Dales Volunteers bridge that gap

Dales Volunteers have been doing their bit to preserve an historic footbridge in Swaledale.

A group of five volunteers and some Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority rangers stripped down the damaged arch on Usha Gap Bridge near Thwaite and rebuilt it.

Ian Broadwith, the Authority’s Access Ranger for Swaledale and Arkengarthdale, said: “The bridge is more than 100 years old and the centre had sunk and was in danger of collapse.

The Dales Volunteers identified the need to repair it in a survey of the rights of way that they carry out every year.

A very popular footpath crosses the little tributary of the River Swale so a temporary timber bridge was installed in September, 2007, to keep the path open.

The stones have been bedded in with traditional lime and mortar so that it is in keeping with the age of the bridge.

Work on the bridge was scheduled for last year but was delayed as a result of the bad weather

The team had to build a wooden support – a former – that fitted underneath the bridge to help them dismantle and then rebuild the arch.

The timber bridge was then taken down and will be reused.

The National Park Authority is responsible for the maintenance of more than 2,000kms of rights of way, including more than 800 bridges crossing streams, becks and rivers, and its Dales Volunteers gave more than 6,000 days of work last year.

Generally, there are very few Volunteer vacancies but, in the Northern Dales, there may be opportunities for one or two new people with practical skills.

For further information, please contact Rae  Lonsdale on (01756) 751630 or e-mail volunteers@yorkshiredales.org.uk.

Pendragon Castle, Cumbria

Commanding an impressive view over the Eden Valley, stand the remains of Pendragon castle, thought to be constructed during the reign of William II in the twelfth century by Ranulph de Meschines, Although the the keep dates to Norman times, the Garderobe Turret (toilet) dates from the fourteenth century.

 

 

Legend suggests that a much earlier Pendragon Castle on this site belonged to Uther Pendragon, father of  the legendary King Arthur. According to the legend, Uther had attempted to re-route the River Eden to create a moat for the castle.

An ancient rhyming couplet reads;

“Let Uther Pendragon do what he can, Eden will run where Eden ran.”

Other stories tell of tragedy, when Saxon invaders poisoned the well, leading to the death of Uther Pendragon and a hundred of his men.

No archealogical evidence has been found to suggest Dark Age settlement, although a couple of Roman coins have been discovered on the site.

 

 

Over it’s lifetime, the Castle has had many famous and infamous owners, one being Hugh de Morville, a knight responsible for the murder of St. Thomas A’Beckett at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.

Robert de Veteripont became the next owner and then Lady Ideona de Veteripont who also founded the nearby church of St. Mary at Outhgill. A later inheritance saw the castle passed on to Robert de Leyburn before becoming the property of  the wealthy Robert de Clifford, who acquired a licence to the crenalate the castle in 1309. When he was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the castle passed to his son, Roger.

 

 

In 1341 the castle was destroyed by a raiding Scottish army but was rebuilt in 1360. Disaster struck again in 1541, when fire left Pendragon castle in ruins.  It was not until the mid seventeenth century that the castle was restored to it’s former glory by Lady Anne Clifford. Following Lady Anne’s death in 1676, the Earl of Thanet, removed anything of value, including the lead from the roof and again left the castle to the ravages of nature.

 

Some recent work has been carried out to prop up some of the structure and to install a set of wooden steps to lead to what is left of the first level.

If you visit this site, please be aware that it is on private land and that animals are grazing around the castle.

 

OS Grid Ref:- NY 782025

Armies march out of history onto the streets of Carlisle

An army of soldiers from different periods in the history of Carlisle will march through the city once again on Thursday 28th May.

Re-enactors representing Romans, Vikings and English Civil War soldiers will march from different parts of the city towards The Guildhall where they will be addressed by Emperor Hadrian, as time converges in the centre of Carlisle.

The event is part of The Living Frontier which will bring 2,000 years of history to life in vivid and spectacular detail during the spring half term from the 24th to the 31st of May at the historic sites along Hadrians Wall

Linda Tuttiett, the Chief Executive of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, says: “The Living Frontier will be a series of colourful and action packed events right across Hadrian’s Wall Country from the mouth of the Tyne to the west coast of Cumbria. The march in Carlisle will undoubtedly be one of the highlights and will provide a great spectacle both for local people and visitors to the city and help bring its Historic Quarter to life.”

The day’s events will also see more historical, as well as hysterical, performances.

Roman centurion Pompous Maximus and his devious slave Servillius Wretch will be turning up after years in the wilderness to check on how the Roman Empire is doing.

Queen Elizabeth the First will also be entertaining her subjects while Francis Drake tries on a regular basis to conquer Spain, if he could just work out where it was. One of the best re-enactment groups in the country, their performance is described as ‘more Blackadder than Glenda Jackson’.

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd is managing The Living Frontier as part of culture10’s programme of world class events for North East England and has been able to extend the programme westwards into Cumbria through the support of Carlisle Renaissance.

Bryan Gray, Chair of Carlisle Renaissance, said: “Carlisle Renaissance is delighted to support the Living Frontier events, as part of our push to raise the profile of Carlisle’s Historic Quarter and bring more visitors to Carlisle to experience its rich heritage. I’d urge anyone with an interest in heritage or culture to come along and explore the Living Frontier events and the city, and see for themselves what Carlisle has to offer.”

Pompous Maximus and Queen Elizabeth will be back performing in the centre of Carlisle between 10.30am and 4.30pm on the Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile the Sealed Knot will be taking people back to the English Civil War at Carlisle Castle on the 29th and 30th. The Castle was a stronghold of the Royalists during the Civil War but was under siege by Oliver Cromwell’s Roundheads. How long could they hold out?

Visitors will be invited inside the castle walls to see and hear life in the castle during these tumultuous times. Soldiers drill, man the gatehouse and the wall walks. The city’s craftspeople keep the army going; you’ll be able too see the blacksmith, the barber surgeon, the cloth workers, cooks and the carpenters all at work. All of them waiting for an attack on the castle.

The Living Frontier events will be taking place all along Hadrian’s Wall during the half term holidays. They are being led by Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd. As well as being supported by Carlisle Renaissance The Living Frontier forms part of North East England’s word-class programme of festivals and events developed by culture10.

The highlight of The Living Frontier events will be a ninety minute pageant at Tynedale Rugby Ground in Corbridge on Saturday 30th May at 8.00pm. The event will bring together all the re-enactors and their frontier stories in a spectacular show of music, drama, and technical wizardry that creates a journey through the mists of time to witness two battles, a wedding and a funeral.

Tickets for the pageant will cost £10 for adults and £5 for children. Anyone who buys a ticket for the event will save 50% on admission charges over the weekend at all the other venues where the Living Frontier events are taking place.

At Birdoswald on 24th and 25th May you can come face to face with Roman soldiers from the time of the invasion of Britain to the end of Roman rule and the time of the legendary King Arthur. Visitors will witness the drill and tactics of these soldiers and see the skill and horsemanship of a fast paced duo of cavalry soldiers from both epic periods in history.

From the 29th to the 31st of May there will be a living history camp involving Border Reivers at Birdoswald. The event will include weapon and show drills with muskets and other period equipment and an interactive ‘court martial’.

Senhouse Alive! at Maryport at the western end of the World Heritage Site on 26th May will include historical tours, Roman food and a chance to make your very own Roman goddess.

Further along the Wall, a full Roman Century (80 soldiers) will make visits to a number of sites in Hadrian’s Wall Country from their encampment at Corbridge Roman Site, as well as presenting full drill exhibitions and living history displays at Corbridge. It will be the first time this will have been seen on Hadrian’s Wall for over 1600 years.

Vindolanda will be the site of an encampment that not only recreates Roman military life but shows how the civilians and families lived almost 2000 years ago. The Roman Army Museum will provide a taste of history with cookery demonstrations from key periods in the history of Hadrian’s Wall.
Once a Roman Cavalry fort, Chesters will provide displays of equestrian and falconry skills and there will also be events at Housesteads.

At the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall Country, Segedunum and Arbeia will celebrate the Living Frontier with displays from the Viking era.

For further information, times and tickets to the pageant visit www.livingfrontier.com or telephone 01434-322002.

To find out more about Hadrian’s Wall Country go to www.hadrians-wall.org.

Podcast – Curiosity collector

Curiosities and gadgets were on display in one of the large tents at the Hethersgill Vintage Rally 2009.

Alan Head has been collecting stuff for many years and always has something new whenever you see him at an event.

Proudly displayed on the table this year was a six mouse mousetrap and a gadget for leading a bull around a farmyard.

Podcast

 

Podcast – Marshall One – Steam engine

Marshall One, a recently restored steam powered general purpose engine, was one of the many highlights to be found at the Hethersgill Vintage Rally.

Podcast

 

More information

Photo gallery from the 2009 Hethersgill Vintage Rally

Observation post – Burgh by Sands

Memories of two conflicts are to be found on the salt marshes near to a small village called Burgh by Sands in North Cumbria.

King Edward I is remembered in the monument most people associate with this area however a few hundred meters to the north is a monument to more recent conflict, World War II.

The concrete bunker with it’s roof covered with soil and grass was an observation post for a firing range used by the RAF based at RAF Crosby-on-Eden.

This range stretched from Glasson in the west, through Drumburgh, and over to Burgh-by-Sands in the east

No 9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, were based at the airport now known as Carlisle Airport.

The airfield to the north east of Carlisle was, during WWII, the home to a number of training units and from late 1944 transport command, who flew Dakota aircraft.

Gallery

Can you add to the history of this building, where you stationed at it? Let us know via the comments box below or get intouch via the contact us tab above.

More information about No 9 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit,
based at Crosby-on-Eden in Cumbria

Dover War Memorial Project – Former trainees at the unit

Details about the former RAF Crosby on Eden site

• No 59 Operational Training Unit (20 Feb 1941 – 10 Aug 1942)
  
• No 1383 (Transport) Conversion Unit (1 Aug 1945 – 6 Aug 1946)
  
• Sub-site, No 14 Maintenance Unit (1 Apr 1952 – xxx xxxx)
  

Control Towers Website:-

• 03/41 to 08/42, 59 OTU training day fighter pilots on Hurricanes, moved to Milfield.
• 08/42 to 08/44, 9 OTU, 17 Group Coastal Command, training long-range fighter crews. Beaufort and Beaufighter Conversion Sqns also air firing and night flying Sqns.
• 08/44 to 05/46, 109 OTU, Transport Command with Dakotas. Renamed 1383 TCU 01/08/45.
• /1946 to /1947, British European Airways flights to Ronaldsway and Belfast.
• Purchased by Carlisle Council 1960 and reopened as Carlisle airport.

Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve) (RAF(VR)) Officers 1939-1945

• Leonard Hugh Bone – 9 Operational Training Unit RAF, Crosby on Eden (on Beaufighters) More details

214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron Royal Air Force

• Stationed at Crosby on Eden – Sgt Gerhard ‘Harry’ Heilig

All about one of the Dakota aircraft that passed through the air training unit

• Dakota G-AMHJ – KG651

The relation between the Douglas C47 Dakota and the Belgian military aviation can be traced back to october 1944 when a group of Belgian pilots were detached to the Royal Air Force training squadrons based at Welford and Crosby-on-Eden for flight training.

Hethersgill Vintage Club Rally – 2009

A fine but very blustery day saw Carlisle Airport filled with machines and items of a byegone era.

The 26th Annual Hethersgill Vintage Rally seemed as popular as ever, with over 1000 exhibitors displaying steam powered traction engines to collections of match boxes and lawn mowers.

Cumbria being an agricultural area, it seemed only natural that the vintage tractors would dominate the scene.

The famous battleship grey, ferguson tractors revolutionised farming in the 1930’s with the use of hydraulics and are still useful workhorses to this day.

These were closely followed by other vehicles, both domestic and commercial.

A luxuriant Model T Ford would have been the talk of the town in 1912 and a local logging truck has led a double life, being built on a WWII Artillery Tractor Chasis,

A section for motorcycles was dominated by BSA with the 1925 Rover WG and 1931 Honda Benly being the two oldest bikes on display.

Of course the darlings of the show had to be the six steam traction engines. Marshall 1 is a local 99 year old beauty, lovingly restored by father and son team Gerald and Mike Burns, with a little help from their friends.

Ten Miniature, scale steam engines chugged around the site and were equally as resplendent as their full size counterparts, bearing the names of famous manufacturers such as Burrell, Marshall, Foden and Scammell.

An eclectic range of memorabilia filled the large marquee, numbering among them an extensive matchbox collection, started by a single box on a flight to Canada many years ago.

A collection of cameras and photographs showed how we have rapidly evolved from the Plate cameras to the film versions that we are more familiar with, but of course all redundant in this day of digital technology and storage.

Alan Head from Penrith, brought along many household and agricultural items and amused onlookers with his witty stories about gadgets to train bull horns, a six hole mouse trap and even a mechanical shaver which you stopped operating at your peril!

The on site auction sale, proved ever popular for the engine restoration enthusiast, memoribilia collector or even a budding Lewis Hamilton.  In fact everything right down to the kitchen sink.

Contact
Hethersgill Vintage Rally, Carlisle Airport. Norman Elliott, tel: 01228 675336 or 07831 127138.