Hull's Fishing Heritage

‘Hull’s Fishing Heritage’ is a unique nostalgic account, brought to you by Wharncliffe Books.

Focusing upon three decades of research, the fishing community of Hessle Road represents a unique breed of people who endured hardship from the elements in times of peace and danger from the enemy in times of war.

Within the world of the fishing families of Hull is a whole universe of humanity. Based upon interviews, a range of colourful tales are presented to convey Hull’s Fishing Heritage.

Survivors of a wrecked trawler stagger ashore in Iceland during the bitter winter of 1910 – this hair raising tale is based upon Skipper Brewer’s handwritten log.

Another skipper, ‘Mad’ Rilatt, outwits German U-Boats in the First World War.

A suicide mission to war-torn Norway in 1940 aboard a former Hull trawler.

Amy Johnston flew to Australia single-handed – she is revealed as a Hessle Road girl. Cowboys of the Arctic Circle, shows how Hollywood influenced the young trawler lads.’Hull’s Fishing Heritage’ is, all in all, a sparkling assortment of vibrant stories that reflect Hull’s Fishing Heritage.

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Hull’s Fishing Heritage

A north Cumbrian project is trying to find items of historical interest from north west Cumbria.

Milk churns saved from the scrap man

Researchers are aiming to create a portfolio of local heritage artefacts from the Solway Plain. These could include old photographs, farming implements, local folk culture and memories. Items could possibly go forward to an exhibition later.

Fieldwork is at an early stage, with the team taking photos and documenting any items brought to their attention.

The work is part of a project called the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme which is a partnership between the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other organisations.

Alex Kaars Sijpesteijn, Solway Wetlands Development Officer, said: “ If you know of anyone who has artefacts and wouldn’t mind potentially letting them be in an exhibition please let me know.

“At the moment we are simply taking photos and notes so that when the time comes we know where they are.”

The project area runs from Allonby to Wigton to Kirkbampton to the western tip of Carlisle and up to the coast. It is a four year project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If you would like more information or have an item suitable for the research team, please contact the Solway Wetlands Development Officer on 016973 33055 or email Alexandra.Sijpesteijn@Allerdale.gov.uk.

Update

A drop-in session will be held at the Royal Oak, Moorhouse, Cumbria on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

Huddersfield’s famous mills played a crucial role in the town’s history and now they are a vital element in its heritage. In this fascinating survey Vivian Teesdale documents the mills themselves, some have been demolished whilst others have changed use and a few are still connected with the modern textile industry.

Vivian also recalls the people who’s livelihood depended on the mills – the owners, the mill workers and their families. Their combined efforts over generations created the prosperity and growth that gave birth to the town we see today, and this book gives a keen insight into their work and their lives.

All kinds of mills are featured here; woollen, Worsted, yarn spinners and shoddy. The people who worked in them are brought vividly to life, where they lived, how much they earned, what their working conditions were like. Early union disputes are recalled giving a glimpse of the organised labour for which Huddersfield is so rightly famous.

Some of the names may be familiar, if only because streets or buildings are named after them, others have long been forgotten, despite their influence on the town in the early days. But the era in Huddersfield’s history that they represent, and the lost community of individuals and families who lives revolved around them, are well remembered here.

Purchase Huddersfield Mills

We recently came across this brand of Durex knitting needles and just had to share it.

The needles were passed to us by one of our readers who found them when sorting through some items at a car boot sale.

Are these for practicing safe knitting?

These double ended knitting needles are designed for knitting socks or anything cylindrical.  Generally purchased in packs of four, it looks as though these ones have never been used.

Most knitting needles today are made of a metal alloy but these particular ones appear to made from a coloured plastic.

The Durex brand of knitting needles (knitting pins) and crochet hooks, seems to show up on a few heritage knitting sites but we know little about the company and the era that these needles date from.

If anybody can help with this information just let us know via the comments section below.

More information

UK Hand Knitting Association - learn more about hand knitting

Have you ever come across an object, article, building or thing that you are not sure what it is or what it was used for?

This has happened many times whilst we have been out and about and no doubt will happen in the future.

So rather than leave the pictures sitting on a hard drive, we will add things to the gallery below to see if you know what they are.

To make life easier we will number each item and make a form available at the bottom of the page for you to get in touch.

Item gallery

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Kirkby Stephen, situated a few miles off the main A66 in the Upper Eden Valley has a long heritage and a number of things to look out for if you visit.

Charter Stone - Kirkby Stephen. Cumbria

Towards the southern end of Market Street is the Charter Stone.

Situated outside a food store, to the left as you travel south, is a circular stone embedded into the pavement edge from where the start of Luke fair was proclaimed.

A plaque, possibly made from brass, stands alongside and reads.

CHARTER STONE
Luke Fair ( Oct 27) established 1350
Proclaimed from here.

The plaque beneath the Charter Stone

The Kirkby Stephen Town Luke Fair Charter, reaffirmed in 1605 by James l, granted the right to hold a fair on 27 October, ‘the eve and the morrow’ each year and a market each week.

The fair is so named because of it being held  St. Luke’s day.

St Luke’s day is celebrated on the 18th October. It is traditionally a day when girls could have some insight into their future marriage prospects. 

He was one of the four Gospel writer’s and is the patron saint of doctors.

Starting at Hartley Quarry on the outskirts of Kirkby Stephen the history trail follows the trackbed of the former Stainmore Railway crossing the two viaducts of Podgill and Merrygill.

Welcome - Northern Viaduct Trust

Being a former railway line the path is well drained and  ideal for wheelchairs, horses, cyclists and walkers. It is a permissive right of way.

The route is owned by the Northern Viaduct Trust.

Set up in 1989 to to acquire, restore and maintain the spectacular Smardale Gill viaduct near Ravenstonedale the Trust then moved on to this second project and has created a circular walk which takes in some spectacular views and has preserved some of our Cumbrian heritage.

Merrygill Viaduct

Passing the noticeboards that give a history and brief overview of the project you arrive at one end of the Merrygill Viaduct.

With a total length of 366ft, 9 arches built from local limestone span the Hartley Beck valley.

Originally being one track wide it cost just over £3k to build and it is over 70ft from the beck below.

Work to widen the viaduct to two tracks was completed around 1892.

The restoration of this viaduct cost around £50k  and was completed in 2005.

Children and animals are protected from the view as the high stone sides offer great natural security.

The platelayers hut and the Merrygill viaduct in the distance

With the gradient of the walk sloping gently downhill you find a former platelayers hut to your right.  Pictures from former times when the railway was in full usage are displayed on the walls along with the history of the area.

Hartley Quarry is a good source of high quality limestone and operations were started in 1925 by Sir Hedworth Williamson‘s Limeworks Ltd. 

During the Second World War the limestone was needed in ever greater amounts for the steel industry and as a ground powder to improve fields for food production.  This work at the quarry became a reserved occupation as it was essential to the war efforts.

Two lime-burning kilns were in operation at the quarry upto 1996.

As you continue along the path you may spot some out of season flowers or other quirks of nature.  

The high, sheltered sides of the railway cuttings have created a unique micro climate.  

Trees, planted along the edge of the embankments, create a canopy from harsh sunlight and are helping to trap self seeding plants and no doubt sustaining animals and insects.

The gentle walk continues towards the next viaduct, Podgill.

The 11 arches span the 466ft valley of Pod Gill

You could continue straight across the bridge however to your right is a steep set of steps to some picnic tables and a great view back up underneath the viaduct.  A word of caution here is needed as these steps are steep so please take care.

If you do venture down to the bottom of the viaduct you will be able to see the full glory of this local limestone construction.

Originally only 12 feet wide between parapets for single track, it was built by contractors Chambers & Hilton at a cost of £6,189.

Sir Thomas Bouch was the engineer on this project and the Merrygill viaduct visited earlier.

Looking up from below - The Podgill viaduct

He was born at Thursby in North Cumbria and is best known for his work on the Tay Bridge in Scotland.

When the Podgill viaduct was widened, around 1890, a new, almost identical, viaduct was built alongside the existing, to which the new structure was tied.  You can still see the join if you look up from below.

Podgill Viaduct was acquired by the Northern Viaduct Trust direct from the British Rail Property Board in 2000.

As you continue along the upper path another platelayers hut comes into view. Here you will find details of the hayday of the railways in this area.

The South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway, connecting the Eastern coalfields to the Western iron ore and the evolution of the many single rail companies into the larger railway boards is all explained using maps, photographs and text.

Poem in stone

Art meets industy

Keep your eyes alert as your journey continues because hidden in the woods is some heavyweight art.

The Poetry Path comes into contact with your railway walk as large carved stones appear.

Square poems

Depicting a year in the life of a hill farmer. The Poetry Path is a celebration of the hill farmer’s ancient and enduring relationship with the beautiful landscape in and around the upper Eden valley.

Twelve short poems written by local poet Meg Peacocke have been carved by lettering artist Pip Hall into blocks of stone.

Further details of this trail are available below.  

You are almost at the end of this trail as your route now takes you back towards Kirkby Stephen  however one last delight remains.

Spanning the River Eden

From the approach you see the bright blue railings and can hear what sounds like steam escaping from the trains of former years, but as you cross the Millennium Bridge you are in for a surprise.

Bubbling and dramatic

Below you is the bubbling and dramatic River Eden on its way towards Carlisle and the sea.

The bridge was designed by local civil engineer, Charles Blackett-Ord.

It is constructed of galvanised steel with a pre-cast concrete deck and a span of 65ft.

This spectacular bridge provides the access between Stenkrith Park at the south end of Kirkby Stephen, to the trackbed of the former railway which forms the footpath to Hartley from where you have just walked.

Further information

The Northern Viaducts Trust brochure can be found via  -  Exploring the Eden Viaducts - leaflet NVT

Further details on the walk and the trail are via  - Walks Guide - Kirkby Stephen

Details about the Poetry Path are via  - Kirkby Stephen Poetry Path

Take a walk around Sanquhar, saddled across the A76 commuter route to Kilmarnock and you will come across some fantastic local heritage.

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