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Himalayan Garden

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Where in the world can you find a superb Himalayan Garden, filled with stunning sculptures by world-class artists?

Near Kirkby Malzeard of course! You're probably wondering exactly where that is? Just up the hill from Masham in Wensleydale, a short drive after the wonderful Hackfall.

The gardens didn't have a promising start - when Peter and Caroline bought the 20 acre woodland in 1996 it was infested with Japanese Knotweed and was mainly Hazel and dense Spruce.

​A well-known specialist, Alan Clark suggested that their combination of acid soil, sloping hills and micro-climate meant the site was perfect for Rhododendrons. A few were already growing along the drive and since those early days, countless Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camelias and Magnolias have been planted.

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A myriad of winding paths take visitors up and down hills, in and out of woods, and around the three lakes, As you follow the paths, it's noticeable how the planting and even the temperature changes, with different areas of interest through out the opening season.

In early Spring you'll find early flowering Rhodos and lots of spring flowers such as wood anemones and primulas, with about 150 varieties of magnolia.

​In May the ferns really unfurl and the bluebells bloom. From then on the colours through out the Garden get stronger and stronger. 

In my mind what makes the Gardens really special are the sculptures. When I first visited a few years ago there were many of them, pleasingly scattered through out the gardens so there was plenty to interest at every turn, some more dramatic than others.

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We visited again today. There are now 80 sculptures to find and enjoy, and plenty of 'wow' moments as so many are surprising, huge, dramatic, and beautiful. Some appear to have been made specifically for the site, such as the elongated and elegant Still Sitting by Helen Sinclair by Magnolia Lake. Judging by the gorgeous lichen growing on her back, this stone woman has already been patient for some time. 

Some of the sculptures are very simple like the stone circle made of old gate posts, a mini version of Stonehenge or nearby 
Druids Temple. From a little distance away the stones look like dancers in a circle joining hands - or maybe that's just in my mind. 

Others are beautiful and thought provoking such as Contemplation Circle by Liam O'Neill whose work even played a role at a difficult moment in the 2007 peace process in Northern Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern made a highly symbolic presentation to Dr. Ian Paisley of a vessel made from walnut which had grown on the site of the Battle of the Boyne. The gesture promoted Paisley to shake Ahern's hand, calling for continued talks. ​

​We enjoyed watching and speaking to local sculptor Anna Whitehouse who was finishing work on her sculptural spheres, inspired by pollen grains and clay collected from the gardens.

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I really love the six pieces by Subodh Kerkar from Goa. He gave up medicine to pursue arts and activism, commenting on social and political issues. His work is large and dramatic, richly textured and uses natural materials such as wood, shells, coconut and pine cones so you can't help but want to stroke it. I found myself smelling some pieces too. 

You can easily spend several hours in the gardens, following the meandering paths, discovering the scattered sculptures and pausing on the many seats around the site.

The owners describe the gardens as "an oasis of calm and tranquility in a wonderful woodland setting" - they definitely are. I love places that are intriguing and unexpected in some way, and think that's what I enjoy most about these gardens, particularly because of the new sculptural additions.

The whole venture feels brave and bold, and has gradually grown. More and more people are discovering the Himalayan Gardens, and returning again and again. Today was a wonderfully sunny day with plenty of cars in the car park but it was still easy to escape everyone else and find quiet corners of beauty to enjoy. 


The gardens are open from Mid April to Mid July and then again to enjoy the Autumn colours from early October to early November. There's an excellent play area for children and good sized tea room at the top of the site. 

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Simple Ways to Enjoy Nature

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As the weather gets better and better and the Yorkshire Dales come alive with their incredible greenery, it's increasingly tempting to spend time outside.

​You could set out on a challenge like conquering each of the Dales 30 but there are other easier, simple ways to enjoy nature, that we often forget to do.

Here are a few ideas for those who relish the idea of taking life a little more gently. 

Sit on a hillside and whatever the weather, turn your face toward it. Feel the sun on your face or the wind bashing your cheeks for a few moments. Enjoy the simple contentment of absorbing what's happening in that special moment. 

Collect treasure. As you walk look around the ground, on the walls and in the trees. What can you find? Pick up whatever catches your magpie eye - sheep's wool caught on a fence, a curiously shaped pebble, a feather, a conker, a small stick. Keep a few precious treasures in a post on a window sill or in a coat pocket so each time you come across them you're instantly taken back to the place you collected them. 

Splash in a stream, gaze in wonder at a waterfall.

Take a photo of every wildflower and type of grass you see, with the date you first see them and keep a record over a whole year. Once you start to look out for them, you'll be amazed how many you can find. 

Make a date to climb a hill and silently watch the sunshine. Go back later to watch the sun set. 

Sit by a fallen log for a few minutes, perhaps roll it over slightly, and count how many insects you find. When I discover a hidden world like that, I start to wonder about all the life going on around us and under our feet that we don't normally notice. 

Collect some cones, sticks, leafs and create a nature table, remembering the wonder you felt as a child. 

Make a collage or a model out of your nature treasures (we used to call them 'muddles'!).

Wait for the rain. Look out for it after a few dry days and then go out in the rain. Breathe in the fresh smell of petrichor - that wonderful earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. 

Walk around in the rain, watching the rain drops as they fall and gently balance on the grass or leaves, before plopping to the ground. Relish the idea of the water soaking into the ground, nourishing the earth and making the grass even greener. 

When you're completely soaked to the skin, enjoy that wonderful feeling of putting on dry clothes and going in search of a cosy cafe or country pub!

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Wensleydale Cheese

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I still remember the pain I felt when the precious small wheel of Wensleydale cheese I was carrying was confiscated.

​I was outraged at the idea that the East German border guard considered my piece of cheese to be somehow suspicious and subversive and therefore not allowed into the country. I can still feel the abrupt loss of pleasurable anticipation of munching the crumbly cheese on my way towards the unknown in Magdeburg. 

This was a long a time ago, in 1984, and you might have thought the shock of seeing someone drop dead in front of me on the same day would have obliterated the memory of the lost Wensleydale, but then that would mean you perhaps don't appreciate Wensleydale cheese as much as you should.

To this day, Wensleydale cheese plays an important role in my life. Half a pound never lasts more than a couple of days, as it's my go-to snack. My family laugh at me because I differentiate between lunchtime and snack cheese and dinner time and treat cheeses, but they're all important. 

So why am I waxing lyrical about this dairy delight in a blog that's supposed to be about ways to discover the Yorkshire Dales? The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes is a popular destination for many visitors, and a good place to go to learn more about the art of cheese-making and to watch Wensleydale cheese being made. There's plenty to keep children occupied, including 'driving' a mini milk tanker and clips of Wallace & Gromit films. 

A lot has happened since Cistercian monks first made Wensleydale cheese at Jervaulx Abbey around 1150. Over time farmer's wives made it too and it became a mainstay of the Dales diet. An enterprising corn merchant Edward Chapman built the first creamery in Hawes in 1897, buying milk and making Wensleydale cheese on a larger scale. Perhaps the most famous character associated with Wensleydale cheese is Kit Calvert who helped to rescue the Creamery in 1935 after the 1930s depression. He eventually sold it to the Milk Marketing Board (any of you remember their milk and nursery rhyme cookery book distributed to children in the late 60s/early 70s?) and it was passed on to Dairy Crest. Dark times followed and Dairy Crest closed the Creamery in 1992 with the loss of over 50 jobs. Even worse, they moved production to Lancashire! Luckily a team of plucky ex-managers joined forces with a local businessman in a management buy-out.

Now Wensleydale Creamery is the Big Cheese (sorry, that was a very cheesy joke...), sourcing milk from more than 40 local farms, and exporting across the globe. They've won more than 700 awards and accolades, and after a seven year struggle managed to achieve European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in December 2013. This is seen as a guarantee of quality and authenticity, and recognised worldwide. 

They now make Yorkshire Butter, Yorkshire Yogurt and Yorkshire Brie as well as what I think of as their mucked-about-with-cheese containing cranberries and other fruit. 


If you visit the Creamery you can often see cheese and butter being made, as well as taste it in an imaginative selection of dishes in the cafe. If you do go to Wensleydale Creamery, don't forget to explore the rest of Hawes, a really attractive Dales market town with a huddle of good independent shops. Pop into Elijah Allen's excellent grocery shop and make sure you buy some cheese made by the other cheese-maker in town, Iona at Ribblesdale Cheese. They make delicious cheeses in their small dairy at the other side of Hawes (unfortunately too small for a visitor centre). Don't miss the Dales Countryside Museum to discover more stories about the life, landscape and people of the Yorkshire Dales. 

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Black Bull in Paradise

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As any local will tell you, there are two breweries in Masham - Black Sheep and Theakstons, and woe betide anyone who shows favouritism. But only one of them has a small pub area where you can see the last apprenticed craft cooper in England, Jonathan Manby, at work. The apprenticeship lasts four years. Theakstons have employed coopers since they were founded in 1827 and still sell some of their beers in hand-made wooden casks. 

Visitors love the brewery tour at Theakstons (and Black Sheep of course...). You can also just pop into the Black Bull in Paradise for an "early doors" pint.

It's a small, cosy setting with flagstones, an open fire and wood furniture made from or inspired by beer barrels. The curious name comes from the Black Bull pub in which the brewery was founded, and the Paradise Fields that Robert Theakston bought to build his new brewery in 1850.

The Black Bull in Paradise is part of the visitor centre so closes early, at 4.30 or 5.30 depending on the season. After hours, it can be hired for private celebrations so you can organise a 'party in a brewery'...

There are artefacts on display telling of the tradition of Theakston brewing. Go through to the back of the pub and you can look through windows into the cooper's workshop where you may spot Jonathan at work. He demonstrates the precision of his craft at events such as the annual Masham Sheep Fair. 

One of Theakston's best known beers is "Old Peculier", which is now sold all over the world. It takes its name from the "Peculier Court of Masham". In this sense Peculiar meant particular. Much of the land around Masham was owned by Roger de Mowbray who fought in the Crusades. He was captured and held to ransom until being freed by the Knights of the Templar. He was obviously grateful for this so he donated the the living of Masham church to the church of St. Peter in York.

This was in the 12th century when the road between York and Masham was even more pot-holed than it is now and the Archbishop thought the journey to the wilderness of Wensleydale was not worth the effort. He established the Peculier Court of Masham, giving it the right to deal with certain offences that would otherwise be dealt with in York. Historical documents outline some of the offences that were dealt with in the court. These ranged from not going to church often enough, to hiding Roman Catholic priests, to "carrying a dead man’s skull out of the churchyard and laying it under the head of a person to charm them to sleep"... Nowadays locals just use the beer...

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Fountains Abbey

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Did you know that there's a World Heritage Site, right on our Yorkshire Dales doorstep?

The stunning Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal water garden became a World Heritage Site in 1986, recognised as a ‘feat of human creative genius,’ 

The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York who decided they'd rather be part of the more austere Cistercian Order. ​It's incredible to think that out of that wish for a more austere life, came the incredible, and ornate structure of Fountains Abbey, together with a very rich business empire!

While the Cistercian monks dedicated their lives to prayer, their lay brothers farmed and worked on other tasks. Over time the Fountains Abbey estate grew, particularly thanks to the wealth created through wool production. Their other commercial interests included horse breeding, lead mining and stone quarrying. 

Wool rich

​By 1300, Fountains Abbey was a leading producer and exporter of wool. Their extensive lands stretched over to Malham Moor, with connections to many well-known spots such as Kilnsey Park where fish were bred for the monks. It's thanks to sheep trading that Masham has such an extensive market place. 

Fountains Abbey had an enormous wool warehouse, a fulling mill and dye-vats, probably using natural materials such as lichen for dye. 
Over the next years the wool and textile industry flourished. The monks used wool for clothing and bedding and sold it at market alongside lamb, cheese and butter. They even used sheep skins for parchment. 

In the 14th century bad harvests, sheep disease and the Black Death led to a decline in Fountain Abbey's fortunes and some lay brothers left. Over time dairy farming became more popular. 

The Abbey's success came to an abrupt halt in 1539 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. After that much of the land was sold off and let to local people. Lowland pastures and arable land were eventually enclosed, leaving the upland hills as pastures for grazing sheep. The common lands were used in “stints”, allowing farmers to graze a number of cattle each year, hence the expression, “have you done your stint?”

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Visiting Fountains Abbey

When you enter the Fountains Abbey site, head first of all for the Porter's Lodge where you can find out about the history of the abbey and lives of the monks. This sets the context for your visit and makes it easier to imagine the Abbey as it once was. Thanks to Henry VIII, the abbey is in ruins but is still one of the most complete Cistercian abbey remains in England. It's worth joining a a guided tour to make sure you don't miss anything. 

The huge nave and Chapel of the Nine Altars are stunning and the heart of the Abbey, but areas like the cellarium really give an idea of the scale of the Abbey's population and its organisation. The cellarium is the vast vaulted area which once served as a food store. It's quite a cold space but spend a little while there and you'll notice some of the carved graffiti, and may recognise it as one of the settings from the BBC Gunpowder series. It's particularly atmospheric and beautiful in Winter when it's candlelit or floodlit and used for carol concerts and other events. 

The National Trust has worked hard to make sure all members of the family can enjoy Fountains Abbey. It's a very large space to explore which makes it ideal for children who want to run off their energy and play hide and seek. They'll probably enjoy looking out for the prison cells under the abbots house: get them to find the iron ring in the floor to tie up prisoners and teach them two words of Latin: Vale Libertas which means 'farewell freedom'. 
Images below by Chris Lacey/Fountains Abbey


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Bolton Castle

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PictureImage by Guy Carpenter
Bolton Castle is dramatic from a distance, standing proud in the Wensleydale landscape. Cose up its even more striking.

​I rather like its address: Bolton Castle in Castle Bolton, a very small village of only 100 souls. The village's houses were once used for 
Mary Queen of Scots' servants when she was imprisoned in the Castle. 

England has many castles, most of them now too ruined to give a proper picture of what castle life might have been like. 

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Bolton Castle is the exception, a very well preserved medieval palace-fortress. It's partly ruined but great towers still stand to their full height and some internal rooms have been restored and furnished. The courtyard and dungeons complete the picture. 

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It was built by the Scrope family who also had a hand in the building of Richmond Castle, one of the first English castles to be built.

They were an influential family with major and minor parts in royal history and government from fighting in Edward III's campaign in Scotland and France to becoming Richard II's chancellor in 1378, the same time that work started on the building of Bolton Castle. Richard Scrope tried to curb the Kind's excessive spending and was dismissed in 1382.

​He retreated to the safety of his castle and his son William eventually took over the job. Unfortunately for him Henry IV overthrew Richard II and William was beheaded. That didn't seem to put off the Scrope family from getting involved in royal politics and over the years they participated in numerous battles.

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Sir John Scrope supported the Pilgrimage of Grace, allowing the Abbot of Jervaulx to use the Castle as a safe haven during Henry VIII's church reforms. The Abbot was eventually caught and executed, and Bolton Castle set alight.

Sir John was pardoned and after some rebuilding the Scrope family was considered trustworthy enough to look after Mary, Queen of Scots. The Castle was held for the King during the Civil War until food supplies were exhausted and Parliament ordered the Castle to be slighted. Luckily although some damage was done, most of the structure survived. 


Bolton Castle has a rectangular layout with five storey towers on each corner. As you approach the Castle you can still see these storeys which give the Castle its strength and dominance. At the time it was built, most castles had separate buildings for functions such as the kitchen, bakehouse and brewhouse. Bolton Castle was unusual because the grand rooms like the Great Hall and more practical spaces such as the kitchen and bakehouse were all integrated into one building. ​

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When you first enter the Castle, it feels a little like you're going through the back door or a reverse rabbit tunnel.

​Once inside the Castle several rooms such as the Great Chamber, and Mary, Queen of Scot's bedroom have enough furnishings in them to get a glimpse into castle life.

​Children can try their hand at calligraphy or Tudor games, and marvel at the weapons. 

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They have several living history events such as Medieval or Tudor weekends, which further bring the castle to life. It's really worth climbing to the very top of the highest tower for one of the best views in Wensleydale.

​In the courtyard you'll find the brewhouse, storerooms and the damp dungeons. There are sometimes opportunities to try activities such as archery. Within the garden there's now a maze, a small vineyard and you may get to the see their wild boar and birds of prey, with regular falconry displays. The tea room has a tempting range of homemade cakes and simple lunches. 

It's best to check opening days and what's on before your visit. www.boltoncastle.co.uk

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Sherlock Holmes & Yorkshire Dales

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What's the connection between Sherlock Holmes, the Hound of the Baskervilles and the Yorkshire Dales?

A few years ago I was in Ingleton when Martyn Sutton told me about his research into writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyles' and his possible connections to the area.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mother, Mary Doyle lived at Masongill Cottage near Ingleton for about 30 years. When Conan Doyle visited her it's likely he'd have travelled by train to Ingleton and then onwards through Holme Head to Masongill. 

One of Conan Doyle's early stories was called Uncle Jeremy's Household, and published in the same year he married. The main character was from Baker Street in London and in the story he comes to Ingleton by train to meet his friend, a chemist. 

There's a stained glass window in the tower of St. Mary's Church, Ingleton which is dedicated to a man called Randal Hopley Sherlock who was killed by lightning at the railway station. His brother was once the local vicar, taking services in Ingleton and possibly Masongill. Was this the inspiration for Conan Doyle's famous character's name? 

Conan Doyle married his first wife, Louisa at St. Oswold's in Thornton in Lonsdale between Ingleton and Masongill, where the Reverend Sherlock also sometimes took services. 

Martyn Sutton also believed that the origin of the Hound of the Baskerville's story was actually inspired by the mythical Barguest who lived in Troller's Gyhl by Skyreholme and who was supposedly a saucer-eyed, wolf-like creature. What do you think? 

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Mud-larking

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Some of you will read this and just think I'm weird. Others will instantly identify with that spark of excitement at the idea of unexpected discoveries.

A couple of days ago in one of my blogs I mentioned the Wombles and their "making good use of the things that they find, the things that everyday folk leave behind" song. But not everything is 'useful' in the Wombling sense.

​I pick up things on my daily dog walks for which there's no obvious use: feathers, attractive stones, bones (I have two friends who treasure them), lichen-covered sticks.

They're beautiful to look at, to treasure for a little while.

Today I spent a short time rummaging around the river-bed with my friend J. I was going to write a different blog today but she's sent me these pictures and I really wanted to record a lovely time spent in the early Spring sunshine, just absorbed in trying to spot treasures.

It wasn't really mud-larking, although I do like the 'larking' bit. It was more pebble-panning. There's a place near my house where the River Ure only flows when the river is high, creating an 'island' for just a short time each year. Most of the time it's a dry stoney area, where wood sorrel, wild garlic and grass quickly grow and green immediately after any rain. It's a perfect spot to hunt little gems carried down by flood water. The water was recently quite high so we looked forward to a lovely mooch of discovery. 

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When you spend even a short while with your eyes on the ground, walking slowly and crouching to spot tiny bits of colour partially hidden by stones and leaves it's amazing how much you can find.

We quickly found muscle shells, feathers, fragments of bird's eggs and then started to notice the pieces of glass and ceramic among the pebbles. At first everything appeals and then gradually we got pickier, discarding the clunkier, uglier, less eroded pieces of thick glass in favour of more interesting smaller gems.

I'm sure many would see the things we found as pure rubbish but we both love to speculate on the stories behind the pieces, to hold them and feel the once rough edges shaped by the power of water. My artist sister had put in an 'order' already for any pieces of ceramics we found so we carefully divided our hoard before waxing lyrical about the value of imperfection.
Thanks J - just what I needed!

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Wensleydale Experience

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If you've ever travelled along the A684 between Leyburn and Hawes you'll almost certainly have spotted signs for Berry's Farm Shop and Cafe at Swinithwaite. I love that name. Swinithwaite. I always assumed it meant swines or pigs in a clearing, which is now very apt (more of the pigs later) but I just looked it up and apparently it means "clearing made by burning" from the Old Norse, which isn't as pleasing. The location is beautiful though. 

Adrian and Bridget Thornton Berry created the cafe and farm shop a few years ago, bringing ancient but redundant farm buildings back into life. It's a great stop-off point, offering a chance to buy a few provisions as well as lovely loos (I really like the rain maps) and a cafe which is now run by Guy Fairhurst. There have been more additions to the original cafe and farm shop, with the business now known as the Wensleydale Experience so you might want to plan to stay longer. 

Close to the cafe, you'll notice plenty of animals, which I can't help thinking of as "Bridget's Menagerie" as she seems to constantly be adding to the collection. You'll spot pigs, cattle, llamas, hens, goats and sheep in the fields. Adrian and farmer Tim have offered periodic offer have offered farm tours for several years and taken part in the Hay Time festival with tours of the meadow. I remember several years ago that Adrian pointed out the very straight drystone walls climbing the hillside and explained they were probably built by Napoleonic prisoners of war. The farm tours were popular so now this Spring they've got a full programme of both farm tours and farm experiences, mainly led by the very knowledgeable and friendly Tim. Visitors can either enjoy a wander around learning about farming, or spend a little longer with Tim, actually feeding some of the animals and taking part in routine-farm tasks. 

There are also numerous beautiful walks from the cafe, many suitable for young children. I particularly recommend the one down through the undulating meadow which leads down to the River Ure and Redmire Falls, with a short wander through the woods and then back up the steep lane with a wonderful mossy drystone wall, to the cafe for cake! 

Set a little apart from the barns are five yurts, each with stunning views of surrounding Wensleydale. 

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Farmers

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PictureImage by Stephen Garnett
It feels pretty momentous to reach my 100th daily post.

It's not been hard because I'm writing about places and things I love, but it does feel like this post should somehow act as a fanfare for something special.

So I'm going to write about Yorkshire Dales farmers. Their work is on display all over the Dales, but we rarely get the chance to acknowledge and thank them for all they do. 

The Yorkshire Dales would not look as they do without farmers. They literally sculpt the landscape. Without sheep, the fields would be very different. Farming in upland areas like the Dales is even more physically and economically challenging than elsewhere. Within the National Park we have many important habitats that are vital for so many species, and farmers play their part in managing this landscape, particularly the rich hay meadows. There are an increasing number of farmers such as Chris and Fiona at Nethergill Farm and Neil and Leigh at Hill Top Farm who are trying to find different ways to increase the sustainability of farming practices, both environmentally and economically. 

Voices From the Land shares the reflections of Yorkshire Dales Farmers about their day-to-day practices and relationship to the unique landscape of fells and dales. It's a wonderful resource and gives great insights into farming in the past and some of farmers' concerns about the future of farming.

One aspect of farming that isn't talked about as much as it perhaps should be is the stress and loneliness many farmers feel. The impact of Foot & Mouth is still felt in the Dales farming community. I know of at least two families who mark the date of their father's suicide every year, remembering some really terrible times. Farming may seem like a dream profession to some - the chance to be active, among animals and outside most of the day. Most farmers genuinely love their farms but that doesn't mean it's an easy life. Mental health can really suffer in rural areas - something that farming charity RABI tries to help with. 

Farmers maintain and build the distinctive drystone walls and barns we see everywhere. Everywhere that is, apart from Swaledale where as farmer's wife, Glenda Calvert will readily tell you it's not a barn but a "cow'us" (cow house).

I'm always surprised by how many women in the Yorkshire Dales describe themselves as a "farmer's wife" or "farmer's daughter", often with a mixture of pride and resignation. How many other professions are there where that happens? They may have careers in their own right, but whatever they do, they are married to farmers and farming life underpins everything they do and is an intrinsic part of their identity. 

Depending on the seasons, such as during lambing or traditional hay making, more hands may be needed on the farm and no matter what other career someone has, the needs of the farm become paramount. When I run marketing workshops or arrange meetings I carry in my head a mental calendar of who is likely to be lambing where and when so I don't suggest dates at the wrong time. There have been a few times I've noticed someone surreptitiously trying to brush off a little blood, milk or iodine from their clothes because they dashed to meet me in the middle of lambing. 

The harsh reality of hill farming means that most farms need to diversify, and it's often thanks to this that visitors enjoy some excellent accommodation whether it's a B&B or holiday cottage. Some farmers have their own farm shops, sell products they make such as Yockenthwaite Granola, or make a little cash by introducing visitors to their hungry orphan lambs at feeding time. 

Young Farmers Clubs are at the heart of many Dales communities, providing youth clubs and social activities. I still remember the talk I listened to about Bibby's Cattle Feeds at the first YFC event I attended, in a desperate teenage attempt to create a rural social life. If a community needs any heavy lifting for an event, or entertainment in the form of a ducking stool, they always call upon the powerful forces of the local YFC. 

Now we're looking forward to the Summer programme of country shows where farmers have the chance to show off their livestock and meet each other. If you see one advertised, do go along - they need your support and it's a good way to see a Yorkshire Dales community from the inside.  

So, thank you farmers. I know they won't have time to read this but perhaps you can join me in supporting British farming whenever you can and perhaps consider making a donation to RABI.

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    Ferret Racing & Cosy Pub
    Field Barns & Cow'uses
    Filming James Herriot
    Film & TV Locations
    Fleece To Fabric
    Fountains Abbey
    Free Audio Trails
    Fresh Air
    Friends Of The Dales
    Gardens In The Dales
    Garsdale & A Special Dog Story
    Georgian Theatre Royal
    Ghostly Goings-on
    Gin In The Dales
    Glencroft Wool And The Three Peaks
    Good Things About Rain
    Gordale Scar
    Go Where The Grass Is Greener
    Grassington
    Guide To Health & Happiness
    Gunnerside
    Hackfall - Magical Woods
    Happy Positive People
    Hares
    Hawthorn
    Hay Meadows
    Hebden - Wonderful Food & Drink
    Here For The Beer
    Heritage Open Days
    Hibernation
    Highland Cattle
    Himalayan Garden
    Historical Re-enactments
    Hoffmann Kiln
    Honesty Boxes
    Horse Riding In The Yorkshire Dales
    How Many Yorkshire Dales?
    Ingleborough Cave
    Ingleton Colours
    Ingleton Lido
    James Herriot TV Locations
    Janet's Foss
    Jervaulx Abbey
    Joy Of Small Things
    Keelham Farm Shop
    Keld
    Keld Community Welcoming Visitors
    Kettlewell
    Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival
    Kilnsey Park
    Kilnsey Village
    Kingfishers
    Kirkby Lonsdale
    Kirkby Malham
    Kirkby Stephen
    Knights Templar In Wensleydale
    Lady Hill
    Lambing
    Langthwaite & James Herriot
    Lazy Lanes
    Lead Mining
    Leyburn Full Of Hidden Surprises
    Limestone Pavements
    Linger In Linton
    Little Alf
    Live A Little Every Day
    Llama & Alpaca Trekking
    Lovely Lichens
    Loving Local
    Lynchets And Ancient Farming
    Malham Peregrines
    Malham Safari
    Markenfield Hall
    Marking Time
    Masham Market Place
    Masham's Creative Community
    Masham Sheep Fair
    Middleham - Windsor Of The North?
    Money Does Grow On Trees
    Mud-larking
    Muker Show
    Nature's Cure
    Nature's Jewels
    Nidderdale
    Nine Standards Rigg
    Nordic Walking
    Oak Apples
    Old School Muker Art Gallery
    Open Farm Sunday
    Outdoor Clothing
    Paragliding
    Pateley Bridge
    Peace In Airton
    Pendragon Castle
    Pepper Pot & Guillotine
    Photography Courses In The Dales
    Planning Long Distance Walks
    Playing Quoits
    Positive People
    Post Boxes
    Pub Games
    Pub Names
    Pub Safari
    Pub To People Ratio
    Queen Mary's Shawl
    Quirky
    Rabbits & Russians
    Rangers & Volunteers
    Red Squirrels
    Reeth
    Reeth Show
    Reliable Weather Forecast?
    Rescue Services
    Ribblehead Viaduct
    Ribblesdale
    Richmond Castle
    Richmond Station
    Ride2Stride Festival
    River Ure
    River Wharfe
    Romantic Ruins
    Rope & A Rich Life
    Scar House Reservoir
    Secret Coverdale
    Sedbergh
    Sedbergh Treasure Map
    Seeing Differently
    Sense Of Community
    Serene & Spiritual
    Settle Falconry
    Settle Flower Pot Festival
    Settle Folly
    Settle To Carlisle Railway
    Settle-treasure-map
    Sheep-dog-demonstrations
    Sheep-graffiti
    Sherlock-holmes-yorkshire-dales
    Signs
    Silage Or Hay?
    Simple Ways To Enjoy Nature
    Skipton
    Skipton Castle
    Skipton Castle Woods
    Sloe Gin
    Smallest Art Gallery In The World
    Solitude And Silence
    Speak Sheep
    Spotting Spring
    Squeezes And Kissing Gates
    Stainforth & Leaping Salmon
    Starry Skies
    Stay Cool
    Stiles
    Stonehenge Of The Dales
    Stories Of Semerwater
    Stories Of The Dales
    Stories Of The Vault
    Studfold's Magical World
    Swaledale Festival
    Swaledale Museum
    Swaledale Secret Garden
    Swaledale Sheep
    Swale Trail
    Swift Trail
    Tan Hill Inn
    Tennants
    Terrible Knitters Of Dent
    The Buttertubs
    The Dalesman
    The End Of The Road
    The Hills Are Alive...
    The Pennine Way
    Thornborough Cider
    Thornborough Henges
    Three Peaks Arts Trail
    Thwaite & Attenborough's Forerunners
    Tombola & Raffles
    Town End Farm Shop
    Tractor Love
    Traffic Jams Dales Style
    Transports Of Delight
    Trees That Talk
    Tupping Time
    Underground Wonders
    Vicar On A 3-wheeler
    Village Greens
    Vintage Coach Trip
    Volunteers
    Walking In The Yorkshire Dales
    Walks
    Waterfalls
    Wensleydale Cheese
    Wensleydale Experience
    Wensleydale Railway
    Wensley Wonders
    West Burton
    What Makes A Good Yorkshire Dales Pub
    When It Rains In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wild Garlic & The Good Life
    Wild Swimming
    Wishing Trees
    Wonders Of Wool
    Wool In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wriggly Tin
    Yellow Cheer
    Yockenthwaite - Centre Of The Dales
    Yorkshire Dales Animal Artists
    Yorkshire Dales Books & Bookshops
    Yorkshire Dales Curiosities
    Yorkshire Dales National Park Features & History
    Yorkshire Dales Shepherdess
    Yorkshire Three Peaks
    Yorkshire Trails

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    A Powerful Stone
    Appletreewick In Wharfedale
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    Attractions
    Austwick Cuckoos
    Autumn In The Yorkshire Dales
    Aysgarth Rock Garden
    Bainbridge
    Baler Twine
    Bed & Breakfasts
    Behave Yourself
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    Belted Galloways
    Best Dales Views
    Betty's Vintage Hut
    Bilberrying
    Birdwatching
    Black Bull In Paradise
    Bluebell Woods
    Blue Lion & Black Panther
    Bolton Abbey & Stepping Stones
    Bolton Castle
    Bonfires & Bartle
    Books And Boots
    Bridges & River Crossings
    Brimham Rocks
    Brymor Ice Cream
    Burnsall
    By The Mouseman
    Cafe Carvings & Contentment
    Cake!
    Call Of The Curlew
    Calm
    Carperby & James Herriot's Honeymoon
    Castleberg
    Cautley Spout & The Pub With No Beer
    Chocolate & Sweets
    Clapham
    Classic Cars
    Coast To Coast
    Cobbles Stones & Pavements
    Coldstones Cut
    Corpses And Wool
    Country Shows
    Cover Bridge To Middleham
    Cow Parsley
    Crackpot Hall
    Create At Broadrake
    Create A Wildflower Meadow
    Creative Dales
    Cricket
    Culloden Tower
    Cycling & Mountain Biking
    Dales 30
    Dales Alphabet Of Activities
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    Dales Galleries
    Dales Inspiration
    Dales Place Names
    Dales Way
    Distinctive Dales
    Dog Friendly Dales
    Don't Get Lost!
    Doors And Windows
    Dramatic Dales
    Drover & Packhorse Routes
    Dry Stone Walls
    Easby Abbey
    East Witton
    Embsay To Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
    Exercise & Green Spaces
    Extraordinary Sculpture
    Famous Five Style Ice-cream
    Farfield Mill
    Farmers
    Farm Fresh Milk
    Feizor & Elaine's Tea Rooms
    Fell Running
    Ferret Racing & Cosy Pub
    Field Barns & Cow'uses
    Filming James Herriot
    Film & TV Locations
    Fleece To Fabric
    Fountains Abbey
    Free Audio Trails
    Fresh Air
    Friends Of The Dales
    Gardens In The Dales
    Garsdale & A Special Dog Story
    Georgian Theatre Royal
    Ghostly Goings-on
    Gin In The Dales
    Glencroft Wool And The Three Peaks
    Good Things About Rain
    Gordale Scar
    Go Where The Grass Is Greener
    Grassington
    Guide To Health & Happiness
    Gunnerside
    Hackfall - Magical Woods
    Happy Positive People
    Hares
    Hawthorn
    Hay Meadows
    Hebden - Wonderful Food & Drink
    Here For The Beer
    Heritage Open Days
    Hibernation
    Highland Cattle
    Himalayan Garden
    Historical Re-enactments
    Hoffmann Kiln
    Honesty Boxes
    Horse Riding In The Yorkshire Dales
    How Many Yorkshire Dales?
    Ingleborough Cave
    Ingleton Colours
    Ingleton Lido
    James Herriot TV Locations
    Janet's Foss
    Jervaulx Abbey
    Joy Of Small Things
    Keelham Farm Shop
    Keld
    Keld Community Welcoming Visitors
    Kettlewell
    Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival
    Kilnsey Park
    Kilnsey Village
    Kingfishers
    Kirkby Lonsdale
    Kirkby Malham
    Kirkby Stephen
    Knights Templar In Wensleydale
    Lady Hill
    Lambing
    Langthwaite & James Herriot
    Lazy Lanes
    Lead Mining
    Leyburn Full Of Hidden Surprises
    Limestone Pavements
    Linger In Linton
    Little Alf
    Live A Little Every Day
    Llama & Alpaca Trekking
    Lovely Lichens
    Loving Local
    Lynchets And Ancient Farming
    Malham Peregrines
    Malham Safari
    Markenfield Hall
    Marking Time
    Masham Market Place
    Masham's Creative Community
    Masham Sheep Fair
    Middleham - Windsor Of The North?
    Money Does Grow On Trees
    Mud-larking
    Muker Show
    Nature's Cure
    Nature's Jewels
    Nidderdale
    Nine Standards Rigg
    Nordic Walking
    Oak Apples
    Old School Muker Art Gallery
    Open Farm Sunday
    Outdoor Clothing
    Paragliding
    Pateley Bridge
    Peace In Airton
    Pendragon Castle
    Pepper Pot & Guillotine
    Photography Courses In The Dales
    Planning Long Distance Walks
    Playing Quoits
    Positive People
    Post Boxes
    Pub Games
    Pub Names
    Pub Safari
    Pub To People Ratio
    Queen Mary's Shawl
    Quirky
    Rabbits & Russians
    Rangers & Volunteers
    Red Squirrels
    Reeth
    Reeth Show
    Reliable Weather Forecast?
    Rescue Services
    Ribblehead Viaduct
    Ribblesdale
    Richmond Castle
    Richmond Station
    Ride2Stride Festival
    River Ure
    River Wharfe
    Romantic Ruins
    Rope & A Rich Life
    Scar House Reservoir
    Secret Coverdale
    Sedbergh
    Sedbergh Treasure Map
    Seeing Differently
    Sense Of Community
    Serene & Spiritual
    Settle Falconry
    Settle Flower Pot Festival
    Settle Folly
    Settle To Carlisle Railway
    Settle-treasure-map
    Sheep-dog-demonstrations
    Sheep-graffiti
    Sherlock-holmes-yorkshire-dales
    Signs
    Silage Or Hay?
    Simple Ways To Enjoy Nature
    Skipton
    Skipton Castle
    Skipton Castle Woods
    Sloe Gin
    Smallest Art Gallery In The World
    Solitude And Silence
    Speak Sheep
    Spotting Spring
    Squeezes And Kissing Gates
    Stainforth & Leaping Salmon
    Starry Skies
    Stay Cool
    Stiles
    Stonehenge Of The Dales
    Stories Of Semerwater
    Stories Of The Dales
    Stories Of The Vault
    Studfold's Magical World
    Swaledale Festival
    Swaledale Museum
    Swaledale Secret Garden
    Swaledale Sheep
    Swale Trail
    Swift Trail
    Tan Hill Inn
    Tennants
    Terrible Knitters Of Dent
    The Buttertubs
    The Dalesman
    The End Of The Road
    The Hills Are Alive...
    The Pennine Way
    Thornborough Cider
    Thornborough Henges
    Three Peaks Arts Trail
    Thwaite & Attenborough's Forerunners
    Tombola & Raffles
    Town End Farm Shop
    Tractor Love
    Traffic Jams Dales Style
    Transports Of Delight
    Trees That Talk
    Tupping Time
    Underground Wonders
    Vicar On A 3-wheeler
    Village Greens
    Vintage Coach Trip
    Volunteers
    Walking In The Yorkshire Dales
    Walks
    Waterfalls
    Wensleydale Cheese
    Wensleydale Experience
    Wensleydale Railway
    Wensley Wonders
    West Burton
    What Makes A Good Yorkshire Dales Pub
    When It Rains In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wild Garlic & The Good Life
    Wild Swimming
    Wishing Trees
    Wonders Of Wool
    Wool In The Yorkshire Dales
    Wriggly Tin
    Yellow Cheer
    Yockenthwaite - Centre Of The Dales
    Yorkshire Dales Animal Artists
    Yorkshire Dales Books & Bookshops
    Yorkshire Dales Curiosities
    Yorkshire Dales National Park Features & History
    Yorkshire Dales Shepherdess
    Yorkshire Three Peaks
    Yorkshire Trails


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Find more places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales

Wharfedale
Grassington
Kettlewell
Burnsall
Appletreewick
Kilnsey

Bolton Abbey Estate

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​
Swaledale & Arkengarthdale
Reeth
Richmond
Muker
Thwaite
Keld
Buttertubs
Langthwaite
Gunnerside
Crackpot Hall
Corpse Way
Swale Trail
Wensleydale
​
Hawes
​
Leyburn
Masham
Middleham
Askrigg
Wensley
Aysgarth
Carperby


Ribblesdale & Three Peaks
Settle
Settle-Carlisle Railway 
Yorkshire Three Peaks
Clapham
Feizor
Hoffman
Ingleborough
Ingleton
Stainforth
Nidderdale
Pateley Bridge
​
Scar House Reservoir
Coldstones Cut
Fountains Abbey

​Brimham Rocks

About DalesDiscoveries.com

This independent not-for-profit website was created using recommendations from Dales insiders' - people who live in, and love the Yorkshire Dales. 
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​Copyright Susan Briggs 2021
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