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-Si Q CD QJ > CD I oc wo "fS Q ^ o « 'N V- <U 4-« sE v«» \n ro 0 'diking, Landscape and Health Yorkshire Dales Society'^ Maure of the Field Barn ■11® Coldstones Cut Quarry Sculpture > tPnate Change Seminar CD Yorkshire Dales Review Is it Time for a Fresh Look at the Future it ■ •rksliirr Dales No. 113 Winter 2011 Soeieh'^-''"^* for the Yorkshire Dales Field Barn? Journal of the Yorkshire Dales Society Andy Singleton is a skilled Dales builder are scandalous examples of empty and changed after World War II. Instead of Editor: Fleur Speakman with the help of Bill Mitchell, Colin Speakman, and award-winning restorer of historic neglected buildings dotted around most the farmer visiting his animals housed Alan Watkinson, Anne Webster and Chris Wright buildings, co-author of Barns of the thriving towns, but before long in remote barns, it made sense K Yorkshire Dales (Great Nonhern Books). someone will come along with a plan economically to house the animals In this thought provoking article, he to redevelop, restore or convert. around the farmhouse. Mechanised questions iv/iet/ier or not National Park milking, feed storage and the Walking, Landscape, Health policies relating to the conversion of In the dales however, in a landscape introduction of the tractor meant that outlying derelict barns can always achieve protected, loved and enjoyed by all. it new farm buildings had to become At the very time when the medical profession are urging William Bird, an Oxfordshire GR started the concept of what the policies intend. The views seems acceptable to leave field barns much larger, leaving the smaller remote people to take more active exercise in iconic landscapes such health walks for his patients, and recommended regular expressed by Andy in this article are his empty and expect them to remain so barns empty. European farming policy as the Yorkshire Dales, for example by exploring the newly brisk walks, leading to the formation of the Way to Health own and do not necessarily reflect those for ever to enhance the view. fuelled by enormous amounts of created public access areas across the fells, or by discovering Initiative by Natural England and the British Heart of the Yorkshire Dales Society. Unfortunately, although they are built taxpayers" cash lead farmers down a its great footpath heritage in the valleys, these access Foundation, now known as Walking for Health. Volunteer to last and have few moving parts particular road which distorted the opportunities could be under a particularly insidious threat. leaders are selected and trained by the WfH to lead free No public body, civic organization, requiring maintenance, they will not markets and changed farming practices Potentially massive cuts to the operational budgets of all our health walks from community places such as libraries and government or individual would be last forever. In fact recent surveys have forever. But these changes left most of National Parks will leave each National Park to make their CP surgeries. With over 600 Walking for Health schemes happy whilst several thousand decaying shown that 40% may be in urgent the beautiful stone barns dotted around own often reluctant decisions which may conflict with their across the UK and thousands of people walking every week and abandoned shops, factories, houses need of repair to reverse the inevitable the dales empty and neglected. Some long term goals or ideas of best practice. Sadly, many of the with such groups, the initiative has achieved recognition and decline, which begins with an odd had their doors enlarged to allow services the public most value in terms of visitor success. In 2008 Walk England was formed with help from or flats in a town or city slowly fell stone or slate slipping out and often tractors inside, many are still used management, interpretation, and the Park's wider the National Lottery and Department of Transport, to apart. It would be a national scandal, if educational role, could be most at risk. Yet the actual provide support to health, transport and environmental in every town you found street after leads to complete collapse. Many have today for farm storage, but well over savings that will be secured in terms of the need to appease professionals who were working to encourage walking. street of unused and crumbling already been lost. Why do we expect half of the estimated five thousand or international bond markets, are minute, compared with buildings. There are times when it farmers to look after buildings, which so in the dales are now redundant. huge areas of public expenditure elsewhere. Even these But walking in fine areas of countryside such as National happens to a particular area during a they are not permitted to convert to What is the solution? savings will almost certainly be counter-productive, Parks can have even greater value for physical and mental recession, or in isolated incidents of new uses? That might create a health and well being. This is something fully understood planning blight and urban decay. There precedent,' you often hear. Barns owe We could pay farmers to restore and Carl Lis, the highly-respected Chairman of the Yorkshire by the National Trust, who manage some key areas of land I their existence maintain them and keep them empty. Dales National Park Authority and recently appointed Chair in the Yorkshire Dales, in Upper Wharfedale and Langstrothda/e near the source of the River Wharfe. to age-old Not a sensible option, particularly of UKANPA. the organisation that represents all of the UK's Malhamdale. The Trust has started a new, six month Photo by Christopher Walker. National Parks, is greatly concerned about the damage these campaign called Outdoor Nation, a project to find out why farming when we, as a nation owe almost a cuts will do to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and its young people are losing touch with the outdoors, some methods; part trillion pounds: a sum still rising landscape and communities. Tough budget decisions will appearing to be "terrified of the countryside" as the Trust's of the alarmingly despite recent cuts. Or we inevitably affect both staffing and many specialist areas of Director General, Dame Fiona Reynolds, herself a life-long evolution in could perhaps return to traditional pre- the Park's work such as biodiversity, archaeology, walker, claimed. Youngsters in an inner city who are animal mechanised farming methods; milking educational work and footpath maintenance. Although perhaps more used to a greater choice of activities, lots of husbandry and haymaking by hand, butchering footpaths are technically the responsibility of North bright lights and more contained built-up areas, are then which lead animals on the farm and selling the Yorkshire County and Cumbria Council as highway confronted with something dark, mysterious, and in their from hunter produce locally, thus returning farms to authorities, their role was taken over by the YDNPA in the eyes, alienating, "We are breeding a society that's less gathering to their intended use. There are now some 1970s, but with a grant from North Yorkshire County confident about exploring, less confident about going to modern moves in that direction, but the Council. Not only is the Park's own budget to be cut, but places we haven't been to before," adds Fiona, Research mechanized demand for cheap food, suggests we the £50,000 annual contribution from NYCC is to be appears to show "a growing disconnection between people farming. The are not yet ready to return to expensive withdrawn. Poor footpath maintenance will in time add to and the natural environment," But this, according to the fact that they labour intensive farming methods. further deterioration of the surrounding area to quote Carl, Trust, could perhaps be taken as an opportunity for We could knock down all the barns, as walkers try to avoid the mud and sludge, and what was partnerships between voluntary bodies and local are now a valuable and clear them away and use the stone for once an attractive path over a popular fell can become a community groups to help provide greater access and green cherished part house building elsewhere. Perhaps real eyesore and cost far more to put right than continuous space. of a protected convert them into houses or holiday maintenance. Such projects prove how National Parks, far from being a landscape is a lets? Or find other commercial uses for Yet walking is an inexpensive, vital preventive medicine, "luxury" to be cut at the stroke of a politician's pen, are happy them. Since each barn is unique and which can save lives and the National Health Service vital to the physical and mental well being of the nation, coincidence, uniquely situated, they need to be millions. Medical opinion suggests even a short walk of 30 even ignoring the massive contribution they make to the but without a surveyed individually, and in minutes can help with depressive illnesses, perhaps also with rural economy through the tourism industry, now the practical use, consultation with national park adult obesity, while there appears to be some evidence that second biggest industry in North Yorkshire and a major they would planners, farmers, landowners and walking several miles a week can help to stave off diseases earner of overseas currency. Short term savings to National not be there other local interested parties, for most like Alzheimer s Long before the recent Walking for Health Park budgets will cost the nation dearly in the longer term. at all. a positive solution could be found. campaign, individual doctors who had treated patients in It is time Government, locally and nationally, got its real continental and UK spas, had been aware of the benefits of priorities right, Farming New technology, sustainable building short walks for their patients' convalescence.

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