Dales Issue 14 HeritageHeritage Projects, people and places in and around the Yorkshire Dales

SWALEDALE FESTIVAL TRAILING AROUND RARE SHAKESPEARE 2011 NIDDERDALE! IN SKIPTON WELCOME... PLAIN DAFT ...TO THE DALES HERITAGE NEWSLETTER Grassington based theatre company The name ‘Penny Plain’ derives from the Victorian he spring edition of the newsletter We also learn about a new exhibition at the A which has been described as ‘barking but toy theatres which were sold as cut-out books - ‘a T introduces its fantastic new look to make Green Howards Museum, how children are brilliant’ is after new members! penny plain or tuppence coloured’. The company - sure we reach as wide an audience as involved in a technology project at the Dales which is made up of ex-professional actors, a possible. Through it we can promote the great Countryside Museum and explore a three year ‘Penny Plain’ has played next to loudspeakers, in retired opera singer and a former BBC set designer work in the Dales far and wide! heritage education and skills project at muddy fields, in thunderstorms and in heatwaves - has done considerable historical research to but the ten strong troupe keep on performing - This issue contains an array of examples of how Gayle Mill. make the Victorian characters, the theatre and the and now need some new blood to join them. costumes as authentic as possible. heritage can be brought to life and inspire people And we buzz around the Dales at the Flowers of of all ages. It includes features on the the Dales Festival and Studfold Farm’s award Led by founder Andrew Jackson - the GP in Channel The company also offers a seasonal miscellany of Festival, the Penny Plain Theatre Company and winning ‘explore, discover and learn’ trail. 4’s ‘Love they Neighbour’ series featuring Craven Museum’s rare Shakespeare ‘First Folio’. songs, dance and mummery. ‘Summer Frolics’ Grassington - Penny Plain tours the North of England features Hardcastle’s Victorian troupe performing with its custom built Victorian travelling theatre booth. a comic pastoral selection of songs, dances and a SUMMER BUZZING CHARTING 300 YEARS OF In the guise of ‘Hardcastle’s Mighty Excelsior mummers play. Theatre Company’, the actors show the Using the same format, it tours throughout CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN misadventures and mishaps of a group of down and IN THE DALES December with a miscellany of ancient carols, out players trying to stage some dramatic offerings. mummery and mayhem featuring four part new exhibition exploring why countries “Being a member of Penny Plain demands a lot,“ harmony singing and traditional morris dancing. he Yorkshire Dales will be buzzing this fought for influence over Afghanistan in A said Andrew. “We have to be able to think on our T summer with a collection of more than the 19th and 20th centuries has opened And also new this year is the Human Vegetable 120 events, each one celebrating feet, ad-libbing and interacting with the audience at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond. Machine - the troupe man an amazingly entertaining wildflowers in all their glory. as a poor Victorian would. On stage we have to stall based on a fruit machine featuring three ragged It charts the first two Afghan wars and the switch into and out of melodramatic mode, Now in its third year, the ‘Flowers of the Dales Victorian’s randomly selecting vegetables. Festival’ sees a packed programme of events difficulties the British faced in fighting in difficult performing (badly) in the formal acting style that a across the area until October. terrain against a determined enemy. nineteenth century travelling company would have If you’re interested to find out more contact used. The comic timing is crucial, and there’s a lot [email protected] or check out After the First World War local Regiment, The They include guided walks, photography courses, of knockabout stuff. None of us are getting www.pennyplaintheatre.co.uk for more details. Green Howards, was sent into Afghanistan. It was art exhibitions, cookery and craft events, children’s younger, so we need some more people who are activities, bat walks and bumblebee talks - run by the first time that air power and motorised transport were used and while the British Army was instinctively good actors, willing to muck in, on the a wide range of Dales-based organisations youthful side of middle age, slightly mad and and individuals. successful, a lack of political will and the cost of the war led the army to be withdrawn. above all, able to improvise.” And one of the highlights is an exciting new theatre production -‘Sward! The story of a meadow’. Billed Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, Although Penny Plain have, on occasion, as ‘an entertaining romp through love, life and 2001 countries once again turned their attention performed some Shakespeare, more often modern science’, the production has been created to Afghanistan. The Green Howards and its they perform their own shows, penned by by award-winning playwright Simon Corble and successor Regiment, the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire their poet, Sudbury Spoone. Highlights will be performed in nine village halls across the Regiment (The Green Howards) have completed from their repertoire include ‘Tom Dales during June. Tickets and full details are three tours in Afghanistan. Lee’ - their depiction of the true available from 01524 251002. story of Grassington’s eighteenth The exhibition - which includes a reconstruction of century murderer - and ‘The The festival - which is open to locals and visitors a soldier’s sleeping area and describes what life is Entire History of the North’. For alike - is co-ordinated by the Yorkshire Dales like for soldiers operating in Afghanistan - is open Millennium Trust (YDMT). until December 24. 2011 the company is touring with ‘The Bargeest’ - amidst A free programme of events is available in visitor farcical mishaps and centres and other outlets - or by post by sending rehearsal muddles on and off an A5 SAE (36p postage) to Flowers of the Dales stage, they stumble through Festival, YDMT, Old Post Office, Main Street, Clapham LA2 8DP. The programme can also be the gut-churning tale of a downloaded from the resources section of mythical hound that lurks in www.ydmt.org. the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales and is reputed to have Tanya St Pierre inspired Conan Doyle’s Hound Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust of the Baskervilles. 015242 51002 [email protected]

Woodland wildflowers © Tanya St Pierre] St Tanya © wildflowers Woodland www.ydmt.org 1 2 2011 HISTORY LESSONS SWALEDALE FESTIVAL WITH A DIFFERENCE

The 2011 Swaledale Festival not only celebrated music and art in the Northern Dales three year project to preserve the history - but focused on the unique Dales landscape, its archaeology, geology, flora and heritage. A of a state-of-the art 19th century sawmill for future generations has been launched. Festival Field Day was packed with walks and outdoor activities. Circular walks It will see children and adults alike learn about their covered geology, mining, ancient woodland, and the archaeology of Maiden local heritage through hands-on lessons and Castle. A talk on ‘Archaeology and Art of Swaledale’ brought together the National workshops. Textile manufacture, sustainable Park’s Chief Archaeologist, Robert White, and local artists, Jocelyn Campbell and electricity and power generation, and working with Michael Bilton. And the building of a stone arch was demonstrated on Green. wood are all on the menu of the Gayle Mill initiative. The mill, near Hawes, is run by voluntary For the less mobile there was even a ‘stationary walk’ - a local archaeologist organisation, Gayle Mill Trust, and supported by pointed out everything that could be seen from Reeth School. the Friends of Gayle Mill. As well as being a Festival Field Day was presented in collaboration with Swaledale and historic visitor attraction, it provides commercial wood services, generates hydro electricity, and Archaeology Group, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, offers heritage education and training. Northern Mines Research Society, Swaledale Museum and local schools. Its ‘heritage, education and skills’ project brings Walks were a common feature during festival fortnight. Arkengarthdale Birds together key elements of its history - including and Wild Flowers, Lead Mining, Wensleydale Railway were all taken in. And the recent developments - to preserve its story for celebrated ‘Walk with Musical Interludes’ was popular - in the past, walkers future generations. And it will not only take people have stumbled upon a string quartet in a hay meadow and a steel band in a into the classroom, it will also provide disused graveyard! opportunities to keep traditional heritage skills alive - with lessons on stone masonry, building with Songs of the Landscape saw Canadian born mezzo, Patricia Hammond, lime, and making gates and stiles. perform ballads of the land and the seasons. The concert also featured the first performance of Michael Brough’s setting of poems about the Dales written by Heritage Craft Alliance Ltd has joined forces with Gayle Mill to provide a range of demonstrations local residents Pete Roe, Ann Pilling and Felicity Manning. and hands on workshops, using traditional tools Sward! - The Story of a Meadow, a new play by Simon Corble, revealed the and techniques. complex web of life and history of an upland hay meadow. This magical tale, The project will build on the Mill’s current performed by the Blaize Theatre Company, was staged in conjunction with the successful educational programme developed and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. YDMT also conducted workshops in local managed by dedicated volunteers. It is being schools prior to the performance. supported by an £80,000 grant from the Yorkshire Dales LEADER programme. To commemorate the opening in 1785 of Gayle Mill, the acclaimed early music group ARIOSO performed popular vocal and instrumental music from the To find out more about Gayle Mill’s Heritage period, including works by Arne and Boyce, and the song with a local Education and Skills Training project contact: connection - Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill. Extra colour was added with 18th Samantha Belcher century costumes and dance. The two performances were accompanied by a 01969 667320 [email protected] guided tour of the former cotton mill. www.gaylemill.org.uk Exhibitions running throughout the Festival included Landscapes by Jill Eagle at Cuckoo Hill View Ice Cream Parlour, Reeth; Interpreting Ancient Rock Art - clay modelling by local school children in the Community Orchard, Reeth ; the East Windy Hall Exhibition; Treasures from the Underground and The Needlewoman’s Treasure at the Swaledale Museum, Reeth. The Swaledale Festival packs an exciting programme into a summer fortnight including classical, folk, jazz, brass band music, poetry, art exhibitions and guided walks in stunning scenery. Events take place in intimate venues throughout the northern Dales of Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale in . Like painting the Forth Bridge, work on the Festival never stops and organisers are already planning the 2012 Festival which will run from 19 May to 3 June. For further information or to join the Festival’s mailing list, visit www.swaledalefest.org.uk or call 01748 880019. 3 4 RARE FIRST FOLIO IN SKIPTON TRAILING AROUND NIDDERDALE!

rare book containing Shakespeare’s his life to scientific study. He also enjoyed the theatre A unique - and award winning - nature trail is “We have two farms - Studfold and Blayshaw - one A ‘rough drafts’ has gone on display which led him to co-write a play about Skipton. And attracting children in their thousands to Upper of which has been in the family for 16 in Skipton. it is likely that it was this literary interest that Nidderdale. generations,“ said Anne. encouraged him to buy a Shakespeare First Folio. It is one of only four Shakespeare ‘First Folios’ on Opened in 2009 the ‘Explore, Discover and “We wanted to do something unique - and came Learn’ trail at Studfold sets youngsters on a up with the idea of an adventure nature trail. We permanent display across the world. John James died in 1919 and, having never magical adventure. wanted children to understand the importance of married, left all of his possessions to his sister Ann. the countryside and their environment.” The First Folios are considered to be one of the When Ann later died in 1936 one of her bequests Set against the backdrop of the North Yorkshire most important books in English literature. They was ‘the imperfect first folio of Shakespeare which countryside they go from solving clues, finding secret And with the support of a mentor and grants from contain the collected works of the great author - belonged to my brother John’ should be left to the boxes and larger than life surprises to exploring the the Yorkshire Dales Sustainable Development Fund, compiled by two of his closest friends - and town museum in Skipton. wildflower meadow and bird hide; learning about administered by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium without them some of his most important works farming in the past in the historical barn; and Trust, and Growing Routes - part of Yorkshire would never have never seen the light of day. The Skipton First Folio lacks all the comedies and all discovering minibeasts and ginormous footprints. Forward - the project opened two years ago. nine preliminary leaves. These include Ben Jonson’s His own rough drafts - or ‘foul papers’ - are included famous poem “To the Reader”, the book’s title - The trail - a farm diversification project created by The trail will be open until the end of the October as well as playbooks and printed quartos which are page with the best known of all of Shakespeare’s Anne Challis and her brother, Ian Walker - has school holiday. Families can visit every weekend similar to paperback books. Without the First Folios it portraits, other poems and dedications, a list of already won the Nidderdale AONB enterprising and during the school holidays while schools and is believed that 18 of his plays would have been lost principle actors and the contents page of the plays. farm award. With their passion for the countryside groups can pre-book midweek days. forever - As you like it, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and It is thought that these pages were separated from and a background in education they began Studfold Walks and Trails The Tempest made their first appearance in them the book many years ago and is why the Wilkinson developing the idea in 2006. 01423 755228 and remain the original source for them. Everyday [email protected] family described it as ‘imperfect’. www.studfoldtrails.co.uk phrases such as ‘green eyed monster’, ‘in a pickle’ and ‘neither here nor there’ introduced by Craven Museum and Gallery is one of only four Shakespeare also appear in them first. institutions in the world to permanently display a Shakespeare First Folio. The others are the Craven Museum’s edition comes from the generosity Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford Upon of a local family. It was bought in the early 1900s by Avon, The British Library in London and the Folger local businessman, John James Wilkinson. Library in Washington DC. The Wilkinson family were originally cotton mill April to September opening times are Monday, owners. They expanded the business at Primrose Mill Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am in Embsay to include tobacco manufacture as well to 4pm, closed Tuesday and Sunday. as cotton and in 1890 this took over the whole mill. The family also owned a grocery shop in Skipton. Amy Ball [email protected] John James sold his father’s business, following the 01756 706407 death of his brother William in 1911, and devoted

The project - supported by the Yorkshire and investigate their own ‘Treasured Possessions’ as Humber Grid for Learning - saw them use PSP2 well as those of their parents and grandparents. DISCOVERING machines to create resources relating to They created digital stories from their discoveries the objects. and oral history recordings which will be featured HERITAGE in the museum’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad Barcodes or markers containing the children’s exhibition of Treasured Possessions. research, stories, photographs and drawings give THROUGH the user of the PSP2 a ‘virtual museum visit’ from Jane Sammells, Museum Project Officer, said: the perspective of the 7 - 11 year olds. By “The project has been a fabulous way of TECHNOLOGY scanning in a barcode next to each object, the introducing the children to the museum, giving children are able to bring up the information, film, them ownership in and instilling an enthusiasm for A virtual map of the Dales Countryside Museum sound and photos on the PSP2 to reveal more of investigating their heritage. The project has shown has been created by local schoolchildren. the stories behind the artefacts. that technology can be used to introduce children to the heritage of the area in a unique and fun way Youngsters from Hawes Primary School have Inspired by the project, the children also went on that enables incidental learning.” marked up their favourite objects in the museums to think about what they would like to see in a collection by using hand held game gadgetry. museum in the 23rd century and began to [email protected] 5 6 FUNDING AND INFORMATION SOURCES

Architectural Heritage Fund Natural England 020 7925 0199 0114 241 5940 [email protected] [email protected] www.ahfund.co.uk www.naturalengland.org.uk Awards For All Richmondshire District Council Yorkshire & Humber Office Alan Simpson 0113 244 5345 01748 829100 [email protected] [email protected] www.awardsforall.org.uk www.richmondshire.gov.uk Craven District Council Yorkshire Forward Rachel Wallbank Theresa Lindsay Stronger Communities 0113 3949600 01756 700600 [email protected] [email protected] www.yorkshire-forward.com Department for the Environment, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Food and Rural Affairs (Defre) Yorkshire Dales National Park Sustainable 08459 33 55 77 Development Fund [email protected] Dales Woodland Restoration www.defra.gov.uk 01524 251002 [email protected] English Heritage www.ydmt.org 01904 601901 [email protected] Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority www.english-heritage.org.uk 0300 456 0030 [email protected] Heritage Lottery Fund www.yorkshiredales.org.uk Yorkshire & Humber Office 0113 388 8030 www.yorkshiredalesheritage.org [email protected] Interactive database of heritage organisations www.hlf.org.uk

DALES HERITAGE EDITORIAL TEAM

We hope you have an enjoyable read as you look through these exciting projects. Submissions for future editions are welcome - the deadline for Issue 15 is September 1. Please submit your article of 250 words or less, together with contact details and a good quality image if you have one, to a member of the editorial team via the Dales Heritage email [email protected]. Please also send us any comments on this or previous issues of Dales Heritage.

Fiona Rosher Suzanne Callaghan Jo-Anne Simpson Don Gamble Yorkshire Dales National Park Craven District Council Richmondshire District Council Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Authority Craven Museum & Gallery, Policy and Partnerships, Old Post Office, Dales Countryside Museum Town Hall, High Street, Friars Wynd, Richmond, Main Street, Station Yard, Hawes, Skipton, North Yorkshire North Yorkshire DL10 4RT Clapham LA2 8DP North Yorkshire DL8 3NT BD23 1AH

© Communications Unit HDC/RDC 2011