First World War Research Project the IMPACT on the LANDSCAPE of NIDDERDALE BROUGHT ABOUT by the FIRST WORLD WAR

NIDDERDALE AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY First World War Research Project THE IMPACT ON THE LANDSCAPE OF NIDDERDALE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE FIRST WORLD WAR Project Overview The First World War & Nidderdale AONB Centenary Project aims to reveal the impact of the First World War on the landscape and communities of Nidderdale AONB. A large proportion of the volunteer research project has looked at the family history and service record of men named on war memorials and others who served in the forces. However, part of the project remit sought to identify any wider implications for the landscape of this upland area that may have been brought about by the First World War. The impact on the Landscape In a Scoping Report prepared by Linda Smith for the Project, a subject for further research was suggested, namely a comparison between the 1910 Land Valuation Survey and the 1941 Farm Survey as a way of establishing changes in the landscape brought about by the demands of the war. The aim is to investigate if it is possible to establish how factors such as the absence of labour force changed farming methods, and if the necessity of feeding and provisioning the War effort changed farming methods and practice in this part of North Yorkshire? In summary, the scoping study suggested use of the 1910 Valuation Office books and maps as a starting point in a trial area and compare with 1940-43 Agricultural Surveys to get a picture of change over this period at field and farm scale. This could be achieved by choosing a map square, ordering the map online from the National Archives and following up with a visit to North Yorkshire County Records Office to examine the relevant Valuation Books and later agricultural surveys. MethodoloGy The geography of the area covered by Nidderdale AONB varies from upland hills, open moorland, river valleys and lowland fields. In an attempt to represent the variety of landscape, a cross section of Nidderdale comprising an area around Glasshouses, south east of Pateley Bridge was chosen for the sample study. (Appendix 1) 1 ObtaininG Copies of the Valuation and Farm Surveys As the detailed information from the Valuation and Surveys was not available at the County Records Office, we were fortunate in that a member of the volunteer research team visited the National Archive in Kew and photographed the documents relating to the area for study, amounting to 438 photographs of pages from the field books and associated maps. Overview of the Documents 1910 Valuation Survey. The National Archive has the following reference and description of the documents:- Reference: IR 58 Title: Board of Inland Revenue: Valuation Office: Field Books These field books were prepared by the Valuation Offices and contain details of the valuation of land for the purposes of increment value duty under the Finance (1909-10) Act 1910. They normally contain names of occupiers and owners; date of erection of buildings; details of extent, owner's interest, tenure, Description: market value and information about such matters as liability for rates and taxes; they also often provide an indication of the existence of public rights of way. Sometimes, sketch plans of individual properties are included. Details of each unit of valuation were recorded in assessment number order. Date: 1910 Sample page below. 2 The information recorded in the Valuation Survey comprises :- o Valuation Reference Number. o The property number on the 1910 Ordnance Survey Map. o Situation, Location of the property. o Description of the property. o Extent. Acreage. o Gross Value. o Name of Occupier. o Name of the Owner. o The interest of the Owner, Freehold etc. o Occupier’s Tenancy Term. o Actual or Estimated Rent. 1941 Farm Survey. The National Archive has the following reference and description of the documents:- Reference: MAF 32 Title: Ministry of Food: National Farm Survey, Individual Farm Records Reports and returns on printed forms in respect of individual farms throughout the country made in connection with the National Farm Survey, 1941. Description: Each individual farm record consists of four forms, three of which were mailed to the farmer as part of the 1941 June 4th census return. The fourth form is that of the actual Farm Survey, the 'primary survey' only obtained by inspection and interview in the field. Date: 1941-1943 The survey information was recorded on 4 separate forms, C47 – Agricultural Use. C51 – Crops. B496 – Property Information. C 69 - Further Questions. 3 Sample PaGe C47 below. Sample PaGe C51 below 4 Sample PaGe B496 below Sample PaGe C69 below CollatinG Data Recorded The principle information from the documents was copied to spreadsheets with reference to the associated maps, so that comparisons could be made between the same properties to identify change over the 30 year period. Tabulation of data recorded for each property can be found in the Appendices. 1910 Valuation (Appendix 2) 1941 Farm Survey (Appendix 3) 5 Comparison of the surveys The 1910 and the 1941 surveys were carried out by different government departments and for very different reasons. The 1910 Property Valuation Survey was required by the Board of Inland Revenue and was prepared by the Valuation Offices and contains details of the valuation of land for the purposes of Increment Value Duty under the Finance (1909-10) Act 1910. The 1941 Farm Survey was required by the Ministry of Food. “Britain was faced with an urgent need to increase food production during World War II, and county committees of experienced farmers were set up in 1940 with wide-ranging powers to achieve that. They did not simply send out questionnaires to ask farmers what they were growing, but had the power to inspect farms, to order that pasture was ploughed up, to direct what was grown and even to terminate tenancies if they thought a change of management would result in increased productivity. Farms were first visited in 1940-41, the ability of each farmer was assessed, and the farms themselves were graded A, B or C in terms of their productive capacity. A second and more detailed survey of all farms of five acres of more was made between 1941 and 1943. Most controversially, the farms were re-graded; this time based on the way the farm was being managed. To the modern eye some of the assessments seem very harsh: category C and a note of ‘personal failings’, for example, may simply mean that the farmer was young and inexperienced.” (From Leicestershire History web site http://leicestershirehistory.co.uk/?page_id=525 (site consulted 01/07/16) Whilst the two surveys were carried out for very different purposes there are a number of common features which allow some meaningful comparisons to be made. o The surveys refer to and are numbered on the same edition of the 6 inch to one mile scale, Ordnance Survey maps from 1910. o The surveys name the farmer or occupier of the land. o The surveys have the name of the property and the location. o The Surveys have the acreage of the property. The differences between the two surveys are quite significant; the 1910 Valuation Survey covered all individual properties from the largest estates to uninhabited cottages, whilst the 1941 Farm Survey only included farms or properties which relied on the management of land or stock to produce an income or business enterprise. Therefore detailed comparisons cannot be made because data regarding crops and stock was not collected by the 1910 Valuation Survey and comparisons regarding shops and small local businesses cannot be made because the 1941 Farm Survey does not include properties of less than 5 acres. 6 Comparison of a Sample Farm A case study usinG the two datasets as applied to a sinGle property is included below. Rays Farm, Smelthouses, SummerbridGe Maps of the farm in 1910 and 1941 are attached as Appendix 4 and 5 respectively. In the 1910 Valuation Survey, Rays Farm, located in Smelthouses, was occupied by Mr Mark Dougill who rented the farm on a yearly term from the Freeholder, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, at a yearly rent of £44. The farm occupied 20 acres, 0 roods, 32 poles, (imperial units of area), and was described as a “small grass farm” comprising open fields and a small area of woodland sloping steeply to Fell Beck. The buildings were described as a stone built cottage with blue slate roof in fair repair and comprised; 3 bedrooms, main room, kitchen, pantry and dairy. The out- buildings included; coal store, barn, mistal, 3 stalled stable and loose box. The property, including land and buildings was valued at £870 with a Rateable Value of £37. There was no reference to any arable crops. In the 1911 Census Mark lived with his sister Edith at the farm. They were the only occupants. Mark’s occupation was given as farmer and butcher which would infer that the farm produced meat rather than arable crops. In the 1941 Farm Survey, Rays Farm was occupied by Mr Edgar Webster, described as “Tenant”, the landlord / freeholder was not given. The farm now occupied 171/2 acres, the difference being the loss of the woodland adjacent to Fell Beck. Mr Webster paid rent of £37 a year and had been the tenant for 18 years. The farm got its water from a well and had mains electricity for lighting only. (The vast majority of the farms we have records for did not have electricity at all.) Mr Webster managed the farm by himself and had 2 acres growing oats, 9 acres of meadow and 61/2 acres grazing, all described as “Medium” quality.

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