Summer

Newsletter

2019 www.place.uk.com

Please use the enclosed booking form for all events and book orders

In this issue: Summer events 2019 – P. 1 - 3

Autumn conference – P. 3

Reports on past events – P. 4 - 7

Publications – P. 7

Back page – P. 8

Stained glass in the Chapter

House As the tour of stained glass in the

Chapter House on 24th April was over-

subscribed, Dr Hilary Moxon has kindly

arranged a second event, to be held on

Monday 3rd June. Meet at 11.00am

inside the West Door of York Minster.

Entry is free to Friends of the Minster

and York residents (please bring

appropriate ID) but others will have to

pay the entry charge. Please bring

binoculars and note that delegates

need to be prepared to stand. The talk,

with questions, will last approximately

1 hour and 15 minutes.

Visit to Parcevall Hall Gardens and Troller’s

Gill, Wednesday 26th June

Parcevall Hall gardens in Wharfedale provide many

wonderful features including rock and water gardens set

round a charming beck, an orchard, herb and chapel

gardens, and more formal terraced and rose gardens. The

soils overlie both limestone and gritstone so that a diverse

range of plants is able to grow, which is unusual at the high

altitude of Parcevall (600-700 feet above sea level). We will

have a guided tour lasting about one and a half hours in the

morning.

In the afternoon, from 2.00pm we will walk up Troller’s Gill,

which is interesting for its scenery, flora, geology and

industrial archaeology. David Wharton-Street will be with

us and will comment on these features as we walk up the

gill and back. There is also a steeply rising woodland called

Tibet Wood, which is a part of Parcevall Hall gardens but a

short way away from the main area; this is interesting to

walk around if people wish.

The cost for the day is £10 per person, with a maximum of

25 people for the tour. Booking is essential. There is free

car parking at the entrance to the gardens, where we can

park all day. Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead.

There is a small café but it would be advisable to bring a

packed lunch.

Please arrive at 10.45am for the tour at 11.00am. The

address is Parcevall Hall Gardens, Skyreholme, Skipton

BD23 6DE. Grid reference: SE 070613. The easiest

approach is from the B6265 Grassington-Pateley Bridge

Road. (The road from Burnsall is a busy single-track road.)

Please note that the natural topography of the gardens

makes the terrain hilly and there are uneven paths and

steps throughout. There is a difficult stile leading into Tibet

Wood. The paths up Troller’s Gill are also rough and there

are parts with loose rocks; it has at least two stiles and the

depth and width of the stream depends on previous rainfall.

The limestone can be slippery. Suitable footwear is

essential.

(Parcevall Hall itself is not open to the public but there are

good views of its exterior from the gardens.)

Above: Part of

the formal

gardens, taken

in February

Left: Limestone

in Troller’s Gill

Page 2

Last chance to book for the PLACE AGM and Members’ Day in May!

As advertised in the spring newsletter, our 2019 AGM and members’ day takes place on Saturday 11th

May in Hull. The morning events will be in the James Reckitt Reading Room, Hull Central Library,

starting with coffee/tea from 10.00am, followed by a talk by Dr David Neave on ‘Hull: History and

Architecture’ at 10.30am. The AGM itself will take place at 11.30am. Directions to the venue and papers

for the AGM, including the 2018 Annual Report, will be sent to everyone who books. They can also be

downloaded from our website. Attendance at the AGM is free but please let us know if you are coming.

In the afternoon there will be a tour of Hull’s historic buildings and architecture, led by Paul Schofield.

There is a charge of £4.00 for the afternoon tour.

RETURN VISIT TO KILDALE

Saturday 27th July 2019

By popular demand, we have arranged a

return visit to see the archaeology in the

Kildale area, as those who attended last year

were unable to see many of the remains

because of the unseasonable snow cover!

Those who braved the weather last time (see

the PLACE spring newsletter 2019)

thoroughly enjoyed the day, so do join us

for this summer version, whether or not you

came last time. Roger Inman will be our

guide again.

Park on the wide verges west of Kildale

village on the road from Easby and

Battersby. The visit will start at the Glebe

Café in the centre of the village (grid

reference: NZ 608094) at 11.00am, so arrive

earlier if you wish to have coffee before

setting off. Bring a packed lunch and be

prepared for some walking on uneven paths.

We shall drive to the Iron Age enclosure

near Great Ayton and then visit some round

houses on Percy Rigg. Returning to Kildale

village, we may need to share cars for the

next part of the visit, as the road to Easby

Manor is narrow. The site will be under

excavation at the time.

We shall then return to Kildale, where those

who missed last year’s trip (or wish to see

the sites again) will have a chance to look at

the Kildale Church and Manor House area.

The visit should end by 4.00pm, leaving time

for tea at Glebe Café before setting off for

home.

Cost: £5.00 per head (which will go to the

local excavation fund).

A classic Wolds walk from Fridaythorpe Thursday 8th August 2019

The 6.5 mile (10.5km) walk, led by Philip Mander,

will leave the pond at Fridaythorpe and proceed

over Huggate Wold. It will cross the head of Horse

Dale. A detour may be made to Huggate, if time

and energy allow, as there is a notable twelfth

century spire on the church. We shall return to

Fridaythorpe along Holm Dale. More than half of

the route is along the Wolds Way.

Meet at the pond in Fridaythorpe, grid ref:

SE873592, at 10.30am. Fridaythorpe is East of

Stamford Bridge on the A166. There is roadside

parking by the pond and village church by turning

left at the derelict pub. Walking boots and poles

are recommended as the Wolds have steep

slopes. A reasonable level of fitness is needed for

a walk of 3-4 hours. There are no public toilets on

the route. The pub at Huggate might be open.

There is a café on the Fimber road (B1251) for

afternoon tea. A packed lunch and plenty of water

should be carried.

This is a free event but please book in advance.

Near Fridaythorpe

Page 3

FIELD TRIP TO DEEPDALE

Wednesday 25th September

Join us for an early autumn walk in this

little-known valley near Langdale on the

North York Moors.

Meet at 11.00am at the Bickley Gate car park,

grid ref: SE911910. Access is free via Hackness

and Langdale End; access from the Dalby

Forest Drive incurs a charge per car. The walk

of about three miles involves some moderate

gradients and rough ground, so walking boots

are recommended. Bring a packed lunch, a

drink and waterproof clothing. This is a free

fieldtrip but please book in advance.

Our guide will be Brian Walker, who knows the

area well from his former work with the Forestry

Commission. Deepdale has interesting flora and

fauna and has been studied by local naturalists

over many years. One of them, the late Peter

Robinson (author of PLACE publication Walking

in the Footsteps of William Smith), made a

detailed survey of the valley, which is being

repeated by local naturalists this year, as a ‘Bio

blitz’ event (see below).

[The Bio blitz event is on the 20th July, meeting at

Bickley Gate car park. There will be a range of

experts surveying the meadows in Deepdale for a

range of different species and it will be an

opportunity for people to learn more about the

wildlife of this area. It is part of the centenary

celebrations for Forestry England. Anyone who is

interested in going along should contact Cath

Bashforth: cath.bashforth@forestryengland.uk]

AUTUMN CONFERENCE Saturday 5th October 2019

Future Challenges in the Urban

Environment

This conference is organised jointly with the

Royal Geographical Society and will be held at

the Swarthmore Education Centre in

Woodhouse Square, Leeds. This is about 15

minutes walk from Leeds Railway Station.

Those travelling by car will find free all day

parking behind the centre, accessed via

Hanover Way and Hanover Lane. Full directions

will be issued to those who book nearer the

time.

Morning speakers will include:

• Prof. Tony Champion, Newcastle University,

on the rise (and fall) of studentification

• Prof. Ian Cook, Liverpool John Moores

University, on the unprecedentedly rapid and

gigantic scale of urbanisation in

contemporary China and its implications for

us in Britain

• Michael Hopkinson, PLACE, on the urban

ideas generated by the architect Patrick

Nuttgens

• Prof. David McEvoy, Royal Geographical

Society on W(h)ither the British High Street?

What sort of future is there for our city, town

and local retail centres in the face of online

and other pressures.

In the afternoon, there will be a relatively short

walk to see some of the characteristics of urban

change in the centre of Leeds.

Cost: £10.00 per head, including coffee/tea but

not lunch (bring packed lunch or patronise one

of the local eateries).

OTHER PLACE EVENTS THIS SUMMER

May Moss survey: As advertised in the spring

newsletter, the dates for botanical surveying at

May Moss are: 6th June, 4th July and 1st August.

In addition, Natural England will be carrying out

more detailed monitoring in the week beginning

24th June. If you are interested in helping with

any of these, please contact the PLACE Office.

PLACE will have a stand at the Stillingfleet

Lodge Wildlife Day on Sunday 23rd June. Why

not come along and visit this wonderful wildlife

garden?

COMING SOON! Robert Wright will be running a short course

on Georgian/Regency York in the autumn.

Details in the next newsletter. . .

Meadow and woodland habitats in Deepdale

[B. Walker]

Page 4

Salt’s Mill.

[David Wharton-Street]

TOUR OF HALIFAX, 21st FEBRUARY 2019

Twenty-eight PLACE members assembled outside the railway station on a bright morning for a tour of the

town, led by David Glover, the Vice Chair of Halifax Civic Trust. Before setting off, the development of the

railway was stressed since its arrival in 1845. In 1855 a new tunnel allowed for links to Leeds. There was

an area of woollen warehouses in the nineteenth century. Eureka!, the hands on children's museum, is

next door to the station and was established in 1992. Halifax is a town that originated in the valley bottom

of the Hebble and steadily developed up the hillside on to open moor-side. It was not mentioned in the

Domesday Book but was well established as a result of the boom in the wool trade by the 1430s.

Our first stop was Halifax Minster, one of the oldest buildings in Halifax, first mentioned in 1120. A

gradual development pre-Reformation as the parish church of St. John the Baptist produced one of the

largest parishes in England by area. The church was renamed as a Minster in the current century,

perhaps reflecting medieval Cluniac links. The blackened stone of the church is a testament to past

industrial grime. A notable feature of the Minster is its castellation. Nearby is the former Church School

(1867) with its Gothic style. We noted the Calderdale Industrial Museum that is dedicated to maintaining

the engineering tradition of the area.

Left: Halifax Minster,

with the former Church

School on the left

Right: The Square

Chapel

Halifax experienced a growing puritan tradition that produced many chapels, as the Established Church

was felt to be less sympathetic to business needs. The Square Chapel (1772) is red brick with Venetian

windows and has a notable internal span using Baltic Pine. It was superceded by the adjacent Square

Church which was in use until the 1970s. Parts of it (the tower, arch and rose window) have been

incorporated into the £9 million modern library. The Square Chapel has been transformed into an arts

centre with two versatile auditoria.

The centre piece of any visit to Halifax has to be the unique Piece Hall (1776-9) designed by Bradley to

control and facilitate the sale of pieces of cloth. Initially the hours of commerce were limited to two hours

each week, as signalled by a bell. Merchants operated from cells on several floors around a central open

area which was used for many activities including hustings. By the 1990s it was an emporium of small

traders. In 2009 the Piece Hall received £17 million in Lottery funding and was restored to its original

glory.

REPORTS ON PAST EVENTS

Left: PLACE group in

the Piece Hall

Right: The Piece Hall

from the south

Page 5

After lunch we made our way to the Town Hall (1863) a building which reflects the industrial wealth of

Halifax. Keith Farrington (the Mayor’s secretary) explained that it was designed by Charles Barry, the

architect of the Houses of Parliament. Over 70,000 people witnessed its opening by the Prince of

Wales. We admired the splendour of the Victoria Hall. The central mosaic shows the Coat of Arms of

Halifax with the head of John the Baptist, the patron saint of woollen weavers. In 1974 local

government reorganisation saw the establishment of the Borough of Calderdale. The ceiling of

Victoria Hall is ribbed and groined. The dome above the staircase is made of blue glass and gold star

sections. The four quarter bells and the clock are housed above. We were taken into the Council

Chamber, originally the Magistrates' Court until its conversion in 1901. The workings of the Council

were explained and we were taken into the Mayor's Parlour to view the civic regalia.

Philip Mander.

The tour of Halifax was concluded with a walk through

the central business district, which is largely

Victorian. A key concept of the town plan is that the

streets which run up and down the valley side are

usually older than those which run parallel along the

contours. We admired the construction of the Old

Swan Hotel and noted the atypical 1930s building of

Montague Burton. Somerset House (1760-66) is an

especially fine Georgian building attributed to John

Carr. A sign of the times is that the 1887 Post Office is

now a pawnbrokers. The Olde Cock Pub dates back to

1580. Branwell Bronte was reputed to have frequented

it and it achieved further notoriety by being

associated with a murder during the time of the Cragg

The group inside the Town Hall

VISIT TO FOXGLOVE

COVERT NATURE

RESERVE, 27th March

2019

An army camp is not the usual

venue where one would expect

to find a nature reserve.

However, Catterick Garrison

does have such a site within its

boundaries. It covers

approximately 1000 acres with

varied habitats including

woodland, open grassy areas,

moorland, streams and ponds.

The PLACE group (photographed

by Sophie)

Vale coiners. We passed through Halifax Borough Market, saw the original Old Town Hall and the

recent Westgate Arcade.

Many thanks to David Glover for giving us such an enjoyable and informative tour in near perfect

weather.

Page 6

Twenty-four members of PLACE met at the nearby Golf Club car park for an initial briefing on security

and military regulations. Due to restricted availability of car parking at the reserve, it was necessary to

‘double up’ car passengers to reduce car numbers. We then proceeded along the military road to the

check point where the drivers had to check in at the guard room with photo ID, which was retained until

departure. In return each driver received a large yellow card for windscreen display. A military escort car

led us through the camp to the huge security gate into the nature reserve. We were then able to go

along the track to the visitor centre. After some negotiating and shunting we were able to park the cars

and go into the visitor centre. There, visitors were able to obtain books, charts, leaflets etc with

information on the site and its inhabitants. There was also a chance to inspect the indoor beehive and

watch the bees at work.

Sophie, a member of staff, gave us an informative talk about their work, which includes site

maintenance, assisting visitors, also the occasional netting of birds for recording and ringing. This is

only done by qualified handlers. The reserve receives both winter and summer migrants plus the

permanent residents. Due to the slightly higher altitude of this site compared with the York area, spring

comes a little later, so at the time of our visit there were few plants in flower except hazel, willow, gorse

and one or two primroses. Later in the year there would be a great deal more to see.

Following the talk we divided into groups for tours around the reserve. Those who were more energetic

went on the longer route and those such as myself who were not so fleet of foot opted for a shorter

route. Our group was led by Elizabeth, who informed us that during the winter they had observed

redwings, bullfinches and fieldfares which had come over from Europe. In summer in addition to the

usual swallows and martins they recorded willow and sedge warblers, blackcaps and chiffchaffs. Birds

are not the only inhabitants; roe deer roam freely and Exmoor ponies have been introduced to keep the

areas of rough grass tidy. Another introduction has been water voles, with their own island in a pond.

However, we were not lucky enough to see them that day. As we reached the small ponds we could hear

little squeaks and chatters from toads and frogs, which were busy laying spawn. The tadpoles had not

hatched yet. We descended to the bird hide situated beside a small lake where mallard and moorhens

were busy. We learned that the waterfall at the far end of the lake had originally been a dam and

overflow chute for a water tank constructed for the First World War training camp. Catterick has long

been a military site since the Romans built a fort there 2000 years ago. The bird feeders near the hide

attracted residents such as blue, great and coal tits and we noticed a colourful woodpecker.

On returning to the visitor centre for a welcome cup of tea we compared notes. Later in the year there

would be interesting flora, including wild crab apple blossom, orchids, yellow irises and, of course,

foxgloves. There would also be butterflies, dragonflies, bees and colourful fungi. On leaving the reserve

we had to retrieve our photo ID, sign out at the guard room and return to the Golf Club.

I am sure many people would enjoy another visit later in the year. The contact number for the reserve,

which is open from 9.00am till 5.00pm, is 01748 830045. It is essential that drivers have photo ID. If

anyone wishes to book a meal at the golf club, their number is 01748 833268 and they open from

10.00am. It would be well to check before planning a trip in case the MOD are conducting any special

activities.

Margaret Bastow.

Left: Mating toads

Right: Exmoor

ponies

Page 7

Our spring conference, held on 6th April in Clements

Hall, York, was a great success. Over 90 delegates

attended to hear presentations from eight first class

speakers, each of whom gave a personal view on how

nature conservation in Britain had developed in the past

and discussed possible future changes. Our keynote

speaker, Sir John Lawton, gave an inspirational

presentation about the conservation movement as a

whole, from the establishment of the first nature

reserves in the early 20th century to the government’s

plans for the next 25 years and modern concepts such

as Rewilding, Land Sparing and Land Sharing. He was

followed to Rob Stoneman, CEO of the Yorkshire

Wildlife Trust, whose talk focused on the Wildlife Trusts

and the transition from an initial emphasis on the

The Changing Nature of Conservation

creation of nature reserves to larger-scale approaches, such as Living Landscapes and habitat

restoration. Jeremy Purseglove spoke about the way our attitude to water management has altered over

the years, from past ideas of straightening river courses and dredging river beds to modern approaches,

such as Natural Flood Management. This was followed by a presentation on the importance of peatlands,

especially in the uplands, by Tim Thom, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, who explained the role of peat deposits

in flood control and carbon storage and outlined the work of the Yorkshire Peat Partnership in restoring

our upland peatlands.

The focus in the afternoon changed to birds, farming and forestry. Laurence Rose of the RSPB

demonstrated how bird conservation had shifted from an emphasis on preserving rare species to

concern over the decline of common birds, with a greater role for the general public in monitoring

species change. Phil Lyth of Farming and Wildlife discussed initiatives to engage the farming community

in nature conservation, including reducing carbon emissions, providing Ecosystem Services and

producing food more sustainably. The talk by Richard Baker informed us about the large range of pest

species that are threatening both wild plants and cultivated crops and alerted us to some of the species

that may pose problems in the future as our climate changes. The final presentation was by Brian Walker,

who traced the history of the Forestry Commission, founded 100 years ago this year, through an initial

emphasis on strategic timber production to a much wider remit today, including nature conservation. He

ended by considering modern forest planning and where Forestry England may be going in the future.

The talks stimulated lively discussion from the audience and left many of us feeling more optimistic

about the future of our wildlife and habitats, despite the considerable challenges ahead. PLACE plans to

publish the proceedings of the conference later this year.

Margaret Atherden.

NEW PLACE PUBLICATION!

The latest book by

Nan Sykes has just

been published and

features pictures of

flowers to be seen on

our roadsides in

different seasons. It

costs £3.00 + £1.50

P & P and is available

from the PLACE

Office.

PUBLICATIONS

As mentioned at our spring conference, Jeremy

Purseglove’s new book, Working with Nature, is

available from Profile Books, price £14.99 hardback.

ISBN: 978-1788161596 e-ISBN: 978-1782834960.

Laurence Rose’s book The Long Spring is published

by Bloomsbury, price £16.99 hardback.

ISBN: 978-1-4729-3667-7 e-ISBN: 978-1-4411-3670-7.

Guy Wallbanks has recently published a new booklet

on Wildlife Sites around York. It is available from

York Explore library and can also be downloaded

from: https://www.itravelyork.info/walking/walking-

for-leisure/wildlife-walks

Page 8

PLACE Board and Officers to May 2019

Chief Executive:

Dr Margaret Atherden

Trustees:

Ms Linda Blenkinship

Ms Aileen Bloomer

(Chair)

Dr Jean Dixon

Mr David Hawtin

Dr Michael Hopkinson

(Treasurer)

Mr Philip Mander

Dr Hilary Moxon

(Company Secretary)

Dr George Sheeran

Mr Brian Walker

To contact PLACE: By post:

PLACE Office,

York St John University,

Lord Mayor’s Walk,

York,

YO31 7EX.

By phone or text message: 07989 095924

(NB this is the Chief Executive’s mobile

number – for emergency use only, please)

By e-mail: place@yorksj.ac.uk

Website: www.place.uk.com

N.B. This is a

‘virtual’ office

and is not

staffed.

The next newsletter is due in September 2019

PLACE holds members’ names and addresses and, where you have supplied them, e-mail

addresses and telephone numbers. These are only used to communicate with you about

PLACE affairs or events. We do not hold any personal data supplied to us from other

sources and we never share personal data with other individuals or organisations. Please

remember to let us know if any of your contact details change!

If you wish to change the way we communicate with you at any time, please contact the

PLACE Office. The trustee with responsibility for data protection at the moment is David

Hawtin. Should you have a complaint about the way we handle your personal data, please

contact him via the PLACE Office.

All our events are open to the general public. Children are welcome, provided they are accompanied

by a parent or guardian. Dogs on leads are allowed on some outings, subject to the agreement of

the leader (please ask in advance).

We sometimes take photographs at events for publicity purposes. If you do not wish to be

photographed, please tell the event organiser at the time.

Elections for trustees take place at the AGM each

year.

PhD student Tom Ratcliffe has embarked on a research project entitled ‘Cooperation and

Competition in Cultural Landscapes: Community resilience, heritage and re-industrialisation in the

North York Moors National Park’. It is being led by Northumbria University, Newcastle and funded

by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Tom is looking for volunteers to be

interviewed in connection with it.

The research project is an investigation of people’s perceptions of cultural landscapes in the North York

Moors National Park. The research explores people’s perceptions of cultural landscapes, their understanding

of National Park status and the role of communities in a National Park, examining the extent to which

communities have a voice and can influence what happens in a National Park. It investigates two distinctive

land use areas in the North York Moors including the Woodsmith Mine and Fylingdales Moor Conservation

Area. It also explores the potential for hydraulic fracking on the edges of the North York Moors. Ultimately this

research project aims to find out more about how society views the countryside and what role communities

have to influence landscape change. For further information on this research project see:

http://www.heritageconsortium.ac.uk/current-students-2/2017-cohort/tom-ratcliffe/