Nidderdale

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…

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…

What has a thatched barn got to do with a reservoir? If you wander along the path fringing Grimwith (pronounced Grim’ath) Reservoir, you’ll come to High Laithe, a lonesome cruck barn perched on a mound of grass beside the water.

In Medieval times wooden constructed cruck barns were two-a-penny across the Dales before the great rebuild in the 17th century when they were torn down and rebuilt in stone, often re-using the curved cruck timber in the ceilings. Now they’re a rare sight with their steep…

What makes a perfect outing with family and friends? I think there are several key ingredients: a walk so everyone can get out into the fresh air but not so far that those with little legs start to moan; somewhere with "ooh look at that" fine views;

a chance to learn something along the way; a good cafe at the end.

On a bright, clear day you can find all these ingredients in one place: Coldstones Cut. It's almost impossible to describe - you really do have to go there to experience it yourself. Ho…

If you venture into the woods near Ilton & Masham, you're sure of a big surprise... a Stonehenge-like structure known as Druids' Temple. It's a curious folly in a somewhat hidden location, much loved by children in search of an adventure.

The stones aren't as huge as those at Stonehenge but they are more accessible and intact. The 'main ring' has an impressive entrance which leads to a double circle of large stones, many over 8 feet tall, and at the back there's a dark gloomy 'Tomb of Transformat…