Wade’s Stone once again stands proud on the North York Moors thanks to help from Tees Archaeology.

The two metre high stone in the North York Moors National Park toppled over, it is thought, due to centuries of cultivation around the scheduled monument reducing the level of the surrounding ground

The standing stone is known as Wade’s Stone after the giant that, according to local legend, lived in the area. Pic NYMNP

The standing stone is known as Wade’s Stone after the giant that, according to local legend, lived in the area.

The proximity of another standing stone also known as Wade’s Stone has led many to believe that the two mark the grave of the giant who is behind many local stories.

Wade and his wife Bell were said to live in a castle in Lythe and kept cattle on the moors.

Wade’s Causeway, which crosses Wheeldale Moor in the National Park, was built by the giant so that Bell could milk her cows and the iconic Hole of Horcum was apparently formed during an argument between the two, when Wade scooped up a handful of earth to throw at Bell, creating Blakey Topping – a nearby hill – in the process.

Scheduled monument

Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates ranging from the late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age (c.3000 to 800 BC).

They may have been markers relating to land ownership, for route-ways, graves or meeting points.

Wade’s Stone is in the parish of Barnby, an area which includes many prehistoric burial monuments as well as a number of other standing stones.

The stone was re-erected with funding from the North York Moors National Park Authority’s monument management scheme, a partnership between the Authority and English Heritage to reduce the ‘At Risk’ status of scheduled monuments and improve their management.

This partnership is particularly important since nearly a third of all the scheduled monuments for the entire Yorkshire & Humber region can be found in the North York Moors National Park. The existing Scheme began in 2009 and has just been extended until 2015.

With the approval of the landowner, the North York Moors National Park Authority commissioned Tees Archaeology to record and then reinstate the fallen stone.

Tees Archaeology carefully excavated what little was left of the original socket hole and then extended its depth to provide an adequate trench into which to set the re-erected stone.

Graham Lee, the National Park Authority’s Senior Archaeological Conservation Officer, said: “The standing stones and crosses dotted across the North York Moors are part of the area’s charm.

“They make our ancestors seem almost tangible and are probably some of the most photographed objects in the National Park.

“The sheer size of some of these stones adds to the mystery of how they got here and what they were for – it’s therefore not surprising that local legends have sprung up around many of them.”

There is no public access to Wade’s Stone but it can be easily viewed from the A174 near East Barnby Outdoor Education Centre.

Free guided tours of the excavation of an Iron Age hillfort in the North York Moors National Park are on offer on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 May 2011.

Archaeologists are currently carrying out a dig at Boltby Scar near Sutton Bank and people are invited to tour the site and hear from the team about what they’ve found.

Excavations have taken place on Boltby Scar on at least two occasions in the past, but virtually no information from these activities survives and in 1961 the hillfort was levelled by bulldozer.

The current dig is seeking to look at the condition of the site (including the extent of the 1961 damage) as well as to recover dating and environmental evidence which should help in interpreting the hillfort’s context in the wider landscape.

The area around Sutton Bank was an important site for Iron Age man, with defensive earthworks and another hillfort at Roulston Scar.

Information from the excavation will be used to inform the public about the archaeology of the area as well as considering how best to manage and protect the site in the future.

The dig is being led by archaeologists from the Landscape Research Centre with help from volunteers and undergraduate archaeology students from York University.

A blog about the dig can be found at boltbyscar.wordpress.com

The excavation is part of the Lime & Ice Project, a partnership of several organisations that received a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out access, interpretation and conservation initiatives.

Project Officer Jennifer Smith, said: “The current excavation is building on our findings and knowledge from a smaller dig that took place at Boltby Scar in 2009. The open day is a great opportunity for people to find out more about who lived in the area 2,500 years ago and to take a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a working archaeological dig.”

Tours run at various times throughout the two days but people are advised to book in advance to guarantee a place by calling 01439 772738.

Nostalgia fans will be in their element this summer with two heritage buses offering trips to and around the North York Moors National Park.

A lovingly restored green and cream 1946 Leyland coach, known as the Heritage Bus

The buses are part of the National Park Authority’s Moorsbus network and all day travel costs just £5 with up to four children travelling free [with a fare paying adult].

A lovingly restored green and cream 1946 Leyland coach, known as the Heritage Bus, tours the south-west corner of the North York Moors.

The bus travels between Thirsk and Helmsley calling at the picturesque villages of Kilburn, Coxwold, Ampleforth, Hawnby and Hutton-le-Hole along the way as well as Sutton Bank National Park Centre.

People can also use the bus to visit Byland and Rievaulx Abbeys and Rievaulx Terrace and Temples. It operates every Sunday from 4 July to 29 August and Bank Holiday Monday.

From Whitby, people can hop on board a beautiful 1958 Bedford Coach to get to The Moors National Park Centre and the wonderful views from Danby Beacon. The Vintage Bus departs Whitby at 11am every Sunday from 25 July to 29 August plus Bank Holiday Monday.

Janet Armstrong, the National Park Authority’s Transport Project Officer, said:

“Both buses offer people the chance of a great day out with some fabulous views of the North York Moors. They’re also good value for money and help keep congestion on our narrow moorland roads to a minimum.”

Timetables for the Heritage and Vintage Buses can be found in the Moorsbus network timetable available from National Park and Visitor Information Centres and online at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/moorsbus

People who live in or have a connection to the Hambleton and Howardian Hills are being asked to look through old photo albums, letters and family mementos to help plug a knowledge gap about rural life and the culture and traditions of this area.

The finds will be used by the Lime and Ice Project, awarded just under £500,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), to raise awareness among local communities and further afield about the heritage of the area and people’s impact on its dramatic landscape.

A special drop-in session has been arranged for Tuesday 16 February at the World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk between 11am to 4pm and from 6pm to 8pm for people to bring their finds.

These will be scanned or photographed that day and, with the owner’s permission, used throughout the Lime and Ice Project in displays and interpretation including an exhibition to be held at the World of James Herriot in the autumn.

Jennifer Smith, Lime and Ice Project Officer, said:

“We have a good understanding of the natural forces such as glaciation that have shaped the land in this area but have only limited knowledge of the more subtle changes brought about by changes in agriculture and farming.

We would be grateful if people could have a rummage in their lofts and cupboards for any photos, postcards, newspapers, letters or anything else that would give us some information about changes to the landscape and villages as well as anything depicting cultural events such as festivals.”

Anyone unable to make the drop-in session can bring their mementos to the North York Moors National Park Authority’s head office in Helmsley. Please call Jennifer Smith or Nick Lishman on 01439 770657 to arrange a convenient time.

A small scale enhancement scheme for villages and communities in the North York Moors National Park has been established to provide funding for regeneration and environmental projects up to the value of £5,000.

The Scheme, a subsidiary to the North York Moors Coast & Hills LEADER Programme, has £150,000 to spend on rural development projects between now and December 2011.

Projects need to have community support and fall into one of two themes:

• Village renewal and development – aimed at projects that enhance the local village environment, strengthen and generate community cohesion or encourage community activities and village events.
• Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage – aimed at increasing the understanding of the working landscape and helping to protect traditional skills by raising awareness through interpretation, appreciation and maintenance of local heritage and cultural features.

Successful projects will be implemented by the North York Moors National Park Authority with responsibility reverting back to the owner or parish once the work has been completed.

Clair Shields, the Small Scale Enhancement Scheme Coordinator, said:

“Parish plans often highlight a wish list of small scale improvement projects that don’t get off the ground due to a lack of time, skills, guidance or the financial resources to develop them further. The Scheme provides a fantastic opportunity to implement these ideas benefiting communities and the wider National Park.”

To find out more about the Scheme or to discuss an idea, contact Clair Shields or Rebecca Thompson on 01439 770657 or email ssescheme@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk

The North York Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER Programme is a partnership of local organisations, community groups and individuals who have secured £3.1 million in total from Defra and the European Union through Yorkshire Forward and One North East as part of the Rural Development Programme for England.