Inspiration & ideas
Thwaite and inspiration for David Attenborough
Have you heard how two brothers in the tiny hamlet of Thwaite inspired Sir David Attenborough?
Thwaite in Swaledale is a small hamlet, popular thanks to its location on the Coast to Coast, Pennine Way and Herriot Way. Thwaite is a norse name meaning a clearing: this area was once more densely wooded. It's thought that people may have lived here since the Iron Age (600 BC!) as there's an earthwork bank and ditch just outside Thwaite.
Few of today's visitors know about some of Thwaite's most famous …
Visit a hidden gem: Markenfield Hall
One of my favourite hidden gems to visit is Markenfield Hall, a very special, beautiful Grade I listed Markenfield Hall with a moat. It's described by experts as, 'the most complete surviving example of a medium-sized 14th century country house in England', yet few know about it. Markenfield is an extraordinary place, with an incredible history. Its mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book.
It's a very lived-in house, with the owners warning visitors they may 'occasionally encounte…
Spinsters and spinning a yarn
Know any spinsters? Ever told a story or ‘spun a yarn’?
The 7th January is St. Distaff’s day, traditionally the day after Christmas when women resumed spinning wool. A spinster was originally someone who spun wool or thread, often a low paid job for an unmarried woman. A distaff wasn’t a saint, but a primitive tool used before the invention spinning wheels. Women would often gather to spin wool and gossip or tell stories: we still sometimes say ‘spin a yarn’.
A carved wooden stick …
Have you done your stint?
"I've done my stint" is an old fashioned expression that used to be much more common. Now the trees are nearly bare, it's easier to see the regular strips of terraced land cut into hillsides in the Dales. If this were somewhere else you might see a vineyard or rice growing on such a landscape. In the Dales, it's simply a reminder of an ancient field system.
In Anglo-Saxon times, the land surrounding each village was held in common. There was a well-organised system of land usage. The la…
Old drovers routes
Walk along a green lane in the Yorkshire Dales and tread in the footsteps of Romans, drovers and ancient traders.