Stories of the Past

A little story about flat caps, Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales & Peaky Blinders. Know why woollen flat caps are so popular? Their story goes back almost 500 years. In order to protect the wool trade, a law was passed in 1571 that all non-noble men and boys over 6 should wear a wool cap on Sundays and public holidays. They were fined if they didn’t. By the time the law was repealed in the 1590s, the tradition had stuck. It continued through the centuries, especially in colder areas with easy acce…

How well do you know this place? Do you associate it with a vast and rich business empire? It's a large site so not all visitors manage to find the 'farewell freedom' spot, or visit the 17th century Fountains Hall, as there's so much to explore.

Recognised as a ‘feat of human creative genius,’ Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust in Nidderdale National Landscape became a World Heritage Site in 1986. The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York who deci…

You've probably passed this hidden gem, yet it's hidden in plain sight on the A684 between Hawes and Swinithwaite. From the road you just see a few rocks and a small gate so it looks like it's a private garden.

It was closed to visitors for many years but is actually open to visitors in return for a donation in the box by the gate. It's a small but magical little garden. Young children find it otherworldly, thanks to the twisting paths and low archways created by enormous blocks of limestone.

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

Some believe that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to write his books thanks to connections in this area. His 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,…

A naked man, dozens of flowerpots, ancient buildings, dramatic natural beauty, a folly (that isn't really), an enormous 'oven' and the best cheese - where can you find them all? Visit Settle and you'll quickly realise this is no ordinary small town.

Settle's setting is beautiful - it's very close to the Three Peaks and some of Ribblesdale's finest landscapes. You can enjoy a great view from Castleberg. Within the town, narrow ginnels (or gennels or whatever you call them in your area...) thread…

Where have you seen evidence of the Mouseman? I'm not talking about vermin control! This small carved mouse made him famous, and his work is still to be seen in hidden spots through-out Yorkshire and on furniture that now commands high prices.

The 'Mouseman' was ​Robert Thompson, born in 1876. He lived in Kilburn near Thirsk and made oak furniture. A small carved mouse made him famous.

He was carving an altar rail one day, bemoaning his poverty with a colleague, saying they were 'as poor as a …

Have you heard of the Hecklers of Smelthouses? Neither had I until Amanda Brown wrote this! There was a lot of heckling in the Nidderdale hamlet of Smelthouses back in the late 1700’s.No, not from a gang of noisy protestors, but from the workers in the flax mill, known as a Manufactory, heckling the fibres using heckle combs before they were spun into fabric.

As an aside, apparently it was the women hecklers in Dundee who started a movement to improve wages and working conditions that led to th…

Most cars whoosh along the A65 between Long Preston and Clapham with no idea of the delights they're missing at Feizor. It's a small hamlet tucked away down a narrow meandering lane away from the rush of traffic. The lane takes its time curving this way and that, petering out into a track after Feizor as if it just couldn't bear to leave.

You might wonder why Feizor even exists, it's such a tiny place? It's said that it was once owned by the monks of Fountains Abbey and was a stopping point on …

Do you recognise this landscape? Ribblehead Viaduct one of the most iconic sights in the Yorkshire Dales, and certainly one of the most famous along the wonderful Settle to Carlisle Railway.

I wonder how many visitors have been drawn to this incredible structure since its construction and how many photographers have captured its majestic beauty?

The facts behind its construction are pretty incredible. Designed by John Sydney Crossley, construction of the viaduct began in 1870. It was officiall…

Can you imagine carrying a full dinner service, several food courses, and heavy wood tables and chairs deep into the woods for lunch? Once upon a time in the 18th century, wealthy young men used to go on the European Tour, a kind of early version of the modern day gap year. They flocked to an ancient woodland Hackfall near Masham. Turner came to paint it, and scenes from Hackfall were featured on the Green Frog Dinner Service commissioned by Empress Catherine the Great of Russia from Wedgwood & …