VOICE OF THE MOORS

NYMA – PROTECTING THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THE MAGAZINE OF ISSUE 141 THE NORTH YORKSHIRE AUTUMN 2020 MOORS ASSOCIATION (NYMA) £2.75

NYMA 35 YEARS OF PROTECTION 1985-2020 CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S 2 Tom Chadwick CHAIRMAN'S FOREWORD FOREWORD 4 Anne Press MUGWORT 5 Mike Gray HOUSE MARTINS 6 Colin Speakman MANAGING OUR MOORS HE CHAIRMAN’S Foreword in this issue highlights the 8 Elspeth Ingleby THE HEATHER BEETLE principal events in NYMA’s year. This also forms the T main substance of the Trustees’ report which we submit 10 Janet Cochrane TOURISM AND COVID IN THE NORTH YORK MOORS annually to the Charities Commission. 12 John Brisby THE LOST MAP OF RYEDALE 13 John Roberts POEM INTRODUCTION 13 Clair Shields RECORDING TRADITIONAL Since the 2019 AGM last June our lives have been changed by SIGNPOSTS the Coronavirus pandemic. 14 Ian Carstairs MAGICAL MOORS MOMENTS Normal activities changed in March 2020 with the lockdown, NUMBER 3 which restricted face-to-face contact in the workplace and most 15 Skylarks social activities. NYMA’s activities too had to be changed to 15 Crossword 89 comply with the restrictions. From the end of February all group 16 NYMA News / NYMA Walks events for the remainder of the year were cancelled. The MoorsBus, which has been supported for a number of years by Cover: Water Ark Foss © Mel Ullswater NYMA, was also cancelled for the year. Quarterly Council meetings have been held as on-line video meetings. Plans to host the 2020 National Park Societies Annual Conference in October – which were already well advanced - were cancelled; it is hoped the conference can be held in 2021. Other meetings have been held outdoors with social distancing rules observed.

FINANCE NYMA MEMBERSHIP At the end of the financial year in March 2020 our position was Annual membership: sound with an end-of-year balance of £52,543.88. ‘Voice of the Moors’ production and postage continues to be the main • Individual £18 expenditure, totalling £2,968.62 for the year. Expenditure on • Joint £25 (living at same address) securing a venue for hosting the 2020 National Park Societies Annual digital membership: Conference was £1,640.02, this being held over to 2021 following • Individual £10 the postponement of the event. A contribution of £2,397.95 • Joint £14 (living at the same address) agreed for MoorsBus will be carried over to 2021 because of the cancellation of this service. Other items of expenditure were £500 10 Year membership: for the Conservation Award, and £338 as an annual levy to the • Individual £120 Campaign for National Parks (CNP) on membership levels. • Joint £150 (living at same address) Principal sources of income were membership subscriptions Life membership: (£4,842), donations (£1,216.90) and book sales (£332.90). A • Individual £300 deficit of £3,084.45 over the year was declared. • Joint £400 (living at same address) Business membership: MEETINGS Over the past year Council meetings were held at Kirkbymoorside • Small businesses (up to 10 employees): £30 Community Library on July 9, October 16 and January 22, with • Large businesses (more than 10 employees): £100 meetings conducted using on-line video conferencing on April 7 For membership queries or if you wish to join our and July 7. A round-table meeting with representatives from ICL e-newsletter list, please contact Membership Secretary: Boulby Mine concerning a proposed extension of planning Carolyn Moore on 01287 669648 or e-mail: permission was held on October 31. NYMA’s Chairman and [email protected] Secretary attended a meeting of National Park Societies Chairs and CEO’s in London on October 20, followed by the National Park Societies Annual Conference on 21 October (both meetings

Voice of the Moors Editor hosted by CNP). Janet Cochrane In February 2020 several NYMA Council members attended a Please email articles/letters/photos to: [email protected] – 07570 112010 liaison meeting with the National Park Authority attended by Design senior staff from the NPA including CEO Andy Wilson. During the Basement Press – 01947 897945 year, Colin Speakman and Adrian Leaman represented NYMA at www.basementpress.com MoorsBus meetings, and Janet Cochrane attended a Heritage Printed on paper made from sustainable and traceable raw material sources. Lottery meeting to prepare a funding proposal for a wildflowers Articles appearing in Voice of the Moors convey the authors’ personal views, project. Unfortunately, HL subsequently withdrew all support for beliefs and opinions and are not necessarily those of the North Yorkshire Moors Association. this kind of project due to the urgent pressures of the Covid crisis.

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 2

MEMBERSHIP YORKSHIRE PARKS SOCIETIES AND LEEDS BECKETT At the end of June 2020 our total membership was 374, an UNIVERSITY apparent decline of 43 members since the end of June 2019. Early in March a field trip for students from Leeds Beckett This is largely due to ‘weeding out’ of inactive Life Members by University on a Masters programme in Responsible Tourism the Membership Secretary, Cal Moore, through an ‘opt in’ letter Management was organised by NYMA Secretary Dr Janet (many of the non-respondents are thought to be no longer Cochrane and Course leader Dr Davina Stanford. The field trip interested or sadly deceased). There has been an encouraging included a visit to Kirkbymoorside with talks on MoorsBus, the continued uptake of the new 10-year membership category. Ryedale Cycle Network, volunteering in the National Park, and a moorland management tour. VOICE OF THE MOORS Our quarterly magazine continues to be a vitally important PLANNING MATTERS connection to our members. Its high quality has been The vast Woodsmith Mine project near Whitby saw the collapse maintained through the efforts of the Editor, Sharon Artley, of Sirius Minerals Plc and a take-over by major conglomerate working with Pascal Thivillon, at Basement Press, who designs Anglo-American in April 2020. Lockdown measures have meant and prepares the magazine for printing. Talented regular a reduction in activities at both the minehead and the tunnel contributors include Ian Carstairs, Anne Press, Albert Elliot, Mike access site. There have also been changes in the construction Gray, Cal Moore, Colin Speakman, and Alan Staniforth, with plans. It is anticipated that the major work will start on the occasional features by others. Cal and Dave Moore organise the service shaft by the end of 2020. distribution of the magazine along with Brian and Barbara Plans were submitted in early 2020 for an extension of Spicer. In June, Sharon stepped down as editor after 10 issues: operations at the ICL Boulby Mine. NYMA was given the we thank her for her hard work in producing a high-quality opportunity to discuss the proposals prior to the planning magazine with varied content, frequently enhanced by her submission at a meeting in October 2019. Present permission superb wildlife photographs. ‘Voice’ is supplemented on an expires in 2023. The National Park Planning Authority has asked occasional basis with an e-newsletter sent to members who for changes and modifications which are expected to be have provided us with an email address. submitted later this year. Discussions have been held with the National Park Authority on GUIDED WALKS the possibility of using the bequest from Prof. Allan Patmore for The programme of guided walks continued until the beginning public benefit at the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre. of March, with 10 walks organised by Heather Mather and led by Wendy Smith, Jane Ellis, Heather and Colin Mather, Dave and Cal Moore, Kath Mair, and Jenny Shepherd. ‘Town & Village PUBLICATIONS Walks’ at Robin Hood’s Bay, Thornton-le-Dale and Stokesley NYMA published two books in 2019: ‘Wildflowers of Westerdale’ were organised by Janet Cochrane and led by Alan Staniforth, Liz by Carol May Wilson, and ‘Wheelsheds of North Yorkshire’ by Whitehouse, and Beryl Turner. David and Joan Hartley, and is the main distributor of the ‘Picture Guide to the Wild Flowers of North East Yorkshire’ by the Yorkshire botanist Nan Sykes. The book was reprinted by the PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2020 charity PLACE, with substantial financial support from NYMA, as The winner of the 2020 award is an archaeological investigation a tribute to Nan who sadly died early in the year. Sales of the at Beck Hole into the development and history of the Whitby ‘The History Tree’ book are continuing. Company Iron Works (1860s) and the pre-industrial remains of a fulling mill. The work will be carried out by Simon Mayes, a TOM CHADWICK professional archaeologist, on land owned by his brother, Kevin Mayes. It is planned to encourage participation by residents of Tom Chadwick with the National Park’s Michael Graham Beck Hole, who will be offered training in excavation and (Director of Park Services) discuss a wildflower meadow at the recording techniques. The value of the award was doubled from Sutton Bank Visitor Centre.

£500 to £1,000 for this and future years. e n a r h c o C

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th h This long-term project reached its 10 anniversary this year, P and work has continued with the planting of Alder Buckthorn. This shrub was brought to our notice by the Whitby Naturalists’ Club in 2019 with their project ‘Buckthorn for Brimstones’, which was awarded the 2019 Conservation prize. The planting aims to extend the range of the Brimstone butterfly northwards using conservation corridors. Linked to this initiative, several NYMA members also planted Alder Buckthorn in their gardens.

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 3 BOTANY MUGWORT

Artemesia vulgaris A

UGWORT , Artemesia vulgaris , a member of the The name ‘mugwort’ may stem from its ability to deter M Y N /

Asteraceae family, has been variously described midges by the burning of the flower stems, or as the dried s e k y S

M n as a scruffy, dusty roadside weed of summer’s leaves will keep moths and their maggots from clothes: the a N

© end and as a stately assured plant of late summer presence; old Saxon name for midges was ‘muggia’ and for moths was s o t o its likeness has been carved in some churches. ‘moughts’. On the other hand it was used as a bitter and h P It is a tall perennial plant that appears suddenly during the preservative in ale before hops were used, hence the ‘mug’. summer, fast growing to 1½ meters. The leaves are pinnate, The related southernwood, A. absinthium , was used deeply indented and pointed, dark green above contrasting disastrously to flavour absinthe! with the white downiness below, giving a noticeable silvery Country people often used it as a ‘substitute’ plant. Dried appearance as the stems and flower buds develop. The often leaves were smoked in rolled-up newspaper or used as a tea, purplish stems are much branched and support spikes of while fresh leaves made an aromatic pot herb or a stuffing small yellow/brown flowers which are almost hidden by for geese. silvery bracts. These stems dry on the plant until late So mugwort has a very long history of magic and summer/autumn. The whole plant is mildly aromatic. supernatural as well as practical uses, but most important It grows in rich soils, in sun or semi-shade on woodland has been its traditional medicinal use throughout Europe, edges, road edges and waysides and waste places often near particularly as a ‘woman’s’ herb, the leaves and roots being major roads, and in urban waste sites and farmyard corners; used in teas, powders, extracts and tinctures. Hormone-like hence its often dusty, bedraggled appearance. It does not chemicals in it restore and regulate menstrual flow, useful in grow on the higher acidic moors. It is a thick rooted, puberty and the menopause, while it calms the foetus, thus vigorous grower with some ability to inhibit nearby plant easing childbirth and cleansing the womb. It is a calming, growth, but being a late flowerer it does unfortunately relaxing nervine, being used for fits, epilepsy and hysteria, succumb to the more extreme early verge cutting and, until releasing stress and lifting depression. Placed under the this unusual year, I felt it was decreasing in range due to pillow it stops nightmares! As a bitter it stimulates the undue ‘tidiness’ – more neglected waste places can be good appetite and helps digestion, easing stomach pains. for some plants. It also acts as a vermifuge, effective against internal Its Latin species name ‘vulgaris’ means ‘common’, but the parasites and worms; the Chinese A. annua - Sweet Annie - genus name Artemesia derives from the Greek Goddess is used to treat the malarial parasite. It is antibacterial, anti- Artemis, the moon goddess who presided over women and inflammatory and anti-fungal, being particularly good for birth, hence its names in the past of Mater Herbarum or skin conditions and infections. The Romans put the leaves in Mother of Herbs, Motherwort or wombwort. their shoes to guard against weariness and blisters as they The Romans carried sprigs of it for protection against marched. Did they suffer from athletes’ foot, the fungal sickness and evil and this was later adopted into Christianity infection of the feet? Or was it just a happy coincidence that where it became one of the herbs of St John, as John the it always grows at hand by the roadsides? Baptist was reputed to have worn a girdle of it while in the wilderness. It is still picked on St. John’s Eve in Ireland (23 rd All in all, not a bad profile and history for a dusty, scruffy June) for protection and on the Isle of Man it is still worn on wayside ‘weed’! 5th July, ‘Tynwald Day’, when their parliament assembles. ANNE PRESS

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 4 THE BIRDS IN YOUR GARDEN HOUSE MARTINS

ERE YOU lucky enough to have House Martins W nesting near you recently? Maybe even on your house? By all accounts this is becoming a less and less common privilege, as their numbers seem to be falling in much of the UK. It’s difficult to be sure exactly what is happening to their numbers as their colonial nesting habit, and strong association with human settlements, mean that it is extremely difficult to monitor them accurately. Anecdotal evidence of decline can be unreliable, as the demise of one colony could be balanced by other, maybe smaller ones, being established elsewhere. As with many sub-Saharan migrants, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) monitoring schemes show an overall decline in House Martins across the UK, and Garden BirdWatch results seem to reflect this pattern too, showing a big fall in the average count per garden, which suggests that the remaining colonies have fewer birds in them. Long-term data suggest a continued decline, although the degree of uncertainty is wide. The BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey indicates that there were significant decreases across southern and midland England and in Northern Ireland, with increases in northern Britain and parts of the southwest. The )

House Martins prefer open areas, coastal cliffs, plus m species is listed as “of concern” following declines in Europe o t t o

cultivated areas around human habitations, including those b ( generally, where the breeding population is estimated to be g n i d

in towns and cities. Their nests are built by both sexes and r somewhere between 11 million and 23 million pairs. Still a H

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Analysis of phenological data shows that their arrival date in c l inside) of a building, or occasionally a structure such as a e W

the UK has advanced over recent decades by some 16 days g u bridge. One of the few times you will see House Martins on o D (phenology is the study of plant and animal life-cycle events ©

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the ground is when they are picking up mud-balls for nest- o t which occur periodically due to factors such as seasonal o h making (see photo above). P variations in climate). The effect of this on their breeding productivity is, as yet, unknown. Weather conditions and Under the 1979 Convention on the Conservation of food resources in Africa or en route during migration European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (also known as the probably have more effect on their survival than conditions Bern Convention) they have, in some countries, benefited in the UK during the breeding season. For instance, annual from building regulations designed to provide additional survival rates from sites studied in the UK have been nesting sites. Reductions in air pollution resulting in positively correlated with rainfall in West Africa. increased numbers of insects in cities have also led to an increase in population numbers in some places. The UK House Martins are late breeders, continuing to feed their Clean Air Act (1993) saw increases in House Martin numbers young into August and September, producing two or three in London, Birmingham and Manchester. In Germany, broods in a year. They feed almost entirely on flying insects, similar legislation resulted in a 36% increase in numbers in usually taken by aerial pursuit, an activity that is disrupted by Berlin during the early 80s. adverse weather, and can have a significant impact on the parents’ ability to provide food. Fortunately, young birds can If you are lucky enough to have them nesting on your house, go into a state of torpor for a few days to help them survive please enjoy them, and try to encourage your neighbours to these periods. They are also thought to compete for nest welcome them too! sites with House Sparrows, and a study conducted in Poland MIKE GRAY attributed recent changes in breeding sites to this pressure. Their arrival in the UK is typically from mid-March to early If you find the lives of our garden birds to be of interest, and would like June, and they return between late July and late October. If to join in and count the feathered occupants of your garden, please you’d like to follow their movements, try looking at the contact me or visit the BTO Garden BirdWatch website (www.bto.org/gbw). If you know of an organisation no more than 30 EuroBirdPortal Viewer: https://eurobirdportal.org/ebp/en/ miles from York which would like a talk on garden birds call: Mike Gray #home/DELURB/p52weeks 07596 366342 or [email protected].

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 5 MOORLAND MANAGEMENT MANAGING OUR MOORS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES AND NATURE

EATHER MOORLAND is what makes the North York heather landscape. Above all is concern about the occasional H Moors unique and special. The open views across illegal trapping or poisoning of birds of prey. glorious expanses of deep purple heather and ling Hardly surprising therefore that the Moorland Association, and towards the coast in this part of Yorkshire are justly famous other shooting and field sport interests that form the Upland worldwide. The North York Moors National Park contains the Partnership, should consider these threats serious enough to largest area of extensive heather moorland - a rare habitat - in mount a defence of their industry, not just by taking out full page England and Wales, covering 44,000 hectares or around a third advertisements in local newspapers but also by undertaking a of the total area of the Park. serious academic study to defend their activities, Heather both defines our area and creates that special sense of Two leading academics, Professor James Denny and Tracey place: the cultural landscape we all love, so vividly described by Latham-Green of the University of Northampton, were the great historian of the Moors, author Frank Elgee, who uses commissioned by the Upland Partnership to produce a study its ancient name Blackamore – no doubt a reference to its bleak (published August 2020) entitled ‘What Impacts does appearance in winter or early spring. Integrated Moorland Management, including Grouse Shooting, But this is not a natural landscape. It is a carefully cultivated, have on Moorland Communities?’ managed ecosystem, largely developed over the last 200 years Integrated Moorland Management involves a range of co- and especially since the coming of the railways brought in a existing land uses on moorland – grouse shooting, agriculture certain kind of tourist, tweed-suited landed gentry with their including sheep-grazing, water catchment, nature conservation, retinues and a passion for a certain exclusive sport – grouse and - crucially - public access. shooting. Careful selective cultivation of the heather, with The report considers three main issues: burning of areas of old heather to allow regeneration of the young shoots beloved of grouse, and removal of competing • What are the key economic and social factors affecting vegetation such as trees and bracken, have created this communities in moorland areas where grouse shooting takes distinctive landscape which in some cases (but not all) is a near place? monoculture. • How economically and socially resilient are communities in areas Many people understandably find grouse shooting abhorrent – managed for grouse shooting, compared to other UK areas? the ritualised, seasonal killing of birds for pleasure, a so-called • Can the economic value of any social impacts resulting from blood sport. But it can also be considered a form of farming. The grouse moor management be assessed? birds are an annual crop. The rambler or botanist eating their This is a thorough, detailed piece of work, based on not only a chicken or beef sandwiches may reflect if the short but relatively wide-ranging (if selective) literature review, but also data from free life of Red Grouse is better or worse than factory-farmed 644 individuals, consisting of 61 interviews and 583 survey chicken or intensively reared beef bullocks whose lives are also respondents. ended brutally and suddenly to meet our needs. Hardly surprisingly, the study demonstrates what the sponsors Grouse shooting and the way heather moorland is managed hoped – clear evidence of the very significant contribution have in recent years come under considerable scrutiny from grouse shooting makes to local rural economies. Evidence environmentalists, especially those concerned with the comes from a wide variety of sources – from the permanent potential damage done to precious carbon-storing peatland and employment of gamekeepers and estate workers to the areas of sphagnum moss by heather burning, drying out areas seasonal jobs of gun-loaders, beaters, pickers-up, caterers, plus e n a r h of moorland to encourage heather growth – a policy subsidised high-spending shooting clients staying in luxury c o C t accommodation creating the well-known ‘multiplier effect’ as e in the past by government grants to increase livestock n a J money works its way through the economy to other suppliers of © production – and removal of trees and scrub. This is done in o t o h some cases for predator control and also to maintain the goods and services. P

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 6 The study does not just deal with economic issues, but also with chicks - a tiny minority have sullied the reputation of their wider social benefits within rural communities, the networks of industry by using illegal and barbaric traps and poisons. Such support the jobs and visitor spend generate in moorland behaviour is best controlled within the industry itself by a change communities, among whom grouse-shooting is an annual of culture. Some landowners also oppose the creation of small welcome bonus. For many people this is an opportunity to woodlands because of the risks of harbouring pests such as crows enhance income with part-time work or sales opportunities. It and foxes but also other wildlife. This too needs to change. is, after all, an elite form of activity-based tourism and one The study was undertaken during the Covid-19 epidemic and which delivers a cash crop for local communities far greater therefore also deals with issues of resilience. Will tourism suffer than the value of carcasses of birds. because of the virus? The authors suggest that because grouse Cleverly, the authors also stress these positive impacts in moorland economies are more broadly based, they may be combating loneliness and isolation within local communities. more robust. But if fewer wealthy Americans and mainland But they also emphasise the hugely important value of walking Europeans come to the UK because of travel restrictions, grouse the moors in terms of the physical and mental wellbeing and shooting might be more, not less, at risk at a time when low- social benefits to the wider community. The opportunity to value tourism - day trips, camping and caravanning - booms. wander across the moors to experience their uplifting beauty Nature tourism – people seeking solace in wildlife and the was not, of course, granted by the generosity of landowners, but natural world - could flourish. According to a Scottish Natural from hard-won legislation in the form of the 1949 National Heritage study, in 2010 nature tourism was worth £1.4 billion Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, and more recently the and supported 29,000 rural jobs. 1 CROW Act 2000. These Acts enshrined this public benefit as a In terms of the North York Moors, the reality is that grouse legal right, one that the Upland Partnership correctly claim is shooting supports and underpins one of the most iconic one of the less tangible but vital reasons to retain grouse moors. landscapes in the British Isles. If the industry was to decline for Few walkers or visitors to the National Park would dispute that. whatever reasons, it is unlikely the land would be allowed to More controversially, the authors claim that Integrated Moorland revert to scrubland or semi-natural wilderness. To retain it in its Management fully deals with the key issues of carbon current form would be hugely expensive and it would be difficult sequestration, flood management and nature conservation. The to justify using public expenditure for it. In reality, it would truth is more nuanced. Many moorland estate managers in probably be used for other economic purposes. As happened in recent years have made impressive changes to traditional Exmoor in the 1960s, moorland could be ploughed and practices – in parallel with changing government policy and replaced with featureless upland grassland for ranch-style ecological understanding, as expressed by bodies such as Natural farming or planted with cash-crop quick-growing conifers for England and the RSPB - in the ways their moors are managed: biofuel. creating new ponds to encourage water retention and wetland So even if you don’t approve of shooting, if you value the areas, filling in drains to reduce flood risk, encouraging many bird freedom to stride across the wonderful expanse of heather species including spectacular large raptors such as hen harriers, moorland above the deep green valleys that so define the North removing bracken (and tick) infestation, carefully controlling York Moors, it’s a trade-off worth making. Let us support burning to reduce the risk of moorland fires. But many experts believe that cutting rather than burning heather – as now being landowners and gamekeepers who also respect and value the practised on some estates in Yorkshire – is a less risky way of natural diversity our heather moors contain, and the rural achieving the same results. Whilst the overwhelming majority of communities they support, but retain a careful eye to ensure gamekeepers behave responsibly towards protected birds of prey they keep to their word. such as peregrines and goshawks - which are a threat to grouse COLIN SPEAKMAN

1 Eberly M. 2010 Assessing the Economics of Nature-based Tourism in Scotland (SNH)

George Thompson, Head Keeper of the Spaunton Estate, explains some points of moorland management to visitors Red Grouse y e e n l t a r r A h

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7 HEATHER BEETLES

THE HEATHER BEETLE – AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE t s

HE NORTH YORK MOORS are famous for their vast growing rapidly before pupating to become an adult beetle in r u h k c

swathes of lilac blossoming heather sweeping from mid-August. They then continue to feed until temperatures u L

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T h horizon to horizon. However, many local residents and drop in the autumn and the cycle begins again. P

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regular visitors will be well aware that the mauve haze is rarely t

The singed appearance of beetle-grazed heather is caused by o h unbroken, and blotches of gingery heather often mar the purple the rasping jaws of the beetle and its larvae that scrape away P hillside. These tan-coloured patches of moorland can appear in the protective coating that helps the leaves retain water, different areas each year, and often once they have passed, the exposing the plant to dehydration and leading it to essentially heather becomes bare, brittle and grey – dead branches swaying ‘cut off’ the affected leaves by halting the flow of water and stiffly in the breeze. nutrients in order to prevent further loss. Whilst in many years, The culprit for this transformation is a small native beetle, the the grazing pressure of the Heather Beetle may make no more Heather Beetle ( Lochmaea suturalis) . Unassuming in appearance, mark than the odd gingery clump here or there, when at only 6mm long with a bronze tinge to their dark brown wing- conditions align the population can explode - resulting in vast cases, these insects have lived and evolved alongside heather, swathes of brown foliage across the landscape. their sole food source, for millennia. Whilst ling heather (Calluna We don’t currently understand what causes Heather Beetle vulgaris) - the dominant heather species of the North York numbers to explode in some years, but factors could include Moors - makes up its preferred diet, the beetle can also feed on weather conditions, predators and management techniques ericaceous heaths such as bell heather and cross-leaved heath affecting the growth or absence of the heather it depends on. which are both also common across the moorland area. Unfortunately, at present much of the available literature on the With each beetle only surviving for a year, adults hibernate over insect and its impacts is scientifically inconclusive, with winter by burrowing into the soil before emerging in the spring insufficient robust and peer-reviewed research to explain how and beginning to graze. In April or May, once daily temperatures its population or effects can be best managed. are warm enough, the adult beetles take to the wing and mate Historically, one advocated method of managing Heather Beetle before dispersing where the wind takes them. This spring, many involved burning off affected plants as soon as possible after the people noticed piles and piles of dead Heather Beetles washed infestation was noted, with the intention of wiping out the up along the Yorkshire coast, presumably the result of vast beetles in that area and to encourage new growth from the swarms blown out over the sea by strong westerly winds. Whilst affected plants and the existing seed bed. However, recent this led to hopes that with an apparently large proportion of the reviews of the literature have been unable to find any concrete breeding population being wiped out there would be less of an evidence that this technique is effective, with anecdotal reports impact on the moorland this year, this sadly does not seem to of the beetles and larvae dropping off plants and burrowing into be the case. the soil in the presence of fire and thus escaping the blaze. A Once the females reach a suitable patch of heather, they lose recent study by the Heather Trust in the Peak District concluded their wing muscles as they divert energy to developing and that there was no difference in heather regeneration from plots laying their eggs in damp moss or leaf litter beneath the plants. treated with the three different management approaches of The larvae that emerge then feast on the heather leaves, cutting, burning or control (i.e. ‘do nothing’). This suggests that

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 8 Damaged heather in Bransdale showing Piles of Heather beetles in Cayton Bay, characteristic bronze tinge April 2020 n s o d s l i s h e C

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heather beds affected by the beetles are as likely to recover in hoverflies, moths and other native pollinators that depend on the the absence of specific active management as with it. annual nectar bonanza - as well as bee-keepers who bring hives As it is an indigenous native species, several predators and on to the moorland to make the distinctive heather honey. Other parasites have evolved alongside the Heather Beetle which may grazers including sheep and Red Grouse may have less food provide population control in the correct circumstances. The available and lose condition, with moorland owners having to Hieroglyphic Ladybird ( Coccinella hieroglyphica) , the Heather reduce or cancel shoots during bad years, such as 2020. Shieldbug ( Rhacognathus punctatus) , and Black Grouse ( Lyrurus According to George Winn-Darley, owner of Spaunton Moor, “the tetrix) are all known predators, whilst parasitoids such as the fly situation is dramatic and there is very little grouse shooting Medina collaris and wasp Asecodes mento lay their eggs in taking place this year. Many estates will not do any shooting at Heather Beetle adults and larvae respectively, which then get all, which is probably a first since the Second World War.” consumed by the parasitoids’ offspring as they develop. Whilst Heather Beetle has also been blamed as a potential cause of the in theory it would be logical that, following an outbreak of a prey transition of heather-dominated moorland towards a grassier species, the number of predators or parasitoids would rise to sward, as opportunistic species take advantage of open spaces to reduce or prevent future infestations in following years, other become established in the aftermath of an outbreak. Whilst this factors may be in play which suppress increases of these may lead to a more ecologically diverse habitat, depending on the predators. The significant impacts of Heather Beetle observed invading species, such a transition will inevitably also impact on annually in the Moors (and other sites across the species that have adapted to the more homogenous country) between 2018 and 2020 seem to indicate swards of ling heather prevalent over recent decades. that this natural control process may not be With climate change and possible changes in currently effective at suppressing the beetle other factors potentially leading to more population; further research into the ecology frequent and larger infestations of Heather of these predators and parasitoids would be Beetle, understanding the underlying causes, hugely valuable. controls and effects of outbreaks will be vital Some reliable evidence of factors affecting to anticipating how our moorland habitats

beetle ecology is available, often from may change in the future. We must also s i w e L laboratory-based experiments where variables learn what changes in management practice n e h p

can be more easily controlled. These have found may be needed to manage the threat of e t S

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that where heather is exposed to higher levels of Heather Beetle and enable moorlands to be o t o h

nutrients, particularly nitrogen, Heather Beetles grow maintained in the long term in the North York Moors P more quickly and have more offspring. This may indicate and across upland Britain, for the benefit of the species that emissions of nitrous compounds such as ammonia from the and communities that depend on it. Without such information, area around the North York Moors may have a role to play in the it appears possible that the vast swathes of purple blooms, impact of the beetle, as well as the wider ecological implications bringing with it the distinctive heady scent of moorland of nitrogen and acid deposition on an already vulnerable habitat. summers that overwhelms the senses, may become simply a Similarly, warmer temperatures showed an increase in the memory of bygone days. number of offspring produced and increased grazing damage, ELSPETH INGLEBY although larval growth was negatively affected by drought. This ECOLOGIST FOR THE NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY. indicates that whilst the impact of climate change is likely to be complex, warmer but wetter spring conditions could lead to Author’s note: Information for this article is largely drawn from two significant population increases. reviews of available literature published in 2015, commissioned by Beyond the immediate impact of Heather Beetle on our Natural England and the Heather Trust, into the Ecology of the Heather Beetle and Management Options for Control. These reviews along with celebrated purple landscape, more frequent outbreaks of large further information and details of recent studies mentioned in this numbers of the beetle have the potential to influence the future article are available from the Heather Trust website: ecology of the moorland habitat. Serious infestations can lead to www.heathertrust.co.uk/heather-beetle. a local depletion in summer flowers, impacting bumblebees,

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 9 VISITOR ECONOMY TOURISM AND COVID IN THE NORTH YORK MOORS

ACK IN 2001 , when the Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic struck Britain’s livestock and people were B forbidden to visit the countryside, it was recognised that tourism was a more significant source of income in upland areas than farming itself. The outcome was to push rural tourism higher up the agenda of planners and policymakers. The North York Moors was no exception, and nowadays the importance of the visitor economy in the National Park is fully recognised. This means that the coronavirus pandemic and its associated government m

messages - from ‘Stay at Home’ to ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ - was r a F

e always going to have a significant impact on tourism businesses in s u o H

our area and on the lives of the people who run them. e f f i l c w

This article explores the responses of accommodation business a R

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owners in the National Park to the pandemic from lockdown in o t o h March to re-opening over the summer. P Rawcliffe House Farm holiday cottages

TOURISM IN THE NORTH YORK MOORS PRE-COVID concerns, analyse their business strategy and target markets, The most recent pre-Covid survey (2018) shows that in normal and develop their ‘recovery’ messages to prepare for when their years there are over 8 million individual visits to the Moors, with guests could return. Business owners were urged to focus on around 20 per cent from people who stay at least one night. The themes such as reassurance, anticipation, and ‘good’ stories, remainder are day visitors. They spend almost £700 million per and to bring out their individual personality rather than hiding year and support the equivalent of just over 11,000 full-time shyly behind an anonymous website. Many accommodation jobs - almost a quarter of jobs in the National Park. There are owners have a strong relationship with their customers, and over 1,500 accommodation enterprises providing around found that this paid off. For instance, Jackie Berry, owner of a 50,000 bed spaces in total, from campsites and caravan parks high-end self-catering property at Town End Farm, in Appleton- to B&Bs offering additional experiences such as photography or le-Moors, said in late May: “ We took the decision pre lockdown guiding, farms where outbuildings have been converted to self- to move bookings and refund balances for those who wanted to catering cottages, and small hotels. The majority are cancel. We’ve been blown away by people’s responses, with micro-enterprises, employing fewer than 10 people. virtually every guest choosing to move their booking and rebook with us.” WHAT HAPPENED WHEN COVID STRUCK? The NPA played its part too, and had to steer a difficult course As we know, we were all instructed to ‘stay at home to save between several conflicting aims. While following evolving lives’ from mid-March. All tourism businesses had to close, and government advice and regulations, they had to support local to reinforce the message the National Park Authority (NPA) business owners, knowing that for many tourism is a vital closed carparks and toilets. This could hardly have struck at a source of income, while protecting and reassuring local worse moment: tourism in the Moors is a cyclical industry residents worried about the additional strain put on services by because of its dependence on nature and the outdoors, with visitors and second home owners, and in some cases because surveys confirming that the chief ‘pull’ factors are the unspoiled public rights-of-way pass through farms and close to homes. scenery, the peace and tranquillity, and getting close to nature. They had to send out messages first asking the public to stay Businesses gearing up to start the spring season suddenly had away, and then encouraging visitors to return, both to foster to reverse their plans. their physical and emotional well-being and to support It was now that support from the NPA and associates came into businesses. When the public did return, the NPA had to attempt its own. In particular, The Tourism Network - run by marketing to deter antisocial behaviour such as littering, overcrowding, expert Susan Briggs - has furnished an invaluable (and free) and irresponsible use of barbecues. stream of advice. Business owners were hugely appreciative of As with the marketing support, the NPA’s efforts were positively Susan’s empathetic and practical messages, such as “w e can received by the local business community. After it issued a press turn anxiety into action, and use downtime to make every release urging the public to ‘Stay apart. Act responsibly. Save aspect of marketing much stronger” (23 March) , and “ some lives’ the owner of Carlton Lodge B&B in Helmsley remarked people think there’s no point marketing their business right that “it gives a sensitive image (mentioning toilets) and talks to now. I disagree. Surely we all want a virtual queue of people people in a positive way. Thankfully it doesn’t portray a ‘Don’t ready to visit when the time is right?” (29 April). come because we are closed and don’t want outsiders’ image” Through social media, online forums and seminars, there have (Lisa Spratling, 12 May). On the practical side, business owners been opportunities for entrepreneurs to share information and found the cleaning and risk assessment guidelines provided by

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 10 the Professional Association of Self-Caterers (PASC) especially helpful. There was frustration, however, because although hospitality businesses couldn’t open, the public took advantage of new freedoms to move around and gather in small groups, visiting National Parks, beaches and other beauty spots. Many of the ‘new’ visitors appeared unfamiliar with the Countryside Code, resulting in anger from residents at gates left open, crops trampled, and extensive littering. The National Park responded by increasing the number of volunteer rangers at popular spots in order to educate visitors. As speculation grew as to when hospitality businesses would be permitted to reopen, discussion turned to the practicalities of keeping guests and staff safe while providing visitors with an enjoyable experience. Confusion, uncertainty and anxiety prevailed. When would businesses be allowed to open? Could they comply with changing regulations to keep the public safe? Would the public want to return at all?

Riding near Newgate Bank A BUSY SUMMER e

The last question was answered resoundingly as soon as it was n

provide staggered breakfast times so guests can be safely a r h c

announced that hospitality businesses could reopen on July 4. o

distanced. Larger properties have suffered because of the C

t e

Business owners reported heavy demand - a huge relief after n a

restrictions on members of different households meeting J

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the preceding lean months. They also found that few potential o indoors. At Town End Farm, Ian and Jackie Berry’s converted t o h visitors were enquiring about cleaning protocols, while many barn sleeps 14 and is popular with groups of family and friends P asked about a refund policy in the event of a further change in meeting for special events. Now, “we are having to ask how government rules. Nevertheless, responsible owners were many households are planning to come, and we have to turn diligent at ensuring high standards. The owner of Red House people away if there are more than two” (Ian Berry, 3 Farm in Glaisdale said “we’ve been working flat out making September). things as safe as possible - all government and PASC guidelines Some people have not reopened their businesses, either as a basis for our own protocols. It means I can sleep at night, because they feel unable to comply with the new regulations or knowing we are doing as much as we can to keep ourselves and because they are elderly or vulnerable. Most ‘lifestyle others safe” (Sandra Spashett, 4 August). There were efforts to entrepreneurs’ typical of the small-scale accommodation sector manage guests’ expectations: “we’ve found it important to send have vast enthusiasm for their area and their business, and a pre-stay email about the additional checks, asking our guests work extremely hard for relatively low financial return, but the to be patient. It helps to reassure them and makes them feel Covid crisis may be a catalyst to allow the survival of stronger more relaxed” (Lisa Spratling, 3 September). businesses whose owners have a more professional skill-set and To comply with the regulations and ensure customer safety – are able to engage with new markets and changing leisure and their own – businesses have introduced earlier checkout and trends, while those teetering on the edge or already looking to later check-in times to allow for thorough cleaning, while many retire may never reopen. B&Bs do not service rooms during their customers’ stay and Despite the challenges, business owners report a few positives. Some have taken the opportunity to carry out renovations, improve their local networks, and get to know the area better so Enjoying the view from the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre that when customers return, they can make knowledgeable e n a

r recommendations. It appears that after the months of lockdown h c o C

and restricted travel, people are keen to escape and be t e n a J

surrounded by nature. There is also optimism that people who © o t have rediscovered holidays in Britain may be so impressed by o h P the quality of the offer that they will return. The repeat market is in any case significant for successful businesses: “we’ve been amazed at people’s attitude in wanting to support us” (Ian Berry, 3 September). All in all, it is possible that tourism businesses in the North York Moors may emerge from the Covid crisis with more resilience and better able to take advantage of future opportunities.

JANET COCHRANE

Author’s note: sources of information were the North York Moors NPA website, TourismKnowhow.com, and interviews with accommodation owners. All quotes used with permission.

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 11 HISTORY & CULTURE THE LOST MAP OF RYEDALE

STRA WALKER was a York artist well known for her with Estra making thumbnail sketches of villages and events to printed pictorial maps. Some readers may remember her be re-drawn later in their landscape setting. Drawings of our E map of Historic York or her 1950’s poster of Yorkshire family were included. My father, Blanche’s brother, was Railways promoting rail travel in the County. But Estra’s first map, depicted in his Royal Navy uniform, but back-dated to the style painted in the 1930’s, was shown in public only once and has of Nelson’s navy, peering through a telescope and attended by a never been published or photographed - until now. cabin boy hauling a sea-chest. Blanche and Charlie themselves As a child I used to play a game on this map with my sister. “I were shown walking up to the moors carrying a picnic hamper. spy three monks”; Frances challenged me to locate them, but it The finished map was much admired, and Blanche and Charlie was too easy. I knew exactly where to find them, pictured next encouraged Estra to work on her map of Historic York to be to Byland Abbey. This was one of about a hundred pictures of printed and sold commercially. The York map was the first of a people and buildings drawn on the map, all placed against the series of publications which established Estra as a successful North Yorkshire landscape. professional artist. Now it was my turn. How to choose a subject that my sister On retiring, Estra moved to a small house which Charlie designed couldn’t discover? Eventually I settled for my favourite: “I spy for her near York and, with time, Blanche and Charlie’s cottage the Hood Stone” which, the map told us, “doth roll to Osgodby passed to Frances and myself. The cottage was eventually sold, Hall each day for dinner and doth then roll back”. but we could not bear to part with the map which so well Estra painted the map in 1935 for her friends, Blanche and depicted the summer landscapes of our childhood. Charlie Needham, who met at an evening class at York Art Now, in the very different context of the digital age, I am looking School taught by Charlie, a young architect. The three shared a at a blog by the antiquarian map expert, Rod Barron, who deals in deep love of the English countryside as well as a fondness for Estra’s published work. He had unearthed a review of the 1935 music, crafts and the graphic arts. Estra had trained as a pianist Exhibition of York Arts Society which described ‘one of the but found it too stressful to perform in public so had taken up art. Charles recognised Estra’s artistic talent and encouraged her to develop it, and he fell in love with Blanche, later marrying her and settling in York. Blanche was a countrywoman at heart and Charlie, steeped in the Arts and Crafts tradition, was drawn to the pre-industrial world which, in the 1930’s, could still be found in the English countryside. So they built a cottage in the local vernacular style at Oldstead under the North York Moors, and spent their summer days there learning to understand the local landscape and its history. Their aim was to live as simple a life as possible, with nature and neighbouring farms providing most of their food and fuel. Blanche and Charlie were religious by nature and found honesty and goodness in their surroundings, qualities which they sought to reflect in their lives. Blanche wanted to document all this in the form of a picture- map, so she spent the summer of 1935 driving round the area

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 12 g n i l p i K

e k i M

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o t o h P r e h c t e l F

s e c n a r

F BUILT HERITAGE

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s o t o h P RECORDING TRADITIONAL most striking pieces on display … a hand-painted pictorial map of Ryedale, with spirited little sketches in the manner of four hundred SIGNPOSTS years ago’. The Barron blog goes on: ‘the present whereabouts of the map is sadly unknown, assuming that it survived the ravages of THE TRADITIONAL black and white ‘finger post’ the past eighty years’. I glance up at the wall beside me and am in signposts in the North York Moors have become a no doubt that I am looking at this ‘lost map’, the same one which I cherished part of our landscape. In order to use to play I-spy with my grandchildren today. maintain and conserve these features for future Estra’s map perfectly captured the back-to-nature existence generations to enjoy, building conservation officers at the National Park Authority are asking parishes which Blanche and Charlie and, later, my own family found in and residents to let them know about signs so that that lovely corner of rural Yorkshire. She expressed it clearly in they can be mapped and recorded on the framing the map with Shakespeare’s words from ‘As you Like It’: Authority’s Geographic Information System (GIS) And this our life, exempt from public haunt, system. Along with recording, officers are hoping to Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, be able to refurbish some of the signs which are in Sermons in stones and good in everything. most need of restoration – this will ensure the longevity of these iconic features. And yes - Frances did manage to find the Hood Stone on the There is a vast array of different signs, some of map. Later, I climbed Hood Hill to look for the real stone but it which make reference to the old North Riding was nowhere to be seen; I was told that an aeroplane had District, whilst others warn of steep inclines, crashed and shattered it into thousands of pieces, but I prefer to Roman roads or even footpaths. There is also a believe what it said on the map, that it had just rolled down to variety of designs and styles that officers are eager Osgodby Hall and was enjoying a good dinner. to conserve.

JOHN BRISBY This project is looking to continue previous work carried out by the Authority and the LEADER Programme. There is some funding available to restore some of the signs in most need of help. If you would like to make officers aware of signs

e that you know of, please email

POEM n a r h

c [email protected] along with a o C

t

e photo and an indication of its location. n

SUCH SWEET-SOUNDING NAMES a J

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CLAIR SHIELDS o Go west young Leven to supply steel river t o

h PLANNING POLICY OFFICER, NORTH YORK MOORS Let curling Esk head east P NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY To entwine with road and rail For fish and chips and herring gulls While southwards glide Seph, Dove and Seven Oh and Riccal too to feed the Rye That’s taken by westward-wending Derwent Cutting through from Fylingdales Moor And on to Ouse and Humber Eight rivers radiate From watersheds of division Yet flow to the same sea So meeting and mixing The moors’ elements as one JOHN ROBERTS

First published in Involved Extra , newsletter for volunteers with the North York Moors National Park

13 PRESIDENT’S PIECE MAGICAL MOORS MOMENTS NUMBER 3

7th century altar in 11 th century crypt, Church of St. Mary’s, Lastingham 7th century altar slab St. Mary’s, Lastingham s r AVE YOU ever had that strange feeling that time can St Mary’s Abbey, the ruins of which now stand in the City’s i a t s r a

stand still? Or maybe that time is frozen in a constant Museum Gardens. A possible reason could have been the C

n a I

H state of ‘now’, compressed from over the years into problems caused by outlaws harassing the monks in this remote ©

s o t the things you see around you? location. o h P On a glorious late autumn day, I walked down the hill into Conveniently, the partially completed buildings became Lastingham. Above the village, weak sunlight caught a haze of embodied in the church we see today. But the story goes deeper smoke from wood-fires drifting over the rooftops. still into time, as the remains of the 11 th century structure lie I adore the smell of wood-smoke; almost more that than themselves on the site of an earlier Celtic monastery founded by anything else, it seems so indelibly connected with the spirit of St Cedd in the mid-7th century. And this brings me to my the countryside. It is one of the three things which I once memorable moment. proclaimed I could not live without: the other two being red Towards the western end of the nave, a stone stairway leads wine and chocolate! But that’s by the way … and in any event down under the church. Another heavy door lies at its foot. On I’ve now gone off the wine, though I can’t say the same for my first visit I opened it gingerly, not knowing what to expect. chocolate. Beyond the door only the faintest light spilled into the dark On the corner, where the road from Hutton-le-Hole reaches the space, in the days when you could visit the crypt without the village, stands St Mary’s Parish Church. From the outside St electric light being on. Mary’s looks much the same as many other village churches. With the door closed, a small cross stood in sharp focus on the But inside, as all who love this corner of the Moors know, is ancient stone altar slab, silhouetted by the light from the tiny something else altogether. Here more than a thousand years of window immediately behind it. It struck an immensely powerful history lie embraced, both in and under the church’s unusual image, and as my eyes adjusted to the low light the stout structure. Norman columns of the ancient crypt added their silent In the churchyard we gain a glimpse of a traditional practice, presence to what I can only describe as the smell of time in this where the graveyard is fenced such that sheep may be run unaltered place. through to manage the vegetation. The darkened space brought a new meaning to the word Under the porch it’s reassuring to see bat droppings and then contemplation, as if I had flown across the centuries. Then, there’s the heavy ancient door. Turning the handle, I always feel from above, a bell chimed – a distant muffled sound, one which a rising compulsion to open it as quietly as possible, not just to would have sounded exactly the same to generations of people make sure anyone already inside is not disturbed but in an who would similarly have stood here over the years. Nothing instinctive respect for the echoes of history that lie within the else touched the stillness of this ‘hairs-standing-up on-the- walls. back-of your-neck’ moment, free from the complications of the An immaculate stone vaulted ceiling, the work of Victorian world in which we live. architect J. L. Pearson - renowned for the building of Truro I have never forgotten the experience and relive the memory Cathedral - leads the eye down to the columns. A number, time and again. So much so that whenever I bring visitors to the looking wholly out of proportion for the job of holding up a Moors I always take them to St Mary’s and lead them carefully, relatively small church, give a clue to the building’s earlier eyes closed, down into the crypt, timing the visit for when the history. clock strikes the hour. Without exception, my guests never fail These massive shapes tell of long-abandoned plans to build a to be deeply and thoughtfully touched by their own moment of large monastic church soon after the Norman Conquest. No- calm in this magical place, when they open their eyes and the one knows for sure what prompted the builders only to partially bell rings. complete their monastery before moving on to York to establish IAN CARSTAIRS

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 14 SKYLARKS

Now that it is Autumn you are probably feeling a little colder and - like this waxwing in 6-year-old Pippa’s picture - you might feel like packing a suitcase and flying off somewhere warm on holiday. Waxwings start arriving on the East coast of the UK in October and have travelled from Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden. Why do you think birds migrate from colder countries like those above? In ‘Skylarks’ in the past we have learnt about plants and animals needing food and warmth to survive and grow, so it is exactly the same for migrating birds, as you have probably said. This redwing, like the waxwing, enjoys our UK berries. g p j . ) s u r o n a c / _ 5 ) s 9 r u e 9 l l Can you identify some of the birds below who have now flown south from the UK ) 8 u b g c 2 r n u a i 2 5 C w w ( -

d t to warmer areas such as Southern Europe and Africa? _ w e h o r o g ( l o i

l l k i f 5 c - w 4 ( u n

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and see if it is the same or different next year. g / / / / n i / / / / : : : : w s s s s x p p p p t t t t a t t t t h h h h Thank you to Pippa for her picture. Please keep sending us your pictures and news to [email protected] W

CROSSWORD 90 by AMANUENSIS

123 4567ACROSS 1 & 4 Silent hornet goes crazy in lovely local village (6,6) 8 9 & 17 Choice of mail one hears for warding off evil spirits (5, 4) 10 Handy for removing lines (7) 9 10 11 Observe change to one side of coin (7) 13 Style and vigour in meandering lane (4) 14 Are these tradesmen always up against the wall? (11) 17 See 9 across 11 12 13 18 Deny profit comes first (7) 21 Controllers of the written articles (7) 22 Simple country person is burden to fifty (5)

14 15 24 Without it life would be impossible (6) 25 A roof can be criticized harshly (6)

16 DOWN

17 18 19 1 He had a fruitful idea while sitting under a tree (6) 2 Initially explosive (1, 1, 1)

20 3 Three going crazy for the blue skies above (6) 5 Found in family albums, that's for sure! (7) 21 22 23 6 You're never lost for words with this (8) 7 Landing place for fliers? (4) 8 Tree researcher? (11) 12 Bores have it in abundance (9) 24 25 15 Terminally negative (7) 16 Went round and round on two wheels (6) Takes the letters from the shaded in squares in the grid and 19 Tidy Lloyds Bank has rural poem inside? (5) 20 Italian fiddler on the roof? (4) rearrange in the boxes to solve the anagram. 23 Little Christopher has the gear (3) CLUE: A beautiful house and garden set in a picturesque idyllic valley (16, 5)

Answers on back cover

VOICE OF THE MOORS – AUTUMN 2020 15

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