GUNNERSIDE An introduction to the built heritage of the village

Gunnerside village stands on the north side of Inn. West of the bridge there is a scatter of The usual 20th-century remodellings and the , where the deep ravine of Gunnerside Gill development along and to the south of the conversion of even the smallest farm buildings into flows into the main Swale valley. This has long been road, whilst the Methodist Chapel sits on the west of holiday cottages are apparent, especially in the a bridging point on the tributary stream while the the main road. A big chapel (in Swaledale only western part of the village which contains the periodic threat of flooding probably explains why the has one of comparable size), it is built on a modern school. There were two older church-based present structure spanning the Gill is of no great town rather than a village scale and plan, with twin schools on the east side of the Gill: a Methodist one age. The main road up the valley from Reeth drops stairs from the entrance lobby and galleries all lost to a 20th-century fire (although the attractive down to the bridge, and then turns south along the round. It stands in the centre of an extensive school master’s house survives), and a suitably- west bank of the Gill to cross the Swale and follow graveyard with memorials going back into the Gothic Anglican one - now ‘Gunnarsgill Hall’- looking the south side of the valley up to , whilst a 18th century. across the stream to the old mill buildings. The minor road to Ivelet continues along the north side latter’s Welsh slate roof, in contrast to the local of the valley. The buildings of the village are very typical of the vernacular use of flagstones everywhere around, dale. The odd mullioned window and chamfered door emphasises its status as representing the Established The Gill divides Gunnerside village into two more or surround betray a handful of older properties going Church in a largely nonconformist community. less equal parts. On the east the houses lining the back to the later 17th and early 18th century (Croft road expand into a scatter around a sloping green House being the most significant). Many more date There is a small village square to the north-west of above the road, before narrowing down to a tight to the 19th century, when the prosperity brought by the bridge, where the Literary Institute of 1877 faces neck just before the bridge, around the King’s Head lead mining shows itself in architectural refinements a working smithy that, in tribute to the changing such as cut sandstone door times, now doubles up as a museum. surrounds, quoins and kneelers. Spensley House is a good For a detailed discussion of the leadmining industry example, and the King’s in the Dales see the essay titled ‘Leadmining’ in the Head another. Themes/Industry section of the website www.outofoblivion.org.uk. The area around Gunnerside also contains important archaeological remains. Type ‘Gunnerside’ in the Keyword Search box of the Out of Oblivion website and follow the links.

Gunnerside smithy 3. GUNNARSGILL HALL Built in 1845 as a Church of GUNNERSIDE school which closed in Plan showing featured buildings 1886. The Hall is constructed of coursed square stone with a Welsh slate roof (unusual in the area). The single-storey 2. GUNNERSIDE SMITHY schoolroom forms a cross-wing 4. KING’S HEAD 5. CROFT HOUSE The main smithy building is two-storey with a at the south end, and has a PUBLIC HOUSE This is a five-bay house, its front single-storey addition that now houses a small porch with a trefoiled arch at its This building has quoins, rendered, the original extent of exhibition about the history of the blacksmith in west end, and trefoiled and moulded kneelers, and bands to which is defined by its raised the community. The smithy is datable to the shoulder-arched windows. The the ground floor window sills and quoins. The list description early 19th century through its use of coursed adjacent Master’s House, with 3 at first floor level. The windows, (which is inaccurate) gives a rubble walling, high eaves and large windows rather less Gothic detail, forms now plate-glass sashes, have date of 1720. The entrance with thin stone lintels and sills. The smithy has a an L-plan range to the north. stone surrounds. Both end walls doorway is in the second bay, domestic appearance from the front, with a rare have the odd feature of a small and has a bolection-moulded survival of 16-pane sash windows on the ground window with a larger one surround, whilst the windows floor and casements above. The main smithy immediately alongside, both have simpler architraves, and door is interesting in that it has been used to apparently original. The rear of now hold plate-glass sashes. test horn burns for sheep and various other iron 2 the house has the usual series of The fifth bay has a narrow fire marks for mining companies and individuals. later outshuts and standing at window on each floor, now Several day books survive from the 19th century, the north-east corner of the blocked, with imitation sash written by the Calverts whose descendant, block is a K6 telephone box. frames painted on. Stephen Calvert still runs the smithy. In the Both public house and telephone 19th century, the two hearths burned coal carted box are listed Grade II. down from Tan Hill and William Gill pits at the top of Arkengarthdale. As well as shoeing horses 5 the day books show that the smith could turn his 1 4 hand to almost anything, from repairing a child’s minnow net to making tools for stonemasons. The Calverts also owned a small piece of land on which they kept a cow and a horse. The present smith still farms part-time. 6 6. METHODIST CHAPEL are plainer, with three square-headed windows This is a substantial chapel of 1866, built on below and three round-arched ones above, with standard ‘town chapel’ lines. It is built of coursed ashlar alternating-block surrounds while the rear and squared stone, with ashlar rusticated quoins gable is rendered, and a lower two-storey block 1. SPENSLEY HOUSE and dressings, with a gabled three-bay front to contains the vestry and the organ loft. A good-quality two-storey three-bay house with the road on the east behind old railings and raised quoins and a moulded eaves cornice gates (both chapel and the gate and railings are The entrance leads into a lobby with two doorways carried out round a downpipe. The rear elevation listed separately at Grade II). into the body of the chapel and two to stairs into has a good stair window with Gothic glazing the gallery, which has a panelled front and is bars. Despite the status of the house (which the The openings - a central doorway with a paired carried on cast-iron columns. The seating at list description dates to about 1820 - it also window above - have round-arched ashlar ground level has been replaced, but the old details some apparently-contemporary internal surrounds with imposts and keystones. There is benches remain in the gallery which is continued features), it could not entirely escape local a band at the level of the sills of the upper behind the dais in front of a large segmental vernacular influence, seen in the rows of through windows, and a pedimented gable enclosing a -headed arch framing the organ with the painted stones in its west end. The name of the house is tablet inscribed ‘Wesleyan Methodist Chapel text ‘Worship the King the Lord of Hosts’ around it. neatly carved on one of the quoins at its ERECTED 1866’ and a circular vent. The gable is The dais has a balustraded top and a central south-east angle. Hidden within the front capped by spiked ball finials. The side elevations pendant semi-octagonal reading desk. garden, surrounded by a tall buttressed wall, is an ornamental ‘garden house’ probably contemporary with the house. Both structures are separately listed. Private Spaces Public Places Village Heritage Project

This leaflet and others in the series were produced by the Dales National Park Authority as part of the Private Spaces Public Places project. This European Union funded project was undertaken during 2003-5 in selected villages in the area of the National Park. The project’s aim was to enable communities to take a more active role in the management and enhancement of the historic character of their villages, and to promote a common outlook on their future development. An Historic Environment PARTICIPATING VILLAGES Consultancy firm was appointed by the Yorkshire Dales WARD: and Upper Swaledale: National Park Authority to complete character appraisal WARD: Aysgarth: VILLAGES: VILLAGES: documents in consultation with each community. The Carperby Muker documents include an appraisal of the historic character of West Burton Gunnerside the village, and form the basis for the development of an Thornton Rust agreed action plan targeting specific enhancement projects. Aysgarth Keld Electronic versions of the village character appraisal Thoralby Grinton documents, along with a copy of this leaflet are available on Newbiggin WARD: and High Abbotside: www.yorkshiredales.org.uk from the Understanding/Historic WARD: Bolton Manor: VILLAGES: Environment page. VILLAGES: Gayle Castle Bolton Burtersett West Witton Sedbusk PROJECT PART-FINANCED Hardraw BY THE EUROPEAN UNION GLOSSARY Private Spaces Public Places Village Heritage Project

Architrave Keystone Rusticated quoins A characteristic moulded surround to a doorway A keystone is the central stone of the head of Quoins, usually of ashlar, in which the edges of or window typical of the 18th century. an opening, usually but not always arched. the individual blocks are bevelled or chamfered. It is sometimes emphasised by its face Typical of good-quality Classical buildings of the Ashlar standing proud of the others, and is usually 17th century onwards. Good quality cut stone with a smoothly-tooled wedge-shaped. surface. Shoulder-arched windows Kneelers A shoulder-arched opening has a shaped heads Bands The overhanging shaped stones at each end of formed in effect by a corbel at the head of each Horizontal ashlar courses standing proud of the the coping of a gable, very typical of the late jamb. wall face; if moulded or chamfered it would be 17th and 18th centuries. termed a ‘string course’. String course Moulded eaves cornice A horizontal projecting course in a wall, usually Bay either moulded or chamfered. Elevations can usually be divided into a series Mullioned window bays on the basis of their architectural features A window divided into a series of lights by verti- Through stones - a bay might contain one window on each floor cal stone mullions. A typical feature of vernacular building in the level. If referring to a timber-framed building, Dales, in which large roughly-shaped slabs, laid or a roof structure, the bay would be the section Outshut horizontally in the wall (and serving to bond the between each pair of posts, or between each The rear part of a building, often an addition, walling) extend through its full thickness and tie-beam and set of principal rafters. usually lower than the main body of the struc- project a little from the wall face as well. ture, where the roof slope is continued down to Bolection-moulding a lower level than at the front. Trefoiled arch A characteristic broad convex moulding of the Arch cut to the form of a trefoil, i.e. with three late 17th or early 18th century. Pedimented gable lobes. A gable in which the top section forms a full Chamfered door surround triangle in that the moulding of the coping (i.e. A chamfer or bevel (usually of 45 degrees) to upper edges) is continued horizontally (as a the edge of the opening. string course) across its base.

Impost Quoins The block at the head of the jamb of an opening Large corner stone located at the right angle of from which the head or arch springs. two external walls, the finish of which may differ from the main wall.