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Looking forward in the Yorkshire Dales

It's now a year since I decided to try to write a daily blog about the Yorkshire Dales. It started with some random thoughts... and continued to be pretty random!

I still have some notes for blogs that I haven't yet published so there are plenty more to come. There are so many activities, attractions, villages, and dales that I haven't yet covered.

So what's next?

First of all, I want to re-categorise the blogs and gather them together into easier-to-find collections, whether you're looking for everything there is to do in a particular dale or a specific type of activity such as family-friendly or outdoors.

I've started doing this a little but there's much work to be done and by Easter I plan to have completely re-vamped this website. You can see some of these (unfinished) 'collections' by following these links:

Blogs on Dales life
Blogs on individual Yorkshire Dales, towns and villages
Blogs about Yorkshire Dales nature and farming
Blogs about family-friendly activities
Blogs about outdoor activities
Blogs about arts and crafts in the Yorkshire Dales
Blogs about food and drink

I'm also planning to turn some of the content from this website into a book. There's nothing quite like sitting comfortably in a cosy corner somewhere, flicking through a book to discover new places, turning over pages to mark the outings you plan to go on. I hope the book will be ready in Spring 2020.

One aspect of the Yorkshire Dales I haven't included in the blogs or on this website are places to stay. There are some fantastic bed and breakfasts, cottages, hotels, pubs, and camp sites in the Yorkshire Dales so in 2020 I'll be hand picking the best places to stay and featuring them, together with maps showing what there is to do in each dale.

I love that each dale, village and market town has a very different character and would really like to showcase more of that local distinctiveness. I think this is going to become increasingly important, as we become more aware of our impact on the environment. The Yorkshire Dales needs visitors to sustain the local economy, but we also need visitors who understand the area and are ready to care for it alongside local residents. I hope to work more with businesses in individual dales to highlight all they have to offer and reach more visitors who want to understand and appreciate this wonderful area.

Finally, look out for the launch of the Dales Discoveries newsletter, showcasing all that makes the Yorkshire Dales so special. Whether you're a visitor or local, it will help you discover more of the Yorkshire Dales, and make the most of every moment you spend here. Sign up here right now so you don't miss it.

I hope you have a wonderfully happy and healthy 2020 and can enjoy plenty of time discovering more of the Yorkshire Dales.

Susan Briggs
31st December 2019

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Yorkshire Dales Guides

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The Yorkshire Dales are full of potential for anyone who'd like to explore deeper underground, climb higher or give themselves a new challenge like abseiling.

It can be a little daunting to know exactly how to get started, how to enjoy some of the most physical challenges safely and enjoyably, and to find the best places to go. Luckily there are several great businesses that can help you, including Yorkshire Dales Guides.

It's a long-established business, with new and very enthusiastic owners. They're keen to broaden enjoyment of the countryside and help everyone to enjoy it, dispelling myths that you have to be a certain sort of 'outdoorsy' person with all the right kit to enjoy pursuits like potholing, abseiling, or even a longer walk.

Steph, Paul and Mike have over 90 years of experience between them, enjoying expedition caving, mountaineering, open water and cave diving, endurance fell running, rock climbing and kayaking. This means they have all the experience and skills needed to teach others to take on their first (probably smaller and tamer) challenge, but they're also very keen to stress that they want to help everyone and anyone try to develop an enjoyment of outdoor activities. With her background in psychology, Steph is particularly enthusiastic about removing barriers to activity and using the outdoors to improve mental health.

Their new Adventure Academy is geared up to offer young people between 8 and 18 the skills and confidence to enjoy adventure sports in the Yorkshire Dales, providing the clothing, advice and support needed to help even the most nervous get started. Their indoor training facility outside Settle is a great starting point for learning rock climbing and other activities.

All photos thanks to Yorkshire Dales Guides

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People of the Dales

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It's not difficult to take a photo that shows the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales - the landscape's simply shines through. It is much harder to give a real sense of the place though. Neither is it hard to take a picture of people, yet it's a challenge to really tell their story through an image.

I first came across photographer Guy Carpenter when he generously sent us some of his images from the Masham Sheep Fair which I help to organise. Over the years I've seen thousands of pictures of sheep, but very few really convey the tenderness of a farmer preparing and showing their sheep, the nervous excitement of a young handler, or the quiet satisfaction of one of the show volunteers when they find the right sheep in the right pen or get a chance to finally sit down. Guy's image did all this and more.

When Guy Carpenter first told me he was planning to take photos of a range of different people living in the Dales, I thought it was an excellent idea to show what life here is really like. Sometimes when you drive through the Yorkshire Dales, it looks like very few people live here. Lives go on behind the walls of barns, farmhouses and businesses, and most of the time they're invisible to other residents and visitors. Everyone can appreciate the beauty of the landscape but it's hard to really know what life is like.

Guy's now finished his project, spanning the best part of a year, travelling around the Dales photographing and interviewing people, and putting them together into his book, Dalesfolk. I expected to see farmers, maybe shopkeepers, perhaps some people who work in tourism or food businesses. The sheer depth and breadth of the people he's covered surprised me - it's intriguing, enriching and up-lifting. I expected Guy's images to tell many stories, some workmanlike like the livestock auctioneer, others more emotional like Katie Willkomm a survivor of one of Stalin's forced labour camp. There were many other surprises though, from the smiling face of a vet, arm deep in a cow's backside, to the tension of the mountain rescuers, and pride of the Kettlewell clock tower keeper.

There's enough life in Guy's images of the people of the Dales to tell their own story, but he's added well-written interviews with each one, giving more depth and interest. I can't think of another way for anyone, resident or visitor to get such a good insight into so many different lives, lifestyles, stories, frustrations and pleasures as by reading and studying Dalesfolk. Perhaps fittingly, only a limited number of copies have been printed so do anything you can to get your hands on one: this is a rare record of the Yorkshire Dales' richness and diversity, exactly as it is, right now. I'm aware this sounds 'gushing' but it feels like this is the modern day equivalent to Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby's record of life in the Dales, which is a very special thing.

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Stump Cross Caverns

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We're using to 'ooing and ahing' at the sights above ground in the Yorkshire Dales, yet there are some equally awe-inspiring sights to be seen underground too. Stump Cross Caverns offer a chance for visitors to go a different side of the Dales, venturing down a set of stairs into a hidden underworld, eighteen metres below.

The cave system was formed around 300 million years ago and then remained a secret world until 1860. At that time, lead mining was an important activity and led to several similar discoveries. The miners weren't too happy to find caves like this because there was nothing in there to mine but the owners had seen the success of the show caves in places like Castleton in Derbyshire and so they decided to open them to the public.

Bison, reindeers and remains of the small bear-like wolverines have been found at Stump Cross - you can see some of them on display in the visitor's centre.

The caves are lit, with decent pathways so armed with a hard hat, you can enjoy a visit with relative ease, taking in the stalagmites and stalactites. It's a good place to visit year round as it doesn't matter what the weather is outside - the inside temperature is always 7 degrees and it's dry!

In 1963 Geoff Workman spent 105 days living in Stump Cross Caverns, linked to the outside world only by an emergency telephone line to see the effect on the body clock of living without natural light.

Once you reach the surface again, you could enjoy a 'caveman breakfast' or other wholesome, home-made food in the Time Cafe, or go for a walk in nearby Troller's Ghyl where you might find the Barghest...

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Loving local

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Hawes by Guy Carpenter

I have a strong memory of going to our local shop when I was about 15. There was always a queue, in part thanks to the sign on the counter: 'local news desk'. It was tongue-in-cheek but also true.

Almost every one stopped to talk, ask about families and exchange news. At 15 I was anxious to be on my way and out into the world so I found it really frustrating, but it was that sense of community that brought me home again.

We don't have the biggest selection of shops in the Yorkshire Dales, but you do have a sense that there's real heart in every business.

There's a big difference between shopping in independent businesses in the Yorkshire Dales and in large shops in bigger towns. When you walk into a shop, gallery, cafe, pub or any other small business here, you're likely to be greeted by the owner, a member of their family or someone who lives locally and has worked there for a while. There's a sense of welcome and connection. It doesn't take long before they remember you and what you like. There's banter in the butchers, the wine shop owner who always remembers your favourite wine even when you don't, the gallery owner who can second-guess not only your preferences but those of the friends you've bought for in the past.

Shopping can take a bit longer here, as you go from shop to shop in search of each of their specialities. But that's a good thing. Slowing down can do us all good, and the conversations along the way are uplifting and satisfying. You're not just spending money in a shop - you're investing in a sense of community. It might be easy for me to drive to the nearest supermarket but they won't remember me next week, nor will they gather up produce and take it out to the person on a mobility scooter outside, checking that they're well. Shops here perform a service beyond their basic sales.

Research found that when you shop locally, for every £10 you spend, about £50 is generated in the local economy through the multiplier effect. You spend £10 in the grocers, and then they go and buy a paper from the newsagents, who pays a local window-cleaner for their services, who can then afford dance lessons for their daughter in the village hall, and so it goes on.

Another benefit of shopping in the Yorkshire Dales is that each market town is genuinely different. You won't find the same products or shops on every High Street. Visit Hawes, Richmond, Masham, Settle, Pateley Bridge, Skipton, Leyburn, Sedbergh, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Grassington and Ingleton, and you'll soon see just how different they are.

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Yorkshire Dales Pub Safari

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Fancy a visit to a couple of Yorkshire Dales pubs but not so keen on driving? Here's a good idea - a Pub Safari with Mountain Goat.

Imagine the enjoyment of going to two or three different pubs, sampling an ale here and there, seeing the gorgeous Dales scenery along the way, with a guide who can tell you more about the area.

Mountain Goat cater for small groups, picking up from York or within the Yorkshire Dales in one of their comfortable minibuses. Their tours are always carefully researched, and aim to take you off the beaten track to experience first-hand some of the things that are usually only accessible to those travelling by car.

The idea of the pub safari is to support local pubs, to give visitors an insight into Dales life and villages, and learn a bit about the area at the same time. They're ideal for groups of friends and family who don't want to have to force anyone to be a 'designated driver', and take away the hassle of finding isolated pubs in hidden locations!

Their pub safari routes take in different types of pub, such as the awarding winning community pub, George and Dragon, somewhere like the Kings Arms in Askrigg which doubled as the Drovers Arms in the last TV version of All Creatures Great & Small (new series currently in production) and then maybe on to the famous Tan Hill Inn where Vera has been recently filmed, and well known as England's highest inn.

The tours can include a sample of local ale at each stop, perhaps with a starter in one, main course in the next and pudding at the last. For more details see their website.

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Lead mining in the Yorkshire Dales

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Wandering through the peaceful Yorkshire Dales, it's hard to imagine that the area was once a much more industrial landscape, full of lead miners.

There are lead ore deposits between Nidderdale and Wharfedale and in Arkengarthdale, Swaledale and Wensleydale.

Moulded blocks of lead, or 'pig irons" have been found in the Yorkshire Dales dating back as far as Roman times, when British lead was exported to Rome for use on roofs and to make paint.

In the middle ages, lead was used to make weapons, water pipes and for stained glass windows. Lead mining reached its peak during the 18th and 19th century, when Britain was the world's leading lead producer.

Lead mining was a horrible dirty and risky business, involving men, women and children in hard manual labour. At first bell pits were dug, with techniques developing to fit the landscape. "Hushing" was used on hillsides such as Gunnerside Ghyl, where a dam was built at the top of the mining area, collecting water until the dame was broken and water scoured the topsoil, taking with it stones to expose the lead veins. Levels were dug into the hillsides through caves such as Devils Hole near Grinton Smelt Mill.

The last Swaledale mine closed in 1912, but there are traces from the lead mining industry across the Yorkshire Dales.

You can see evidence of the former lead mining industry on Grassington Moor and on the road between Grassington and Greenhow near Stump Cross, as well as in numerous locations around Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, such as Old Gang Smelt Mill, and Surrender Mine Swaledale.

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Thornborough Cider

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The Yorkshire Dales may not seem the most obvious place to find excellent cider. Hidden away on the fringes of the Dales is Thornborough, a tiny hamlet where a former university music lecturer is creating his own form of apple alchemy.

From his originally scooping up apples and making an experimental batch of cider, Kingsley Ash has gone on to create a strong business, continuing to use traditional methods of cider-making to win awards.

We first drank Thornborough Cider on the recommendation of local chef, Jon Vennell. If he says something is good, it's good! A little later we met Kingsley who offered to take the surplus apples from our trees and turn them into cider. If you still associate cider drinking with the mass-produced version 'enjoyed' by adolescents, you need to try Thornborough Cider as it's a much drier, more sophisticated drink. The apple content is over 90% (mass produced versions contain only around 30% apples). It's naturally sparkling so you can even drink it as an alternative to champagne!

Since he began making cider, Kingsley has planted more apple trees around Thornborough and supplies fine restaurants like Vennells in Masham and good quality wine shops.

I recently came across this short film made by multi-talented Jon Vennells, who also owns Swift Drones - it's great to see what goes into creating Thornborough Cider. You'll also see that Thornborough is quite a special little hamlet with a hidden treasure - the henges, which are really shown to great advantage by the drone footage. Kingsley created the music for the film.

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Cobbles, stones & pavements

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One of the many things I love about the Yorkshire Dales is the way that layer upon layer of history is silently told through varied textures in each village and market town. The landscape is always beautiful and the aspect that most notice, so sometimes we miss the less appreciated beauty beneath our feet.

Walk slowly through any Dales village and you'll soon see what I mean: cobbles, flagstones and pavements, each subtly different, painstakingly created many years ago. Countless feet - human, horse, sheep, cow, dog - have trodden those routes, each with their own story.

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