Legends, tall stories and old myths are in demand for a special project aimed at entertaining visitors to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Whether it’s a different version of the mystery of Bartle, who’s effigy gets burnt every year as part of the West Witton Feast, or the terrifying Barguest, the saucer-eyed wolf creature that lived in Trollers Gill, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) would like to hear from anyone who has a tale to tell – something that makes their village or dale different from the others.

The project will make a collection of the stories, myths and legends available to businesses in and around the National Park

The stories will be used by local artist Ian Scott Massie as part of an exhibition of paintings, prints, poetry and stories about places in the Dales.

The exhibition will be staged in July next year (2013) in a disused church in Wensleydale.

Distinctly Dales

The Distinctly Dales project is working with local people and businesses in the National Park and in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB)) to identify and develop the special qualities of their communities and show how they can attract visitors and tempt them to stay longer – so boosting the local economies.

Stuart Parsons, the YDNPA’s Member Champion for Promoting Understanding, said: “The project hopes to use local stories to bring the Dales to life in the minds of visitors with the ultimate aim of encouraging them to explore the tales and the immediate locality of their bed and breakfast, campsite or hotel further – keeping them in the National Park for longer.

“The project will make a collection of the stories, myths and legends available to businesses in and around the National Park and the AONB so communities can really get involved in drawing in a sustainable group of visitors to explore their local village or surrounding dale.”

Local marketing consultant Susan Briggs from the Tourism Network has been commissioned to help with the Distinctly Dales Project.

Anyone who would like to feed into the growing collection of myths, legends and anecdotes we have found can visit the YDNPA website’s sustainable tourism pages and look up Distinctly Dales, where you will be able to send us your tales.

More details of Ian Scott Massie’s exhibition are available at http://www.ianscottmassie.com/blog.html.

Owners and occupiers of historic buildings in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will have a chance later this month to get expert advice on how to look after them.

A special, one-day event has been organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) at Gayle Mill on October 22 – and places are being snapped up fast.

Gaby Rose, the YNDPA’s Building Conservation Officer, said: “The event always proves to be very popular, and once again we have a very full programme of speakers who will cover a wide range of topics.

“The day is split into three sections – the architecture of historic buildings, historic buildings in modern life and the maintenance and construction of historic buildings – and we hope people will go away with a huge amount of useful information.”

Speakers at the event are Gayle Mill’s Heritage Education and Training Co-ordinator Samantha Belcher, historic buildings consultant Jonathan Ratter, conservation architect James Innerdale, and historic buildings contractor Kevin Woods.

There will be an entrance fee of £15 per person that will include a buffet lunch and tea and coffee.

Gayle Mill is an 18th century listed building which still contains much of its original machinery. It has been carefully restored and is run by the Gayle Mill Trust as a visitor attraction and skills centre.

Places are limited so booking is essential. Cheques should be made payable to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and sent to the YDNPA’s Yoredale offices in Bainbridge, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 3EL.

Further information can be obtained by phoning 01969 652 354 or emailing herinfo@yorkshiredales.org.uk.

A series of demonstrations and workshops highlighting techniques and materials used to create essential and decorative textiles through the ages, is to take place later this year.

The work of textile artist Elizabeth Smith, who will be at the Museum on May 8

The series of events are to be held at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, throughout the summer and early autumn.

The Museum is owned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

Museum Manager Fiona Rosher said: “Knitting and textiles form a significant aspect of the cultural heritage of the Yorkshire Dales. The hand knitting industry was once an important part of the Dales’ economy, second only to lead mining”.

Events are based upon the traditional knitting and textile skills once used in everyday life.

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the museum, explore the displayed collections, learn traditional skills and use them to create their own contemporary pieces.

The textiles events at the Museum are:

• Spinning demonstrations in the Museum reception on 3 May, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September and 4 October between 2pm and 4pm.
• Weaving demonstrations by Dilys McCaffrey in the Museum reception on 17 April and 14 August from 1pm to 4pm.
• A creative knitting workshop led by textile artist Elizabeth Smith, who is inspired by seaweed and moss, on 8 May between 10am and 4pm. The session costs £35, which includes all materials and refreshments.
• Felt artist Wendy Chan will be creating beautiful jewellery from 10am to 3.30pm on 12 June as part of the Open Studios programme of events. The cost of the day is £15 plus materials.
• Two weekend workshops on 21/22 May and 16/17 July on the theme ‘Sheep to Scarf’. Frances Coates will be demonstrating a variety of processes from raw fleece to finished creations including dyeing, carding, spinning, knitting and felting between10am – 4pm. She will give talks at 11am and 2pm.
• The history of knitting in the Dales will be explained and demonstrated by Kate Trusson between 1pm and 4pm on 5 June and 2 October.

For more information and to book a place please phone 01969 666210

The Punchard Gill toll house in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been restored.

Punchard Gill toll house - before restoration

Built beside the Reeth to Tan Hill road in Arkengarthdale it was used to collect tolls from passing traffic after the road was turnpiked in 1770.

Used as an agricultural store for the last 100 years it was badly in need of major repair work, according to Robert White, Senior Historic Environment Officer at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

“Thirteen toll houses are recorded in the National Park but their road side positions make them very vulnerable and most have been demolished or converted almost beyond recognition,” he said.

The toll house is a Grade 2 listed structure and has been described as “a rare and relatively unaltered survival of the turnpike road era in Richmondshire”.

It was on the Buildings at Risk register because of its poor condition.

Punchard Gill toll house history

Extensive work was required including re-roofing, partial underpinning and rebuilding of stonework, repointing and renewing external joinery and guttering.

Dr Margaret Nieke, Natural England’s Historic Adviser, said:  “There is so much history linked to this building – it’s fantastic to see it restored to its former glory. ”

The Reeth-Tan Hill-Brough road was turnpiked in 1770 and was improved to cope with increasing traffic, particularly from the coal field at Tan Hill, and the need to make it easier to transport smelted lead from Swaledale.

The building was sited at the edge of the enclosed land in Arkengarthdale, just as the road opens out onto moorland, in order to make it difficult to avoid paying tolls.

Punchard Gill toll house - after restoration

In 1841 it was occupied by David Raine, a toll gatherer, who was described as a roadmaker in 1851.

In 1861 the census reveals that John Calvert was a cattle jobber as well as a toll bar keeper but in 1871 the head of the household was a coal merchant and in 1881 a coal miner.

The building is not mentioned in the 1891 and 1901 census returns which suggests it was then uninhabited.

Turnpike trusts were generally wound up in the second half of the 19th century and responsibility for the roads passed to the County Councils in 1888.

More information about the Punchard Gill toll house can be found on the National Park Authority website .

Old road signs in the Yorkshire Dales are being given a wash and brush up.

Some of the signs date back to the 1950s and are in need of some tender loving care, according to Andy Ryland, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Transport and Visitor Management Officer.

Road sign in need of repair

“The Yorkshire Dales’ network of meandering roads have a particular charm and add to the strong sense of place – and they are noted as one of the special qualities of the National Park,” he said.

John Kirk (left) and Stan Hutchinson at work on the signs.

“Part of what makes the roads special are some of the road signs and even older finger posts that are still to be found in few places, although they have become much rarer these days. Some of them are in a very poor condition and are in need of repair.”

Dales Volunteers John Kirk and Stan Hutchinson have come to the rescue and with the help of Authority Access Ranger, Richard Mainman, who has taken down several of the signs, they are restoring them.

“I am very impressed and grateful for the work Stan and John have put in,” Andy said.

“They have carefully turned what looks like junk metal into something of beauty, removing rust, repairing damage and painstakingly repainting the lettering.

Richard has already re-erected three of the signs and they look very impressive as they take their rightful place as part of the cultural heritage of the National Park once more.”

Road sign history

Road sign restored and returned to the edge of the road.

The first road marking seen in the UK was in 1918 and was the famous white line.

Many contemporary road signs trace their origins to the 1950s, when a national system of design was established.

This regulation was called the Traffic Signs Regulations 1957.

The current road signs were introduced on our roads in 1965, mainly as a result of the arrival of the motorway.

Britain is the only European Union member nation to use Imperial rather than metric measurements for distance and speed.

Further information

From War to Warboys – Chris’s British Road Directory -  CBRD.co.uk

Road signs in the United Kingdom – Wikipedia

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.

Bridge at Usha Gap - Photos courtesy of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

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.