the West Riding of Yorkshire’ by the above author.

10. We started with a map and end on the same note.

Click on the book image for a link to Amazon. Where there is no book image we have a full report on the subject and have provided a link to our internal God’s Own County Book Club Top Ten Travel Guides appraisal.

Post Office Entrepreneurs at South Milford

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It is hard to make a living at most retail ventures and no more so than at rural post offices. I was therefore mightily impressed by entrepreneurs running the South Milford Post Office during a recent visit.

Reason for Visiting South Milford

I was on a mission to find a small friendly nursery that I had visited a decade or so before. I just remembered that it was up a dirt track and had an adjacent tea room – a double win!
Mill Farm nursery and tea garden is ‘A truly quaint hobby Nursery for real Gardeners’ selling only hardy perennials and shrubs that are cold grown and sold outside throughout the year.
Famous for offering the best value for money plants that grow year after year. There are two basic offers that are 20 perennials of your choice for £15 or 12 shrubs for a similar £15. These are well grown plants in substantial 5″ pots or deep plastic containers. You are given or take a pencil, plant label and cardboard box and left to make your own selection. My 32 plants cost £30 but all are all plants that I hope to appreciate over the coming months and years.

There are no signs to direct you but you turn up by the side of the post office then follow the dirt track until the nursery appears on the left. The big disappointment was that the Tea Room was closed due to a couple of poor summers (and dare I say it lack of publicity)
Never the less there was a helpful redirection to the Post Office, which explained they had taken over the mantle of refreshing the gardeners who visited the nursery, and even displayed the Post Office menu.

Lunch or Afternoon Tea at the Post Office

I think this shop was a cake shop and post office rather than just a post office selling food so large was the choice for those with a sweet tooth.
I ate a whopping tuna salad and received a complementary strawberries and biscuit on the side with my Tea. I have a good appetite but could only manage half a caramel shortcake it was so large. (I couldn’t wrap the remains in a serviette as I had been given a laundered linen one tied with lace (not what you expect from a Post Office).
Near the outside tables was a stall selling vegetable farm produce to visitors and locals as I guess the nearest greengrocers would be many miles away.

On the basis of use them or loose them I encourage you to visit the plant nursery and the Post Office to see South Milfords entrepreneurs in action.

Yorkshire 3 – Saw Doctors 1

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The Saw Doctors that great live band were in Yorkshire at the inaugural Kilnsey rock fest. They have 3 more dates in 2012 including Holmefirth Picturedrome and York Opera House.

Holmefirth Picturedrome
With such a remarkable intimate venue and outstanding sound system, The Picturedrome is a perfect place to see your favourite artists up-close and personal. It has a built in stage, a sizable dance floor and a state-of-the-art sound system. The stage is well lit with spot lights which creates a perfect atmosphere as all Saw Doctors fans will know.

Other Yorkshire Dates 2012

Sat 7th Jul Garforth Arts Festival:
Saw Doctors + Nitin Sawhney + Shlomo & The Lip Factory + Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers + Mzuvele High School Choir + Garforth Jazz Rock Band (GJRB) + Phoenix Dance Theatre + Gary Stewart + A.M.P. + Garforth Academy Singers

Thu 9th Aug Saw Doctors Holmfirth Picturedrome

Tue 27th Nov Saw Doctors Grand Opera House York

Royal Hall Harrogate

Restored to its original magnificence and now a glittering jewel in Harrogate’s crown, this 1000 seat concert hall has to be the ultimate backdrop as the “Palace of Glittering Gold”. Turning up for the Saw Doctors some of the audience told me ‘they didn’t expect to be in a seated concert venue for this band but as soon as the first tune, Macnas Parade, started they were dancing and swaying down at the front of the stage like all good Saw Doctors concerts.

Folk-rock band Levellers who release their tenth studio album, Static On The Airwaves, on 25 June 2012 will appear at Harrogate on 29th September 2012

The Saw Doctors

Out of many great tunes I have selected I Useta Lov’er Once

I have fallen for another she can make her own way home
And even if she asked me now i’d let her go alone
I useta see her up the chapel when she went to sunday mass
And when she’d go to receive, i’d kneel down there
And watch her pass
The glory of her ass
I useta to love her, I useta love her once
A long, long time ago
I useta to love her, I useta love her once
A long long time ago
It’s gone , all my lovin’ is gone
It’s gone , all my lovin’ is gone
D’you remember her collecting for concern on christmas eve
She was on a forty eight hour fast just water and black tea
I walked right up and made an ostentatious
Contribution
And I winked at her to tell her i’d seduce her in the future
When she’s feelin looser
So now you know the truth of it she’s no longer my obsession
Though the thoughts and dreams I had of her would take six months in confession
See I met this young one thursday night and she’s inta free expression
And her mission is to rid the world of this sinful repression
Then we had a session
It’s gone , long , long gone
I have fallen for another and she can make her own way home

Credits
Copyright: p.cunniffe/d.carton/l.moran/p.stevens

Saw Doctors – Boston House of Blues by streamingmeemee (Tim Carter), CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
CIMG7891 by mary_mac_82 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

God's Own County

A Tribute to Yorkshire Heritage

Category Archives: Yorkshire Trips and Places

Seven Yorkshire Castles

Animated Bradford in Media Museum

What is BAF

What about the Animation Gallery

Helmsley Walled Garden – Helmsley

Langsett, Midhope Moor and Reservoir

History For Walkers, Birdwatchers and Cyclists

Bird Watching Langsett Reservoir and Moor

The Local Inn and Cafe

Visit Top Ten Gardens in Yorkshire

Autumn & Winter Gardens

Year Round Garden Visits

Other Yorkshire Gardens to Visit

Embsay Station and Bolton Abbey Railway

Yorkshire’s Top Twelve Bird Watching Sites

Top Bird Web Sites for Yorkshire

Appropriate Birding Books

God’s Own County Book Club Top Ten Travel Guides

Top Ten Travel Guides for Yorkshire

Post Office Entrepreneurs at South Milford

Reason for Visiting South Milford

Lunch or Afternoon Tea at the Post Office

Yorkshire 3 – Saw Doctors 1

Other Yorkshire Dates 2012