Summer Newsletter 2020
I hope all Friends of PLACE have survived the lockdown and that you have managed to stay safe and well. The last 3 months have been a difficult time for everyone and, like all other organisations, we have had to cancel or postpone nearly all our activities planned for the spring and early summer. However, we have been working away on new PLACE publications and our Board of Trustees has been busy planning for the future. We hope to resume our programme of events in August.
In this issue:
•Update on events advertised previously - P. 1 •Annual General Meeting and Trustees - P. 2 •Future events planned provisionally for the rest of this year - P. 2 •New PLACE publications - P. 3 •Short course for the autumn - P. 4 •Research projects - P. 4 •The Flora of Upper Teesdale - P. 5 •Report on visit to Allerton Park Waste Recovery Centre - P. 6 •PLACE publications for sale - P.7 •PLACE information - P. 8
UPDATE ON PLACE EVENTS ADVERTISED PREVIOUSLY
1.Visit to Allerton Park Waste Recovery Centre: went ahead before lockdown, see P. 6 2.Guided walk around Thornton le Dale (March): cancelled but we hope to re-schedule in 2021 3.Roseberry Topping walk (April): postponed until September, see P. 2 4.AGM and Members’ Day (May): cancelled – see P. 2 5.White Cape Geopark conference (June): cancelled but we hope to re-schedule in 2021 6.Visit to ‘Kennet’ and Leeds-Liverpool Canal (June): cancelled but we hope to re- schedule in 2021 7.PLACE stand at Stillingfleet Lodge Wildlife Day (June): event cancelled 8.Botanical surveying at May Moss (May/July): see P. 4 9.Visit to Westerdale (July): cancelled but we hope to re-schedule in 2021 10.Visit to Grassington area (August): to go ahead, provisionally – see P. 2 11.Short course on ‘Monastic Yorkshire’ - planned for the autumn, see P. 4 12.‘Yorkshire’s Architectural Heritage’ conference (October): postponed as venue not available until next spring. More information in the next newsletter
www.place.uk.com Page 2
PLACE Annual General Meeting and Trustees of PLACE Members’ Day Existing trustees due to retire in 2020 have all Sadly, our AGM planned for Huddersfield in kindly agreed to continue in post until May May was a casualty of the lockdown. In view of 2021. However, we shall need to recruit 2 or 3 the continuing uncertainty over indoor new trustees at the next AGM. Please give meetings, the Board has decided to cancel the serious consideration to standing as a trustee. 2020 AGM. As PLACE became a Charitable The job is not onerous and provides an Incorporated Organisation (CIO) at the end of opportunity to help shape the future of PLACE. February, we have until May 2021 to hold our first AGM as a CIO. Therefore, we plan to hold David Hawtin will be happy to talk through what the next AGM in May 2021, hopefully in is involved with anyone who is interested. You Huddersfield and with a similar programme to can contact him via the PLACE Office – see the one advertised for 2020. back page.
VISIT TO GRASSINGTON AND LINTON, Wed. 19th August
We hope to go ahead with a visit to Grassington and Linton in the southern Yorkshire Dales National Park on Wed. 19th August, led by Colin Speakman. Meet in the National Park (pay and display) car park in Grassington (grid ref: SE 002637) at 1.00pm. There are toilets in the car park (coin-operated). Bring a packed lunch and wear boots or stout footwear. Colin lived in Grassington for 10 years and has written widely about the area. The walk of about 4 miles will involve two short climbs and some stiles, so is not suitable for people with mobility problems. The visit will allow us to look at some of the glories but also the problems of the National Park in [Colin Speakman] microcosm. The visit should end about 4.00pm.
This is a free event but numbers will be limited by government guidelines at the time. Please indicate your interest in attending on the enclosed booking form. Further details will be given nearer the time only to those who book in advance.
This visit has been re-arranged for Wednesday 10th An autumn stroll to ROSEBERRY September 2020. Numbers will be limited by whatever TOPPING AND NEWTON WOOD government guidelines are in operation at the time. Wed. 10th September
The walk begins at Newton under Roseberry, two miles north of Great Ayton. Meet at 11.00am in the pay and display car park on the east side of the A173 road (grid ref: NZ 570128), near the 30 mph sign at the southern end of the village. There are toilets in the car park. The walk, which will be led by Margaret Atherden and Philip Mander, is just under five miles long, with some uphill walking in the first part and an optional steep climb to the top of Roseberry Topping. On a clear day, there are magnificent views in all directions from the top. Before the climb, we will discuss the fascinating geology of this conical hill, which has been much affected by quarrying.
The second part of the walk takes us down a bridleway, passing remains of an old tramway and former mining activities, and then into Newton Wood, which has a rich woodland flora. W e aim to be back at the car park by 4.00pm. This is a free event but prior booking is essential. Further details will be sent only to those who book in advance. Page 3
NEW PLACE PUBLICATIONS
During lockdown, PLACE has produced 4 new publications, which are available to purchase by post. Please use the booking/order form enclosed.
Picture Guide to the Wild Flowers of North East Yorkshire By Nan Sykes
Sadly, Nan Sykes died in February 2020, aged 96. This popular book, originally published in 2008 by the North York Moors National Park Authority, had long been out of print but has now been reprinted by PLACE. It is an essential reference book for anyone wishing to identify wild flowers in north-east Yorkshire but most of the species occur in other parts of Yorkshire as well. It is easy to use and superbly illustrated with colour photographs by the author. A short tribute to Nan has been added at the beginning, and there is a list of updated plant names, too. Price: £9.95 + £1.50 P & P
The Changing Nature of Conservation Edited by Margaret Atherden and Veronica Wallace
This book is based on the PLACE spring conference 2019 and features chapters by Sir John Lawton and 7 other eminent conservationists. The contributors each give a personal reflection on the changes in their own field of conservation over the past 50 years or so and speculate on developments in the next 50. The chapters make fascinating and thought-provoking reading. Price: £7.50 + £2.00 P & P
Challenges and Change in the Urban Environment Edited by Ray Goulder
This book is the proceedings of the PLACE autumn conference 2019. There are 4 main chapters, developed from the presentations at the conference. Topics range from ‘studentification’ of towns and cities, to urban change in China. The authors are all notedNear human Fridaythorpe geographers. The book will be of interest not only to academic geographers but also to anyone with a concern for the way urban areas have evolved and continue to change today. Price: £5.50 + £2.00 P & P
The PLACE Book of Woodland Walks in North and West Yorkshire By Margaret Atherden
This is the second book of walks produced by PLACE and features 16 walks in woodland areas, each with a particular theme, e.g. wild flowers, geology or archaeology. Each walk is accompanied by a sketch map and background information on the route, and is illustrated by colour photographs throughout. Just the book to help get you out and about again after the lockdown! Price: £9.50 + £2.50 P & P Page 4
John Phillips: Yorkshire’s traveller through time By Colin Speakman
This book by one of our trustees will be of interest to many PLACE members. It is based on the life of John Phillips, William Smith’s nephew, who became a world- renowned geologist and served as Keeper of the Yorkshire Museum. Price: £15.00 (incl. P & P). Available from Gritstone Publishing, c/o 48 Lawn Ave, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Ilkley, LS29 7ET (cheques to ‘Colin Speakman’, or order on- line: www.gritstonecoop.co.uk
SHORT COURSE FOR THE AUTUMN: MONASTIC YORKSHIRE
Benedictines and Augustinians, Cistercians and Carthusians – they all settled and built their religious houses in Yorkshire. On this course Dr Robert Wright will trace the history of the monastic orders in our county, from the first Anglo-Saxon sites up to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.
We plan to hold the course in Bedern Hall, York, from 7.00 to 9.00pm on the following Wednesday evenings: October 28th, November 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th and December 2nd. We shall have to follow government guidelines for social distancing at the time, so at this stage we cannot be certain how many people will be able to attend. If you are interested, please fill in the enclosed booking form, so that we can get an idea of possible numbers. Further details, including cost, will be sent to those who book and will be published in the next newsletter.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
May Moss botanical survey work A new research project for PLACE members to The first survey date, in May, had to be take part in this year cancelled because of the lockdown, but we hope to tackle the botanical survey on the other two dates in late July. Brian Walker Over the past few years, many reports that the heather on the site has been public telephone boxes have very badly affected by an infestation of fallen into disuse, as mobile heather beetle this year (see his photo, phones have become so below), so the results will make an interesting common. Rather than being comparison with those from previous years. demolished, many boxes have In view of the need to limit numbers taking been converted to imaginative part and observe social distancing rules, only new uses, e.g. small libraries those people who have been involved before (right), sites for defibrillators, will be able to take part this year. and even a small art gallery!
PLACE invites you to take part in a survey of phone boxes in your area. All that is needed is a photograph of each box, a brief description of its current use (including those still in their original use), and a note of the location and the date when it was seen. This is something that everyone can join in, even during lockdown! Please send your results to the PLACE Office. We hope to produce an on-line publication on Yorkshire phone boxes. Page 5
UPPER TEESDALE: A BOUNDARY ZONE WHERE SOUTH MEETS NORTH
Upper Teesdale is a very special place for plants, supporting an unusually large number of rare species. This Teesdale Assemblage includes a unique mixture of northern species such as spring gentian and mountain avens with southern species such as horse- shoe vetch, hoary rockrose and early spring-sedge.
Dr Margaret Bradshaw has studied the special flora in Upper Teesdale since the 1950s. She was awarded an MBE for Services to Conservation in 1977. Three years ago, conscious that several of the rare species were declining and frustrated by the low focus and action on their conservation, Margaret created the Spring gentian with daisy Early spring- Upper Teesdale Special Flora Research and for scale [Margaret sedge [Margaret Conservation Trust. Bradshaw] Bradshaw]
The two main aims of the project were to map the distributions of roughly 100 rare species in detail and to alert Natural England where any conservation action was needed. The project area includes the whole of Teesdale west of Eggleston Burn and the Balder.
In the first three years we have concentrated much of our survey effort on Widdybank Fell. We have completed the survey in 24 of 41 species-rich sites on Mountain avens the fell and made additional records from over 80 other [Margaret Bradshaw] sites in Teesdale. We have made over twelve thousand botanical records.
We have substantially increased the number of records for many of the rare species. For instance, false sedge from 200 records prior to the survey to 2,419 now and alpine rush from 46 to 1,000 now. We can now map the extent of the populations more thoroughly and accurately than before. Horse-shoe vetch [Martin Rogers] In the 1970s Margaret and volunteers mapped the populations of over 20 of the special plants in detail on Widdybank Fell. By comparing those maps with our results, we can quantify how much change has occurred. Sadly, the extents of many of the special plants have contracted.
Initially, the project was personally funded by Margaret, but that fund was exhausted by last autumn; an appeal by Margaret to her friends and acquaintances raised enough for the work to continue Volunteer survey team [Margaret Bradshaw] to June 2020. The initial findings emphasise how vital on-going survey work is to discover what is happening to the special flora in all parts of Upper Teesdale. We estimate that it will take another five years of similar Margaret on survey effort to cover all of the most important areas. Dales pony on Cronkley Fell [Martin Rogers] Margaret Bradshaw
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VISIT TO ALLERTON PARK WASTE RECOVERY CENTRE
The idea of visiting the Allerton Park Waste Recovery Centre proved so popular that we had to arrange two trips, one in late February and one in early March. Little did we know then that this would be the only one of our planned spring events to go ahead!
Our tours were led by Emilie Knight, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide who was more than capable of answering all our questions. We began in the Visitor Centre with a presentation and video extracts, summarising the processes taking place at Allerton Park and the principles behind the facility. Since 2017, all the household waste from North Yorkshire and some from Hull has been processed here. The site is run by Amey on a 25-year contract from North Yorkshire County Council and lies adjacent to a former landfill site, the contents of which are gradually being dug up and reprocessed. Lorries with household waste from Harrogate deliver directly to Allerton Park but the rest are taken to waste transfer stations first and loaded on to larger vehicles, to reduce the carbon footprint.
The site is designed to handle up to 320,000 tonnes of waste each year and currently processes about 260,000 tonnes. Waste is delivered to the Tipping Hall and transferred to bunkers after removal of large items such as furniture and mattresses. It is then transferred to large drums, known as trommels, for sorting by size, and then to conveyor belts. Waste is divided into three categories: organic waste heads for the anaerobic digester to produce biogas; recyclable waste is identified by magnets, infrared beams, etc and transferred to recycling centres, and the rest goes into the incinerator. A small amount (c.3%) cannot be incinerated and still has to go to landfill and c.7% has to be sent to other centres during times when Allerton Park is shut down. The incinerator operates at a minimum temperature of 850°C and produces steam that drives the turbine and produces electricity. The ash residue from the incinerator is turned into aggregate for road building. Emissions from the chimney are monitored constantly by the Environment Agency and there are stricter limits than for coal-fired power stations. CO2 levels are less than half the permitted levels and lower than those from landfill sites. The facility produces less pollution than the A1 or,Salt’s indeed, Mill. bonfire night! [David Wharton-Street]
After the presentation we had a guided tour of the site itself. The group was impressed with the very high health and safety standards. The Tipping Hall is kept at negative pressure to retain the odour within the building. There was no perceptible smell until we were inside the processing plant and even then it was very slight. All staff are given regular health checks and everyone wears high visibility jackets, including visitors. We observed the processing from behind glass screens or via video monitors. The party was fascinated, in particular, by the huge mountain of waste destined for the incinerator, which was moved by a giant computer-operated claw. The variety of items included in the waste was amazing, e.g. large sheets of plastic, strips of old video tape. The computer screens showing the temperature of different parts of the waste was also interesting.
The visit to Allerton Park shone a light on an aspect of modern society that it is easy to take for granted. The overall cost saving of the plant, based on the landfill tax calculation, is about £135 million. It is good to know that virtually nothing goes to landfill now in North Yorkshire and that old landfill sites are being excavated and their contents recycled or reprocessed. The biogas produced from organic waste and the electricity from the incinerator both contribute to Britain’s targets for renewable energy. However, equally impressive was the education programme at the site, which welcomes large numbers of schoolchildren and other groups each year. We all went away reciting the mantra: reduce (the amount you use) reuse (anything that does not need to be thrown away) recycle (all materials that can be reused by someone else) recover (incinerate rather than bury).
Margaret Atherden Page 7
PLACE publications available by post summer 2020 Price P & P
The PLACE Book of Woodland Walks, Margaret Atherden £9.50 £2.50
Picture Guide to the Wild Flowers of North East Yorkshire, Nan Sykes £9.95 £2.00
The Changing Nature of Conservation, ed Atherden & Wallace £7.50 £2.00
Challenges and Change in the Urban Environment, ed Goulder £5.50 £2.00
Roadside wildflowers through the seasons, Nan Sykes £3.00 £1.50
The Yorkshire Wolds Landscape: past, present and future, ed Wallace and Brown £2.50 £2.00
Canals, Plants and People: a Yorkshire perspective, Ray Goulder £10.50 £3.00
Wild Flower Walks around Ryedale, Nan Sykes £3.50 £2.00
Letters from America', Michael Hopkinson £1.50 £1.50
The Industrial Legacy & Landscapes of Sheffield and South Yorkshire, ed Rotherham & Handley £5.00 £2.00
Walking in the footsteps of William Smith, Peter Robinson £2.00 £1.50
Yorkshire Woodlands, ed Atherden & Wallace £5.00 £2.00
The PLACE Book of Winter Walks, Margaret Atherden £5.00 £2.00
Approaching the Village, Michael Hopkinson £2.50 £2.00
Famous Geologists of Yorkshire, ed Myerscough & Wallace £2.50 £2.00
Yorkshire's Religious Heritage c.1780-c.1910, Peter Hills £2.50 £1.50
The Mosque in the City, George Sheeran £6.00 £2.00
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 in the Towns of the West Riding & York, Martin Knight £2.00 £1.50
The Future of the Uplands: prospects for Northern England, ed Atherden & Wallace £5.00 £2.50
Medieval Studies in the Yorkshire Dales £10.00 £3.00
Yorkshire Market Towns: not just for shopping, Michael Hopkinson £2.50 £1.50
Langdale Forest: a case of mistaken identity, Brian Walker £2.50 £1.50
Unfolding the Landscape: Malham, North Yorkshire, Terry O'Connor £2.50 £1.50
Historical Landscapes of Yorkshire Textile Manufacture, ed Wallace £2.50 £2.00
Back from the Edge: the fall and rise of Yorkshire's Wildlife, ed Atherden, Handley & Rotherham £5.00 £2.50
Wild Flowers on the Edge: the story of North Yorkshire's road verges, Margaret Atherden & Nan Sykes £9.95 £3.00
Six Yorkshire Legacies, Michael Hopkinson £2.50 £1.50
Prehistory in the Yorkshire Dales, ed Martlew £10.00 £3.00
Yorkshire's Historic Buildlings and Landscapes at Risk, ed Sheeran & Wallace £2.50 £2.00 Page 8
Whilst people have been confined to their homes or local area, Yorkshire’s wildlife has blossomed. A large clump of common spotted-orchids appeared on an area of grassland near Old Earswick (right), and the garden is full of young birds.
If you have taken photos of your local wildlife during lockdown, we’d love to see them. Please send digital images to the PLACE Office and we’ll try to include some in the next newsletter or on our website.
PLACE SAFEGUARDING POLICY PLACE is an inclusive charity, membership of which is open to adults of all backgrounds, genders and abilities. Children under 18 may attend our events under the supervision of a parent or other responsible adult. When organising activities, PLACE, as far as is reasonable and practicable, ensures a safe and caring environment for both accompanied minors and vulnerable adults. If there are any concerns, the organisers of PLACE events will contact the local authorities, social services or police, as appropriate. PLACE will appoint a trustee with special responsibility for safeguarding matters. The current safeguarding officer is Brian Walker.
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.
To contact PLACE: PLACE Board and Officers until May 2021 By post: PLACE Office, N.B. This is a Chief Executive: York St John University, ‘virtual’ office Dr Margaret Atherden Lord Mayor’s Walk, and is not York, staffed. Trustees: YO31 7EX. Ms Linda Blenkinship Mr Philip Mander
Ms Aileen Bloomer Dr Hilary Moxon By phone or text message: 07989 095924 (NB this is the Chief Executive’s mobile (Chair) (Secretary) number – urgent calls only, please) Mr David Hawtin Dr George Sheeran Dr Michael Hopkinson Mr Colin Speakman By e-mail: [email protected] (Treasurer) Mr Brian Walker
Website: www.place.uk.com
The next newsletter is due in September 2020