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Issue 15 - 2013
Annual Publication - The Ultimate County Guide I
Historic Buildings | Town Guides The Open Air | Museums & the Arts | Tourist Attractions
www.countysignpost.co.uk
County Signpost
CONTENTS Historic Buildings Attractions Museums & the Arts The Open Air
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Welcome to the 2013 of the Yorkshire County Signpost Tourist Guide. We would like to extend a sincere thank you, to all our advertisers and contributors past and present for their support.
We hope that you find our guide, a pleasure to read, both interesting and informative, and that you will take it away with you, to use again and again.
We offer a taster of the visitor attractions and events within the County, for both locals and those who wish to visit from afar.
For a free download please visit our map-driven, online magazine website For a free downloaded please www.countysignpost.co.uk visit our new map-driven,
To be featured in our next edition please email the editor. Published by: County Signpost Ltd Editor: Adam Davison Cover image: Treasurer’s House © Nick Meer / National Trust images All material in this magazine is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of printing. County Signpost Ltd does not accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies which slipped through. Copyright County Signpost Ltd 2012. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
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Please mention
Yorkshire Signpost
when visiting any of the attractions. County Signpost Ltd Telephone: 01743 874098 Email: info@countysignpost.co.uk
This year rediscover Eureka! Rediscover yourself!
Opens 29 March Come and explore Eureka!’s new £2.9m All About Me gallery and discover just how amazing you are. Find out what you might look like when you’re older. Discover the incredible journey of food through your digestive system. Visit our new Health Centre and play at being a doctor, dentist or nurse. With over 100 interactive exhibits in one amazing new gallery, including a new robot, come and discover the most incredible thing there is: you. Visit www.eureka.org.uk for opening times and prices. Buy an annual pass and come back as many times as you like in a year.
www.allaboutme.org.uk
Eureka! is an educational charity, No 292758
Signpost Offer - Quote SP1 for a free bag of animal feed conditions)
M1
J31
M1
Dinnington
A57
WE ARE The HERE Cutler Pub
B6060 Garage
Red Lion Pub
A1
The North/N.East Pontefract/Doncaster
A57
Worksop
The South Newark
www.butterflyhouse.co.uk
NEW FOR 2013 LEMUR HEIGHTS, w wa alk with our lemurs
(subject to terms and
A57
The North West Y Yoorkshire Wakefield/Leeds
Sheffield
The South Derbyshire The Peak District
County Signpost
ENGLISH HERITAGE
In Yorkshire, there’s always something to see or do with English Heritage. There are 18 different historic properties and countless historic monuments and landmarks in some of the most stunning locations. Whether on holiday in Yorkshire or just here for the day, each property can offer visitors something uniquely different from the next.
From commanding coastal castles and moorland abbeys to grand countryside estates and a fantastic programme of live action events, here are some of our suggestions for days out that go down in history.
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Gothic splendour
Whitby Abbey
Head for the coast to the ruins of Whitby Abbey perched high on a cliff and discover why generations have been drawn to this dramatic headland as a site of settlement, religious devotion and literary inspiration. The haunting remains of this once magnificent abbey stand proudly above the picturesque seaside town of Whitby, one of Yorkshire’s most popular tourist destinations.
www.countysignpost.co.uk Discover the part Whitby Abbey played in deciding the date of Easter in the 7th Century in the interactive exhibition, or enjoy the thrills and spills at one of Whitby Abbey’s action-packed events and re-enactments.
Whitby is one of the most atmospheric visitor attractions on the Yorkshire coast. Bram Stoker was inspired by they Abbey’s gothic splendour when writing Dracula and 2012 marked the centenary of the death.
‘Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity…’
Travel to Helmsley Castle in the heart of the North York Moors and explore 900 years of life at Helmsley Castle which boasts some awe inspiring medieval architecture. Discover how the castle evolved from a mighty medieval
fortress, to a luxurious Tudor mansion, to a Civil War stronghold and a romantic Victorian ruin. Explore the defensive ramparts, the magnificent shattered keep, formidable gatehouses and Elizabethan interior.
From Helmsley follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims with a walk along the Cleveland Way Trail to Rievaulx Abbey, one of the most tranquil sites in Yorkshire. Find peace and serenity amongst the atmospheric Abbey ruins. Set in a beautiful tranquil valley Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most complete and impressive medieval abbeys in Britain. Described as a ‘marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world’ by the Abbot St Aelred. Rievaulx also has a tea room selling home made and locally produced goods where visitors can’t avoid being tempted by delicious home made cakes and traditional food.
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Best historic views With sweeping panoramic views of York and the surrounding countryside, it is clear to see how Clifford's Tower has played such a crucial role in York’s history. Get stuck in and hands-on with history at Clifford’s Tower in the heart of the city.
Bloomin’ Great Gardens in South Yorkshire
Brodsworth Hall and Gardens near Doncaster is a plant lover’s paradise, whatever time of year you visit; there will always be something to catch your eye. Wonderfully restored to their original horticultural splendour explore the magnificent fern dell, stunning displays of roses and immaculate lawns.
Clifford’s Tower
King of the castles Why build sandcastles on the coast when you can climb the battlements of real one for a spectacular ‘King’s Eye’ view of the Yorkshire Coast? Visit Scarborough Castle and travel back in time to discover 3,000 years of history while enjoying ice creams and tasty treats from the tea room.
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Inside the hall which is conserved as found, the mansion that has grown comfortably old over 120 years, a country house as it really was: still reflecting its original opulence, but wellworn, gently conserved and full of surprises
Join English Heritage and benefit from free entry to over 400 historic properties and 100s of free or discounted events. For details of all events, opening times and prices and a full list of our properties featured in this article visit:
www.english-heritage.org.uk/yorkshire
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Brodsworth
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NATIONAL TRUST
All images © National Trust Images
The National Trust cares for special places including the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, grand mansions like Nostell Priory that was home to the Winn family for nearly 350 years as well as stretches of rolling countryside in the Yorkshire Dales and along the Yorkshire Coast.
Each and every place we look after has something pretty special about it. Sights and sounds that stop you in your tracks to appreciate the beauty of the natural world or houses and gardens built as places that, when you want to relax in future, you’ll visualise yourself coming back to again and again.
For full details on all our properties including opening times and admission charges, visit
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www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yorkshire or telephone: 01904 702021. If you’re looking for a place to stay there are also holiday cottages throughout Yorkshire at www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk
Beningbrough Hall & Gardens, nr York
Tel: 01904 472027, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough
Beningbrough boasts beautiful gardens, parkland walks and an intriguing house to explore.
Enjoy colourful Edwardian borders, working
www.countysignpost.co.uk Victorian walled garden, labyrinth and family trails.
In the house, meet the most powerful and influential people of the 18th century in our outstanding portrait collection. In partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, Beningbrough is home to paintings and sculptures from the national collection.
Throughout 2013 we’ll be remembering Beningbrough at War, building on the history and stories of the people that lived and worked here during the Second World War. Look out for our extended exhibition, events, trail and walks.
WWII. The officers are having a mess party, learn how to jive or have a street party style feast. Programme varies, visit the website for details.
Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 May Spring Plant Fair 11am – 4pm The popular gardeners’ plant fair returns – pick up a bargain and take a bit of Beningbrough home or simply seek inspiration and advice from the expert team. Normal admission charges apply.
Brimham Rocks, nr Harrogate
There are also a host of events and activities taking place all year round, some of the highlights include:
Hidden Tour Tuesdays The first Tuesday of every month from March – October Explore the hidden parts of the house including the servants’ below stairs with our friendly guides. Meet at 2pm at the front of house, normal admission charges apply.
Friday 1 March – 3 November Beningbrough at War – New for 2013 Start of an action packed year of events, activities, talks, walks, trails and displays celebrating the life and times of RAF men and women stationed at Beningbrough during WWII. See website for more details. Normal admission charges apply.
Saturday 4 – Monday 6 May Victory in Europe Remembrance 11am – 5.30pm Sounds of sirens turn to joyous song and dance for a celebration and reflection of the end of
Tel: 01423 780688, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yorkshire
Brimham Rocks are some of the most fantastically shaped rock formations you’ll ever see. Dating back over 320 million years they have been formed through natural geological movements, ice ages and effects of the weather.
A great day out for families, walkers, climbers or anyone looking to enjoy fresh air, beautiful walks and stunning views over the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley
Tel: 01535 607075, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/riddlesdenhall
the Terry family and life at their famous chocolate factory.
The house is designed in the Arts and Crafts style and is complemented by four acres of beautiful gardens featuring formal planting, ponds and pathways.
Hardcastle Crags & Gibson Mill, Hebden Bridge
Tel: 01422 844518, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardcastlecrags
Every time that you stand in the gardens of East Riddlesden you will experience something new. Enjoy the calm of our changing seasonal gardens and feed the ducks at our pond, while children can go wild in our playground.
This peace is very different from the Hall’s menacing past with whispers of murders and civil war. Visitors can wander this furnished 17th century merchant’s home and get a close look at exquisite varieties of embroideries and oak furniture. Investigate even closer with our handling collection.
Indulge in homemade soups, made using our very own herbs from the garden, and treat yourself to local platters and cakes from our shop.
Goddards, York
Tel: 01904 771930, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/goddards
Goddards was the home of Noel Goddard Terry, of the famous York Chocolate making firm, Terry’s of York. The house opened for the first time to visitors in 2012 and tells the story of
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Explore this beautiful wooded valley with its deep ravines, tumbling streams and glorious waterfalls. Walk through woodland, rich in wildlife, with over 30miles of footpaths and see the striking seasonal changes in the plants and trees.
At its heart is Gibson Mill, an interactive visitor centre, where you can discover 200 years of history of the valley with dressing up, dancing and exhibitions. There are themed walks and guided tours of Gibson Mill to enjoy.
Hot and cold snacks are available for walkers in the Weaving Shed Café – so why not come and try a delicious locally baked cake as part of your day out.
Nostell Priory and Parkland, nr Wakefield
Tel: 01924 683892, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nostell
Nostell Priory and Parkland was the home of the Winn family for more than 300 years. The Georgian mansion was built to show of the family’s wealth, using the best that money could buy. Inside the house, wander the rooms with exceptional interiors created by Robert Adam.
Look our for Chippendale furniture and beautiful paintings by Brueghel, Hogarth and Kauffmann,
Examine the John Harrison clock with rare wood mechanisms and admire the 18th century dolls’ house. Bring a picnic or try our stable tea-rooms for hot and cold food and visit the shop for plants and mementos of your visit.
Discover more with guided tours (booking essential) and special events. Craft fairs, theatre concerts and Boredom Busting activities in August making this a great place for all the family to visit time and time again.
Nunnington Hall, nr Helmsley
Come and enjoy the atmosphere of this former family home and explore period rooms, whilst hearing the Hall’s many tales. You can also discover one of the world’s finest collections of miniature rooms in the attic. With over 23 miniature rooms – the Carlisle Collection contains hundreds of tiny individual pieces including musical instruments and furniture.
The sheltered walled garden, with springflowering meadows, orchards and resident peacocks, complements this beautiful Yorkshire house, nestling on the quiet banks of the River Rye.
The tea-room serves local and seasonal produce, or why not bring a picnic and enjoy lovely spots in the garden. Nunnington also hosts a changing programme of art and photographic exhibitions.
Tel: 01439 748283 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington
The picturesque manor house of Nunnington sits on the banks of the River Rye. Once home to the doctor of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I, Nunnington is a property not to be missed
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County Signpost
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey
Wander through a breathtaking landscape and discover magical abbey ruins, tranquil water gardens and timeless beauty.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, four miles west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, is a World Heritage Site. Home to a wealth of historic monuments, no other place in Europe contains such a rich variety including Cistercian abbey ruins, Georgian water garden, medieval deer park, Elizabethan hall and Victorian church.
The ruins of Fountains Abbey are the most complete remains of Cistercian abbey and also the only one to have its own tower. The ruins are the perfect complement to Studley Royal water garden, a Georgian masterpiece of an ornamental garden adorned with classical statues and follies.
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The once wild and wooded valley of the river Skell was transformed into one of England’s most spectacular water gardens by the Aislabie family. Disgraced by a financial scandal in the 1700’s, John Aislabie channelled his energies into creating a landscape of often breathtaking and ground breaking vision.
This is a place where you can truly relax and leave modern day stresses behind as you are transported to another era. Let the cool secluded shady walks and grand green amphitheatres play with your senses. Let the artist’s eye guide you across elegant ponds and cascades, to the Georgian follies of the garden including rustic bridges, classical temples and statues and finally into the medieval ruins of the Abbey, providing an unforgettable experience which enthrals today’s visitor just as it did the pleasure seeking Georgians.
The honeycoloured Fountains Hall and William Burges’ ornate religious masterpiece, St Mary’s Church, surrounded by ancient oak and lime trees create striking contrasts that will leave a lasting impression.
www.countysignpost.co.uk At any time of the year, there is always something interesting, inspiring and different to see and do at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal.
There is a wealth of activities for the young and old to enjoy. Throughout the year there are a number of ‘taster tours’, to introduce first-time visitors to all the different parts of the estate, as well as ‘activity tours’, which enable visitors to discover different aspects of the estate, for example, what it was like to be a monk in medieval times, what varieties of flora and fauna can be found in the different seasons and even folk and fairy tales. Between May and August 2013, you can learn more about the two sides to the Abbey and what life was like in both periods, with our special programme of events, demonstrations, workshops, tours and talks.
During school holidays there are drop in self-led activities in Swanley Grange, the education centre. These include trails for children around the estate and craft activities on different themes each holiday. The estate is wonderfully safe for children and there is a fantastically well equipped playground for kids to roam around in.
Whether you intend to spend a couple of hours or all day on the estate there is more than enough to entertain. No doubt a walk around the estate in the fresh air will work up an appetite so pay a visit to the Visitor Centre restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious hot meal, variety of sandwiches, home-made soup and a selection of cakes. If you are exploring the Studley area of the estate then pop into Studley Tea Rooms here freshly made hot and cold sandwiches, soup and cakes are on offer in a wonderful lakeside setting.
Escape from the hustle and bustle of city centre shopping and combine a peaceful walk in the tranquillity of the estate with a visit to the shop, one of the largest National Trust shops in the country.
Open All Year: except 24/25 December, Fridays in January, November and December. April - September 10am - 5pm October - March 10am - 4pm
Last admission 1 hour before closing.
Rievaulx Terrace & Temples, nr Helmsley
Tel: 01439 798340 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/rievaulx
Discover one of Ryedale’s true gems – the 18thcentury landscape of Rievaulx Terrace. Stroll through woods, then out on to the terrace, with its stunning views down over the Cistercian ruin of Rievaulx Abbey.
In spring the bank between the temples is awash with wild flowers, in summer the lawns are the perfect spot for picnics, while in autumn the beech woods are a full of rich colours.
With Nunnington Hall nearby it is an ideal double visit in one day. Join a guided tour or try family activities in the school holidays.
Treasurer's House, York
Tel: 01904 624247 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/treasurershouse
Named after the Treasurer of York Minster and built over a Roman road, this house is not all that it seems.
Discover why visionary, eccentric Yorkshireman Frank Green, who owned the house from 1897, cared so passionately about interior décor that he threatened to return to haunt Treasurer's House if any of his furniture was ever moved!
Take a journey down into the cellar and see if you can discover what apprentice plumber, Harry Martindale, saw in the 1950s.
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County Signpost
SKIPTON CASTLE Enjoy a gentle stroll on the Chapel Terrace with its views over the Woods followed by a cup of tea and a homemade cake! Browse in the shop for that unusual gift or enjoy our noted book selection.
Come and join in the fun at one of these exciting re-enactments:
Experience 900 years of history in tranquil surroundings at Skipton Castle - standing complete and fully roofed at the head of Skipton’s bustling High Street.
The beautiful Conduit Court with the Yew tree planted by Lady Anne Clifford is a cool, and restful place to begin your tour. In the Banqueting Hall it is easy to imagine the Lord and his Lady at the top table where their guests are being served venison, mutton, swan and drinking large amounts of homebrewed wine.
From the top of the Watchtower, look across the Aire valley and imagine the soldiers watching for marauding Parliamentarians preparing to take the Castle by surprise.
In the dark depths of the dungeon, sense how the prisoners awaiting trial at York Assizes felt. Think, how did the mason’s of those long ago days who built the castle lift those huge stones and why did they carve their initials in the stones?
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13th - 14th July 2013 Clog Festival Developed into a precise form of dance with its intricate foot movements, clogging probably originated in the mills when workers wearing clogs would tap their feet to the rhythm of the machines. Saturday 10.30am - 2pm: Sunday 11.30am - 3pm
20th - 21st July 2013 Buckingham's Retinue Re-enactment of life in the 15th Century at Skipton Castle. 10am - 6pm (Sunday 12 noon - 6pm)
27th - 28th July 2013 Feudal Archers Life in a 12th Century Castle. 10am - 6pm (Sunday 12 noon - 6pm)
3rd - 4th August 2013 Trayned Bandes See this military unit setting up an encampment during the English Civil War. 10am - 6pm (Sunday 12 noon - 6pm) www.traynedbandes.org.uk
10th -11th August 2013 John Nevison The Yorkshire Highwayman A famous late 17th century Yorkshire highwayman who robbed the length of the Great North Road but especially in the northern counties. One story about him was how he was supposed to have ridden from London to York in less than a day to gain an alibi for a robbery he'd been witnessed committing. Saturday 10.00am - 5pm: Sunday 12 noon - 5pm
17th - 18th August 2013 Historia Normanis Bringing history to life in the 12th Century, the walls of Skipton Castle will echo to the sounds of swords and shields once again. Come and see medieval craftsmen demonstrating their trades; knights displaying their prowess and ladies describing life as it would have been in the reign of Henry II. The castle itself will be the site of historic set pieces, recreating the daily workings of a local medieval court; the furnishings of a Lord's bedchamber, and outside the walls, a working medieval siege weapon! An event not to be missed. 10.00am - 6pm: Sunday 12 noon - 6pm www.normannis.co.uk
24th - 25th August 2013 Meet the Governor of Skipton Castle. Come and meet Sir John Mallory Governor of Skipton Castle during the English Civil War. Hear about the castle's siege and skirmishes its garrison have already fought and how the King's cause is faring in Yorkshire. Just how long can Sir John 'stout it out' for the King? 10am - 5pm (Sunday 12 noon - 5pm)
Tour sheets are available in 10 languages, all under 18’s receive a free Castle badge, a different one each year since 1974! Family tickets are available and guided tours can be arranged for parties during normal opening times. Open every day from 10am (Sunday from 12 noon) with last admission daily at 6 p.m ( Oct-Feb 4pm).
Telephone 01756 792442 www.skiptoncastle.co.uk
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YORK MINSTER REVEALED
York Minster Revealed is a five-year project generously supported by a £10.5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). It is the largest restoration and conservation project of its kind in the UK, and will transform the experience of visiting York Minster.
There are some major events taking place at York Minster during 2013. Here are just some of the highlights :
The Orb at York Minster
Enter the Orb, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see, at close range, some of the world’s most important art. Within this elliptical treasurehouse of stained glass you will discover a forgotten artist for the first time – England’s lost Vermeer or Michelangelo. Explore new interactive galleries illustrating the epic stories and craftsmanship of the magnificent Great East End, all part of the York Minster Revealed project.
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www.countysignpost.co.uk
Revealing York Minster in the Undercroft
Opening 25th May
Within underground chambers beneath York Minster, dynamic new audiovisual and interactive galleries will reveal the significance behind the cathedral’s most treasured artefacts as never before, in an inspirational two thousandyear journey.
Festival of Organ Promenades
Friday lunchtimes, 17 May – 7 June
A brand new Festival which showcases the astonishing range and versatility of this giant instrument – if you thought you knew what an organ sounded like, think again! York Minster’s own musicians, featuring some of the country’s top young performers, and guests perform entertaining and popular tunes perfect for promenading. Performing within the Nave itself, you can see the organist in action and even ask questions.
Music connoisseurs can also hear the Organ in special evening recitals on Summer Saturdays in August, part of a tradition of musicianship at York Minster that spans a millennium.
York Minster Choir perform at the York Early Music Festival
Rome in York Minster, 13 July
A glorious musical journey from Rome to York, featuring the works of Palestrina and Victoria and bringing to life one of the treasures of York Minster’s historic collection. This evening’s programme places the mass movements from the famous Missa Papae Marcelli alongside Victoria’s motets and plainsong from the York Missal, manuscripts of which are held in the Minster Library. The sound world is opulent with several works for double choir, and all heard in the Minster's big acoustic.
The centrepiece will be the York Minster Choir, one the UK’s leading choirs in the spectacular setting of the nave.
The programme has been designed to celebrate the opening of new ground-breaking interactive displays in the Undercroft, ‘Revealing York Minster: A heroic, human and historic journey’, where visitors will be transported on a 2000 year journey from York Minster’s Roman foundations to modern day.
For more information on YMR or upcoming events, visit www.yorkminster.org
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BOLTON CASTLE
Bolton Castle provides a huge range of exciting things to do in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. From family days out to educational trips and historic tours you will find a raft of sights, sounds and smells which bring the castle to life and make for a truly memorable trip.
Now one of the country’s best preserved medieval castles, Bolton was originally built, by Sir Richard Le Scrope, to rival the finest and most luxurious homes in the land. Completed in 1399, its scars bear testament to over 600 years of fascinating history including involvement in the Pilgrimage of Grace, Mary Queen of Scot’s imprisonment and a Civil War siege.
Bolton Castle was a grand family home as well as a defensive fortress and, despite being partially ‘slighted’ by Cromwell’s’ men during the Civil War siege, is still preserved in outstanding condition with many interesting rooms and
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features to discover including the Old Kitchens, Dungeon, Solar, Nursery, Armory, Great Chamber and Mary Queen of Scots’ bedroom. About one third of the rooms are fully intact and the rest of the Castle is almost completely accessible giving visitors great insight into its turbulent past.
Bolton Castle gives visitors a taste of what life was really like during the Castle’s heyday through providing the sights, sounds, smells and experiences of life in the past with our wonderful falconry displays, archery demonstrations, wild boar, bees, rare breed sheep and hands on crafts and games. The Tea Room offers delicious sandwiches, light lunches, wonderful cakes and a large selection of hot and cold drinks including local beers. Visit the gift shop for an excellent range of gifts for all ages.
www.countysignpost.co.uk
The Castle gardens were reinstated following an archaeological survey completed in 1994 and now include a beautiful medieval herb garden, rose garden, bowling green, vineyard and maze. Visitors can also see the birds of prey in their mews and visit the bees in their observation hive.
Visitors often comment on the incredible atmosphere of the Castle with many of the rooms giving the feeling that their inhabitants had just walked out.
New for 2013 New Owls and Kites Bolton Castle will be welcoming several new birds to the flying team including an enormous Turkmenian Owl and tiny Southern WhiteFaced Scops owl to add variety to our group of Owls and a magnificent Kite to add another dimension to our falconry displays. The Kite can fly in almost all weathers meaning this year our falconry displays will be able to take place even in very windy conditions.
Interpretation Several new information boards will be introduced including a Castle timeline giving a detailed history of the Castle since its completion in 1399, a family tree showing how the Castle has passed down 23 generations of the same family to its current owner the 8th Lord Bolton, and two fantastic illustrations of the Castle showing how it would have looked in 1399 and how it looks today so visitors can get a much better idea of how people lived over 600 years ago.
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County Signpost Friends of the Falcons Become a friend of the birds of prey at Bolton Castle and receive regular letters, photographs, birthday and Christmas cards, small gift and a chance to have a free visit to the Castle and your photograph taken with your friend. Price £30 per person Hawk Walk Spend an hour walking in the beautiful surrounding country side with our wonderful Harris Hawk flying to and from your fist. £35 for 1 person with 1 guest allowed
Special Offer Family Hawk Walk – available to book on the day. £35 for whole family. The whole family can fly the hawk during this fantastic experience. Suitable for 2 adults and up to 3 children/concessions.
Half Day falconry experience option £55 Join our experienced Falconer and spend an incredible morning learning about looking after and flying these beautiful birds. This is a
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fantastic opportunity to learn the basics of falconry and will include plenty of time handling and flying the birds.
Guided Tours
Book in advance for the opportunity to take a private guided tour of the castle with one of the experienced guides. Tours can be catered to suit your area of interest with topics including Mary Queen of Scots, Medieval Life and the Civil War. Tours are available for groups of 15 or more at £1.50 per person and last for approximately an hour and a quarter.
Hawk and Owl Displays
Witness magnificent flying displays from the Hawks and Owls in the Castle Courtyard as they swoop up to perch on the battlements or fly to your fist!
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Archery
Learn more about archery in sport, hunting and warfare during the displays and then have a go yourself! Display and have a go: Free with castle admission.
Wild Boar Feeding and Talk
Experience the excitement of Wild Boar feeding time! Learn more about these fascinating animals and help to feed them.
Weddings
The Castle has Civil Wedding, Drinks and Entertainments licences and provides a spectacular and unique setting to celebrate your special day. Mary, Queen of Scots spent six months at the Castle in 1568-1569 and it was held for the King during the Civil War. Now, hundreds of years later, you can enjoy the splendour of Bolton Castle and entertain your guests as royalty once did.
The castle is steeped in history and has a wonderful atmosphere, which is brought to life when people come to celebrate here. Furthermore, if you chose to have your reception here, you will have exclusive use of the Castle and be able to treat it as your own. We have a capacity for up to 240 inside, although the maximum in a single room is 120.The Great Chamber, which retains all of its original character and charm will seat up to 120 people at tables and with a log fire burning, creates the perfect atmosphere to celebrate such an important occasion. Telephone: 01969 623981. Email: info@boltoncastle.co.uk Website: www.boltoncastle.co.uk
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RIPLEY CASTLE
Discover the fascinating secrets of award winning Ripley Castle Ripley Castle is an historic attraction open to the public all year round and makes for a fascinating and entertaining day out, in a beautiful location, with memorable surroundings.
Because it has belonged to the same family for twenty six generations, Ripley’s colourful and sometimes gruesome history is well documented. If the Castle walls could talk they would tell the story of kings and queens, civil war, plagues and numerous clandestine affairs. The guided tours are very entertaining and informative as there are so many humorous anecdotes about the castle and the family. You get to see some 16th century books, Royal Greenwich Civil War armour and the secret priest’s hiding hole, only discovered by accident in 1964. The Ingilbys were prominent Catholics. Francis was martyred in York in 1586 and several others were implicated in the Gunpowder Plot. ‘Trooper Jane,’ a redoubtable loyalist, held Oliver Cromwell at pistol point in the Castle Library. There are also special children’s tours which are hugely popular.
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There are delightful walled gardens; impressive hot houses, herbaceous borders and kitchen gardens with herbs, rare vegetables and fruit trees. Visit the Walled Gardens in April where there is a collection of Hyacinth giving a riot of colour and a lovely aroma. There is a play trail for children and a lovely walk around the lake and deer park. Following your tour of the Castle and Gardens visit the gift shop which is full of inspiring presents to suit all ages, and sample delicious fayre made with local produce in the Tearoom. The cobbled village has several shops; an art gallery, a farmyard museum, an ancient church and a charming Inn, The Boar’s Head, with bar, brasserie and beer garden.
New for 2013 are themed tours - Love & Heroines looks at the love lives, losses and courage of some Ingilby Ladies. Skeleton s in the Closet reveals some of the intrigue and more colourful aspects of the Ingilbys through 700 years of history.
Telephone: 01423 770152 Email: enquiries@ripleycastle.co.uk Web: www.ripleycastle.co.uk
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Burton Agnes Hall & Gardens ‘...the perfect English house’
Elizabethan house with award winning gardens
ww www.burtonagnes.com ww.b w.bu burt burt rto onagn
Special Events 2013 Snowdrop Spectacular 9th February – 3rd March Orchid Festival 2nd and 3rd March Easter Egg Trail 29th March – 7th April Easter Egg Hunt 31st March and 1st April Classic Car Rally 12th May Gardeners’ Fair 8th and 9th June Jazz & Blues Festival 5th, 6th, 7th July. Ticketed Family Fun Weekend 17th and 18th August Michaelmas Fair 26th and 27th October Pumpkin Trail 26th Oct – 3rd November Christmas Opening 14th Nov – 23rd December Daily 11am – 5pm Main Opening 29th March – 31st October Daily 11am – 5pm Further Information The Estate Office, Burton Agnes, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 4NB Telephone 01262 490324 office@burtonagnes.com
Come & explore
Skipton Castle Guardian of the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales for over 900 years. This unique fortress is one of the most complete and well-preserved medieval castles in England.
Open every day from 10am(Sun 12noon) Last admissions at 6pm (Oct-Feb 4pm) Free tour sheets in 9 languages. Family tickets, Tearoom, Shop, Picnic Area High Street - large carpark nearby Enquiries: 01756 792442
Richmond Brewing Company
New for 2013!
Bolton Castle
A six barrel microbrewery situated in The Station, a new tourist attraction in Richmond. Richmond, North Yorks DL10 4LD
tel: (01748) 828266 andy@richmondbrewing.co.uk
Reduced admission charges New Owls, Kites and Rare Breed Cattle
Enjoy the Ultimate Medieval Experience in the historic heart of GW-Ribble G Ribb is Valley y Explorer 2012Sk Wensleydale. This magnificent medieval fortress steeped in history and has something for all the family to enjoy including; • Spectacular falconry experience
• Childrens’ costumes, trails and activities
• Kite displays
• Medieval nursery
• Medieval archery
• Calligraphy
• Wild boar park
• Wonderful tea room
• Beautiful gardens and maze
• Gift shop
Open daily from 16th February-3rd November, 10am-5pm Open until 6pm in the summer holidays. The Castle may close early on occasional Saturdays and Sundays due to weddings. Please check in advance before travelling.
Call 01969 623981 or visit www.boltoncastle.co.uk
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BURTON AGNES HALL AND GARDENS
... a much-loved family home that welcomes visitors with open arms Simon Jenkins, author of ‘England’s Thousand Best Houses’, described Burton Agnes Hall as ‘the perfect English house’ and one of England’s twenty finest alongside Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth House. To the Cunliffe-Lister family the Hall is home, and they delight in sharing it with their visitors.
Built between 1598 and 1610 for Sir Henry Griffith, the majestic Elizabethan hall has remained in the family’s care for more than four centuries. Each generation has made its contribution, creating breathtaking architecture and a diverse art collection. Recent additions, including two David Hockney prints and a Colin Reid glass sculpture, sit alongside Impressionist and contemporary works, and many old masters.
garden contains a magnificent floral display with several thousand plant varieties; a potager filled with fruit, vegetables and herbs; herbaceous borders, giant board games, a maze, a jungle garden and a national collection of campanulas.
Visitors will relish this award winning wonderland (winner of the 2005 Christie’s Garden of the Year award). To the north of the Hall lies tranquil woodland with wildlife figures along the path. In February, thousands of snowdrops cover the ground to create an exquisite display, and at Easter this historic woodland hosts hundreds of enthusiastic chocolate egg hunters.
Outside, the gardens offer a feast for the senses. Through the seasons, the Elizabethan walled
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The Library at Burton Agnes
While meandering through the grounds, visitors may encounter an artist seeking inspiration. The artist in residence programme allows visiting artists to stay and work at Burton Agnes, year-round. Their artwork is displayed in the Summer House and inside the Hall.
Many treats await visitors in the courtyard. Unique, handcrafted gifts and souvenirs can be found in the ‘Home and Garden’ Shop and Gift Shop and the café offers home-made meals using the garden’s fruit and vegetables and local ingredients. The coffee is roasted locally and cakes are all home-baked. The Hall are also excited to introduce a newly renovated 1963vintage ice cream van, in which visitors will discover the finest local ice cream and perfect coffees. The gardening team also works hard all year to supply the Courtyard. They take seeds and cuttings from the gardens to raise plants for sale. Colourful bunches of dried flowers are arranged by Susan Cunliffe- Lister. Seeds are harvested from the gardens and packaged each winter for sale. The garden fruit and vegetables are sold, and also used enthusiastically by the cafe in home-baked fruit cakes, the freshest garden salads and warming soups.
The Gardens at Burton Agnes
Burton Agnes Hall also hosts a full and wideranging calendar of events throughout the year. This includes a Snowdrop Spectacular, Orchid Festival, Classic Car Rally, Easter Egg Hunt, Gardeners’ Fair, Jazz and Blues Festival, Summer Family Fete, Michaelmas Fair and a Christmas Opening where visitors will find an array of beautiful handcrafted decorations, both traditional and contemporary, around every corner.
Open from 9th February-3rd March, 1st April to 31st October and 14th November to 23rd December, Burton Agnes Hall truly is the perfect English house: with its gardens and buzzing courtyard in addition, you are certain to enjoy a perfect day out.
To discover what’s going on Burton Agnes Hall, visit www.burtonagnes.com
Burton Agnes Hall, Burton Agnes, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 4NB Telephone: 01262 490 324 Email: office@burtonagnes.com
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MAGNA
Magna is a fantastic day out for all ages. The Science Adventure Centre is packed with interactive exhibits and fascinating displays to help you explore the wonders of science and the laws of nature. Set within a colossal former steelworks, Magna also echoes with the rich industrial heritage of the UK steelmaking industry.
Magna Science Adventure Centre is housed within a former steelworks which once used the natural resources of earth, fire, water and air – celebrated at Magna today - to manufacture steel products which were shipped around the world. The ‘Steel, Peech and Tozer’ works produced 18 million tonnes of steel a year and employed 10,000 people in its heyday. It stood at the heart of the booming Sheffield steel industry.
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The steelworks closed in 1993 but the original building has been largely preserved as a monument to its industrial heritage. Impressive artefacts such as hulking hooks, winding passages, cupolas and cranes are still in position around the science adventure zones in Magna today. They are silent reminders of the cathedral-like building’s industrial past.
You can learn more about Magna’s steel industry heritage through big screen features and multimedia displays at Magna. Guided tours telling the human story of the steel industry are led by former steel workers and enthusiasts at regular intervals most days. One of the steelworks’ original electric arc furnaces is brought back to life at Magna everyday with pyrotechnics, audio and smoke. Don’t miss the ‘Big Melt’ and its awesome recreation of the steel-making process.
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Look, learn and laugh in Magna’s Science Adventure Centre
www.visitmagna.co.uk for details.
OPENING HOURS 10am – 5pm daily (last entry at 4pm), winter closure dates at times in operation please check website before a visit.
PRICES £8.95 child, £10.95 adult £9.95 conc. Family tickets from £27.95 Pay once – get a free pass to come back as many times as you like for 12 months. Save 10 per cent on your tickets if you book online. Magna Science Adventure Centre, Sheffield Road, Templeborugh, Rotherham, S60 1DX
Telephone 01709 720002 info@magnatrust.co.uk www.visitmagna.co.uk Twitter and Facebook
Magna Science Adventure Centre is a family attraction with over one hundred hands-on exhibits designed to help you explore the four elements – AIR, WATER, EARTH AND FIRE. Learn more about gale force winds, tidal power, electro-magnetism and underground tunnels or exploding rock faces! Gasp at the fire tornado, squirt an industrial supersoaker and dig with a real JCB!
It’s a “coats-on experience”! Magna is large industrial building and it’s chilly inside. Wrap up warm when you visit.
Magna’s amazing outdoor playground is not just high-tech - its SCI-TEK. Designed using the laws of physics, creativity and fun, its unique play structures will get you swinging, balancing, climbing and spinning. Sci-Tek is one of the largest outdoor playgrounds in the UK. And, in warmer weather, there’s an extra wet play area called AQUA-TEK. Open from the Easter holidays to the end of October, it adds an extra splash of adventure. Don’t forget your towel! There are new exhibitions, attractions and workshops all year round at Magna – see
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EUREKA
experience, and like the rest of Eureka! is a fully hands-on immersive exploration of all aspects of the human body. Designed by multi-award winning international design specialists At Large, this 800 sq m gallery has been conceived in conjunction with experts from Eureka!, the NHS, medical academia as well as Eureka!’s very own team of child consultants who have played a key role in deciding on what the most important things in the gallery should be.
All About Me -
an exciting new gallery for a new generation In the 21 years since Eureka! opened, nearly 6 million visitors have come to explore the UK’s first children’s museum whose hands-on, mindon approach to learning and discovery has won it a succession of accolades, including Best Hands-On museum in the UK by The Independent.
This year sees the much-anticipated completion of its largest single gallery investment in its history with the Easter 2013 opening of All About Me, a £2.9m project lead-funded by international science education charity The Wellcome Trust. Three years in planning and development, the new gallery aims to become a ‘must-see, must visit’ museum experience for children and all the family with a specific focus on providing a fun and thought provoking arena in which to learn about how the body works, what makes it so amazing and how to make the right choices to ensure it stays in tip top shape for a life-time. All About Me is no ordinary museum
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The most important challenge for this exciting new gallery is not only that it remains true to the learning through play ethos of Eureka! but that it plays a key role in delivering some powerful messages around health, exercise and nutrition. In the 21 years since Eureka! opened, sadly the UK population has become larger, more sedentary and obsessed with food and leisure. As a consequence, many children and families are struggling to find the inspiration and knowledge to make the right choices around their health and well-being, which is why Eureka! believes this new All About Me gallery is so important.
With obesity now costing the NHS nearly £6bn a year, the development of a gallery that mixes fun with education provides a unique
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opportunity to engage with a whole new generation of children who, too easily, can fall into bad habits eating fast food, playing on their iPads rather than getting exercise and being active.
All About Me is a gallery whose time has definitely come. Featuring over 100 unique interactive exhibits and its own role-play health centre, All About Me is designed to get everyone to rethink how they live and look after the most important possession they own: their body.
‘Al l About Me Gall ery’ - under construction February 2013
All About Me opens Easter 2013. Visit www.eureka.org.uk/allaboutme Based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the purpose built museum and educational charity attracts around 250,000 people every year and in early 2013 the museum will welcome its six millionth visitor.
Eureka! is based on the North American model of children’s museums with a focus on play based learning and providing inspirational informal learning experiences for young people. Through hundreds of hands-on exhibits within six interactive galleries and an outdoor park, children make awe-inspiring discoveries about themselves and the world around them and share in the adventure of learning. For younger children Eureka! is unique in offering two dedicated galleries and regular activities especially for under 5s, inspiring little ones to develop their senses and stretch their imaginations. Telephone 01422 330069 www.eureka.org.uk
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STUMP CROSS CAVERNS
Stump Cross Caverns is one of Britain’s premier show caves, located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, on the border of Nidderdale. There are a range of facilities for a great family day out, including a gift shop with an excellent selection of fossils, crystals and sheepskin rugs and tea room with a variety of home-made cakes & pastries, as well as the caves themselves. There is also a twenty minute film presentation shown in the comfortable lecture theatre, informing visitors of the history and development of the caverns within the local area. The caves at Stumps Cross were discovered in 1860 by miners who were looking for lead seams in the Yorkshire Dales. Although they didn’t find any lead, they did find the natural caverns which you can see today. Miners often didn’t see any commercial value in the caves, however a man
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named William Newbold had vision enough to see that they could be a profitable enterprise, and opened the caves to the public at a cost of 1 shilling per visit.
The cave system at Stump Cross extends well beyond the show caves which are open to the public, to an overall length of approximately 6km. Many of the deeper caverns are only accessible to experienced cavers, but there is a possibility of further sections of the caverns being opened to the public in the future. Indeed, the impressive reindeer cavern was opened to the public in 2000 after debris was removed. Telephone 01756 752780 www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk
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RAF HOLMPTON BUNKER TOURS
Easter 2013 Aqua-Tek re-opens
Magna Enjoy a day out at ther! whatever the wea Your chance to visit this Amazing Place For Opening Times & Full Details
W: www.rafholmpton.com T: 01964 630208 E: info@ rafholmpton.com
• Four indoor zones • Two outdoor play areas Sci-Tek & Aqua-Tek • Family trails, workshops & Guided tours Magna Science Adventure Centre T: 01709 720002 F: 01709 820092 E: info@magnatrust.co.uk
Stump Cross Caverns www.visitmagna.co.uk
Amazing Natural Show C ave Gift shop, tea room and lecture theatre
The caves are open daily from 10am - 6pm (last admission into the caves is 4.45 pm), from 1st March to 1st December. In the Winter months, viewing is at weekends only, and also during the school holidays at Christmas & February half-term. Prices : Adults £7.00, Children (4-13) £4.50 Under 4’s free Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 5JL
Tel/Fax: (01756) 752780 www.stumpcrosscaverns.co.uk
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THE BLACK SHEEP BREWERY Black Sheep Brewery celebrated its 20th Birthday in Autumn 2012. Since first making an appearance in pubs in and around the Yorkshire Dales in October 1992, Black Sheep beers have gone from strength to strength and are now distributed not only across the UK but around the world, brewing over 20 million pints a year.
2012 was a year of celebration not only with the Diamond Jubilee and team GB’s success at the Olympics, but also Black Sheep’s 20th Anniversary celebrations, with the brewery hosting special events throughout the year and the production of a limited edition anniversary beer called Progress.
The delivery of those first casks of beer in 1992 began a new era for Paul Theakston, whose family has brewed in Masham for six generations. Following Paul’s departure from the old family firm, T&R Theakston, fate played a kind hand and he was able to purchase an old maltings building in the heart of Masham. Here was an opportunity to return to what his family had done best since the 19th Century making real beer in the time-honoured fashion. And so a new brewery was born!
Sheep have always figured largely in the history of Masham, so when a name was needed for the new Brewery Paul's wife, Sue, came up with ‘Black Sheep’. A fitting name on all fronts, given Paul’s maverick new start up! From the outset, giving visitors the opportunity to see the beers
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being brewed and to sample the ales at the brewery was always a high priority, and in May 1996 the doors were opened to the newly transformed Visitor Centre - now a major yearround attraction in the Yorkshire Dales. Now in 2012, the sixth generation of the Theakston family brewing heritage is also proudly part of Black Sheep, with Paul’s eldest son Rob as Managing Director, and second son Jo as Marketing and Off-Trade Sales Director. Paul has now moved to the esteemed role of Chairman.
As Paul Theakston says, “We are rightly proud of our award-winning range of bottled and cask ales and only brew our beers from traditional high-quality raw materials: crystal clear dales water from our own well, Maris Otter malted barley for extra flavour, a little roasted malt for colour and flavour, and generous amounts of whole English hops to make the beer really refreshing. Such a material bill is more expensive than the average, but we think it’s well worth the extra!”
Telephone 01765 680100 www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk
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THE DEEP you can get up close with some of our animals such as sea urchins and starfish.
At the end of your visit you will walk through Europe’s deepest viewing tunnel and take a ride in the glass lift up through the 10m tank.
Children can also enjoy our brand new soft play area, with an array of sea themed characters, where parents can take a seat and enjoy a well-deserved rest. The Deep, one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world is located in Hull, East Yorkshire. This award-winning visitor attraction is home to over 3,500 fish including spectacular sharks and rays – making it the perfect family day out.
The dramatic building overlooks the Humber estuary and is only a few minutes’ walk from the Museums Quarter and Hull Marina. It offers a unique blend of stunning marine life, interactives and audio-visual presentations which together tell the dramatic story of the world’s oceans.
The Deep is also home to the superb Two Rivers Restaurant which is open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7pm. Guests dine in the stunning Endless Oceans Gallery with the main tank as their backdrop. Please call 01482 382883 to book a table.
For more information, visit www.thedeep.co.uk
You will journey from the beginning of the oceans through time to the present day. Travel from tropical lagoons to the icy waters of Antarctica. Daily highlights include dive presentations where you can watch fully trained divers go into the tanks and feed the sharks and rays. There are Discovery Corner touch pool sessions where
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WHITE SCAR CAVE
White Scar Cave, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is the longest show cave in Britain. There are underground waterfalls and streams, and thousands of stalactites.
The curious cave formations include the Devil’s Tongue, the Arum Lily, and the remarkably lifelike Judge’s Head. Guides lead visitors along the well-lit paths and explain the features. The highlight of the tour is the 200,000 year old Battlefield Cavern. Over 330 feet long, with its roof soaring in places to 100 feet, this is one of the largest caverns in Britain. Also shown on the tour are fine examples of the geological feature known as flowstone, and a display of fluorescing stalactites.
Until 1923 these underground wonders remained a secret of nature. In August that year a Cambridge undergraduate undertook a hiking tour of the area. He noticed a slight fissure in the ground, and decided to investigate. Perhaps coincidentally for an explorer, he bore the splendid name Christopher Francis Drake Long. Wearing only his summer clothes of shirt and shorts, and lighting his way with candles stuck in the brim of his hat, he crawled into the low
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First Waterfall
passage. Spurred on by the distant roar of water, he struggled over jagged rocks and through pools, until eventually he found himself at the foot of a waterfall. White Scar Cave had been discovered, and its name was derived from the outcrops of pale rock above the entrance. The huge Battlefield Cavern was found in 1971, its boulder-strewn floor suggestive of fearsome conflict between prehistoric giants. An access tunnel 215 feet in length was driven by Cornish tin miners so that visitors may enjoy this awesome spectacle. Look out for the ancient mud pools!
Entering the cave, visitors become aware of a faint sound that gets louder as they walk further in. Suddenly they turn a corner and find the first waterfall, which after wet weather literally thunders into a rocky pool. The waterfall was the first feature discovered by Christopher Long in 1923. In full spate the weight of water cascading down each minute is about fifty-five tonnes. Do check the newly launched smartphone and tablet versions of the White Scar website. White Scar Cave, Ingleton, North Yorkshire LA6 3AW. Telephone 015242 41244 www.whitescarcave.co.uk
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SETTLE - CARLISLE RAILWAY
The campaign to save the Railway With 2014 fast approaching the famous SettleCarlisle line will be looking back at the last 25 years progress. On April 11th, 1989 the announcement was made that the route was saved from closure. In the following 25 years the frequency of the train service has increased, passenger numbers have increased, all the stations have been renovated and the places the line serves have kept or increased their communities. This has been a line that once given a chance has gone from success to success.
It’s a really good time to look back and see what the closure was about and how people and organisations worked together to keep something that was really valued
Dales National Park and later marketed by WYPTE to keep hopes of a regular service alive. In readiness to campaign for the future of the line the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle line were formed and held its inaugural meeting in Settle Town Hall in 1981.
On the day BR announced its closure plans, almost in an act of heavenly intervention, the overhead wires of the West Coast mainline blew down resulting in InterCity diversions over the S&C route.
The first official closure notice was published in December 1983, following an announcement made earlier in August of BR’s intention to withdraw services. A joint action committee (JAC) was established shortly after this, bringing together strength in numbers with the Friends,
Early in the 1980’s British Rail estimated that the Ribblehead Viaduct needed £6 million to undertake necessary repairs. This coupled with the general neglect of the line and decreasing services all spelt out ‘imminent closure’ The Dalesrail service was launched by the Yorkshire
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Friendly trolley service
the Railway Development Society and Transport 2000.
BR had to make two further attempts at issuing closure notices before it got it right. The third notice came in August 1984.
In November 1983 Ron Cotton was appointed by BR as Project Manager for the S&C. He was appointed with the task of closing the line down, but in the meantime his job was to market the route to provide BR with maximum revenue. This marketing actually unlocked huge potential. At the time no one was entirely sure which side Ron Cotton was on!
The longest running railway closure in British history also holds the record for attracting the largest number of objectors—receiving 22,000 people and one dog—Ruswarp.
As well as individual objectors County, District, Town and Parish councils all along the route played their part. The protest was joined by many organisations including the Friends of the Earth and the Ramblers Association. In 1985 the JAC was widened to 18 organisations.
On 24 March 1986 hearings into the closure objections opened in Appleby. The day began with a blizzard bringing roads into chaos. However the 0903 train from Leeds managed to
Denthead
get through (albeit late) and once again the S&C’s value was demonstrated.
Thanks to the co-operative marketing approach five trains a day were now running. In 1986, Eight stations, closed since 1970, were reopened.
In May 1987 English Heritage offered £1 million towards the repair of Ribblehead Viaduct and an independent estimate put the cost of repair at much less than £6m. During 1988 local councils were asked for £500,000 to give the line a chance. Against all odds they raised the money. The final weekend before the reprieve announcement its uncertain of how things went politically but whatever was said on April 11th 1989 England's greatest historic railway route was saved. For up to date details on events for the 25th anniversary please visit www.settle-carlisle.co.uk
All travel information available from the website www.settle-carlisle.co.uk or by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 (24 hours)
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THE KEIGHLEY AND WORTH VALLEY RAILWAY
DISCOVER TIME TRAVEL Step back in time on The Railway Children’s Railway in the heart of Brontë Country and enjoy a steam filled action packed day out!
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway runs like a ribbon though Brontë Country, where you can expect to take in some of the most breath taking and famous landscapes in the world. A windswept land of heather and wild moors - it is hardly surprising that this area became the inspiration for the classic works of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
The Railway has appeared in many TV and film productions including Sherlock Holmes, Where The Heart Is, A Touch Of Frost and many more. Perhaps most famously, the Railway, and in particular the charming station at Oakworth, were used as the location for the classic 1970 film The Railway Children. Step back in time and relive this well-loved tale as you watch the vintage steam trains puff their way in and out of the valley.
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Much more than just a railway, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway offers a great day out for all ages. Don’t forget to hop off the line at Ingrow West station, which is home to two award winning transport museums. Travel back in time at the The Ingrow Museum of Rail Travel, where restored carriages, vintage artefacts and sound and video presentations bring the past to life. The Ingrow Loco Museum boasts several locomotives as well as displays, exhibits and archive film.
Don’t miss out on the special events that run throughout the year. The Cream Teas with Old Gentlemen allows you to sit back and relax as our frock coated ‘Old Gentlemen’ provide an enlightening guide to The Railway Children whilst you are served delicious cream teas. Discover the magic and glamour of the glorious days of steam-hauled dining and enjoy fine food in beautiful surroundings with the special Dining Trains. Tickle your taste buds with the Fish and chip suppers. Visit the railway for one of the Steam Gala’s - a big noisy adventure where all the toys come out to play.
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Don’t miss the annual Beer & Music Festival with over 120 real ales, great food and entertainment at both ends of the line! Or why not pay a visit at Christmas time, when children can meet the man himself with our Santa Specials, and grown-ups can get festive with our Mince Pie specials.
For those that like the great outdoors the railway has plenty of spectacular walks and nature trails. Every stop offers a walk, whether it’s a moorland walk or one of The Railway Children walks make sure you have your walking boots at the
ready. Try the Top Withens Walk, which takes you out of Haworth, the village where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote, along pathways they walked and through the moorland that inspired them.
Experience a magical day out in beautiful surroundings at Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. For more information go to www.kwvr.co.uk
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TROPICAL BUTTERFLY HOUSE, WILDLIFE AND FALCONRY CENTRE
Andrew & Vernon, RuĚˆppell's Griffon Vulture
Encounter the exotic and experience an unforgettable family day out for all ages at the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre at North Anston near Sheffield.
Visitors will discover a real rainforest experience in the Butterfly House with hundreds of freeflying butterflies and birds and meet creepycrawlies and reptiles from around the world.
The attraction is renowned for its amazing animal encounters, providing unforgettable experiences meeting the centre’s most popular residents up close; including Meerkats, snakes, birds of prey, the skunk and many more! You may also get the chance to feed many of the animals, including the beautiful lorikeets and
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friendly free-roaming farm-animals.
The popular Aerial Antics bird displays have been further improved with the addition of a pair of White Storks who have been joining the other magnificent birds of prey and free-flying Macaws and delighting audiences. The centre is also now training Odin the Raven and Isaac the Great Grey owl who are the latest additions to the demonstrations.
Some considerable changes to the collection have been made over the last twelve months, these include a new vulture enclosure, a purpose built giant tortoise exhibit and a special owl enclosure in the woodland area.
New for Spring 2013 Lemur Heights: A state of the art walkthrough which will allow you to get up close and personal with these amazing endangered species from Madagascar.
Meet scaly, prickly, furry and slippery animals from around the world in close-up Animal Encounters, a wonderful opportunity to meet the most popular residents up close.
The indoor Activity Centre; where children of all ages can enjoy crafts, games and activities, and an outdoor Play Park which includes a sandpit, pedal cars and a zip-wire. Also the incredible Realm of Camelot; a unique adventure play experience for children, with towers, tunnels, slides and more!
The Aerial Antics free-flying bird shows takes place daily, featuring spectacular birds of prey, free flying Macaws and oddities like Zara our Crested Seriema.
As well as a great family day out, the centre provides Keeper Experiences and Birthday Parties and also welcomes pre-booked group and School visits, for which it has excellent facilities.
Lemurs
Open daily and just 5 minutes from the M1, junction 31.
Telephone 01909 569 416 www.butterflyhouse.co.uk www.facebook.com/TropicalButterflyHouse www.twitter.com/Tropbutterfly
Wader Enclosure
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THE RICHMOND BREWING COMPANY
Andy has a wealth of production experience in the brewing industry in a career spanning 28 years with Tennents, Ruddles, Websters, John Smiths, Theakstons and Newcastle Brown in a number of breweries across the United Kingdom. In addition he has managed a public house and understands the retail side of the industry.
Richmond Brewing Company Limited is a six barrel microbrewery established by brewers Andy Hamilton and Richard Bowerman, situated in The Station, a new tourist attraction in Richmond. The company provides first class ales in bottle and cask to businesses in The Station complex as well as Richmond and the Yorkshire area.
Andy Hamilton
Richard has more than 16 years brewing experience with Websters, Courage, John Smiths, Theakstons and Newcastle Brown. Three years ago Richard purchased Stump Cross Caverns in Yorkshire, one of the region’s foremost tourist attractions and continues to develop his business career. Telephone 01748 828266 www.richmondbrewing.co.uk
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THE STATION, RICHMOND
With two cinema screens, a cafe-restaurant, art gallery, heritage centre and six artisan foodmakers on the premises, The Station is a great place to start your visit to Richmond, Britain's Great Town of the Year 2009.
The Angel’s Share: Heavenly breads, cakes, scones and patisserie baked fresh daily.
Archer’s Jersey Ice Cream: The range of flavours is increasing all the time. They try to keep flavours seasonal, introducing champagne rhubarb that was grown in the farm garden from seed, along with many fruits. Other fruit is sourced when available from a local pick your own farm F.W. Elgey at Piercebridge.
Lacey’s Cheese: Traditional, handmade cheeses available from The Station, Richmond. At Laceys Cheese theytake great pride in their craft to bring you a high quality, locally produced product. Why don't you come on down to The Station to see, first hand, how traditional cheeses are made.
The Station Gallery: Since opening in November 2007, The Station has quickly established a reputation as a major North-East art exhibition venue. The wonderful surroundings of the restored Grade 2* listed Victorian railway station, with an abundance of natural light, original stone walls and vaulted iron roof provides a wonderful ambiance to display art to its best advantage.
Seasons Restaurant & Cafe Bar: Seasons Restaurant has menus designed around a modern British theme with Mediterranean influences. They use fresh locally sourced produce wherever possible and, of course, all the menus use seasonal ingredients.
Velvet Heaven: At Velvet Heaven they specialise in making top quality delicious fudge and confectionery such as Turkish Delight and Coconut Ice. They also sell a range of chocolates, truffles and traditional sweets.
www.richmondstation.com
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YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM
RAF Elvington, upon which the Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is based, became operational with 4 Group Bomber Command in October 1942 when 77 Squadron moved from Chivenor to become Elvington’s first ‘home’ squadron. Actual operations commenced 70 years ago in February 1943, and flying Halifax bombers, they took the war to the German industrial heartland, but suffered the heaviest losses of any Bomber Command unit, with over 500 airmen loosing their lives from 96 Halifax aircraft shot down.
The superb Bomber Command exhibition, ‘Against the Odds’, the definitive national exhibition on the topic, gives visitors a deep insight into the formation and operation of this unparalleled fighting force. This leads on to all the other fascinating displays and exhibits, such as the unique Air Gunners Memorial Room,
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restored Control Tower, Uniform Display and much more. April 2011 saw the opening of the newly refurbished “Astra” Cinema with a state of the art plasma screen which now shows our unique wartime footage taken by the French aircrews, depicting a day in the life of RAF Elvington and following a raid to Leipzig and back, plus some fascinating new documentaries.
The acclaimed collection of historic aircraft spans the birth of flight to the supersonic age and features the unique replica of the Cayley Glider, the Wright Flyer and other early aircraft through the war years with the magnificent Handley Page Halifax Bomber “Friday the 13th”, the De Havilland Mosquito, Douglas DC3 Dakota and the famous Hurricane and Spitfire amongst others. The collection continues to encompass the major aircraft of the Cold War era – Gloster Javelin, Electric
www.countysignpost.co.uk Lightning, Hawker Hunter and the East Yorkshire built Blackburn Buccaneer and not least the still futuristic looking 1950’s designed Handley Page Victor V-Bomber / K2 Tanker, which took part in both the Falklands War and the first Gulf War in its refuelling role. Our latest acquisition which is causing a great deal of interest is the rarely seen Nimrod MR2 intelligence gathering ‘spy’ plane, which saw 40 years service with the Royal Air Force. This is kept in superb ‘live’ condition and will take part in our regular “Thunder Day’s” with exciting full engine runs.
The excellent new, Heritage Lottery funded ‘Pioneers of Aviation’ exhibition features the work of Scarborough born Sir George Cayley, the ‘Father of Aeronautics’ and inventor of the aeroplane, along with that of Leeds born Robert Blackburn, who established aircraft factories in Leeds and at Brough, East Yorkshire, which still exists today as part of BAE Systems. Blackburn established an early Flying School at Filey and went on to create a long line of successful, mostly military, aircraft. The exhibition also covers Hull born aviator Amy Johnson, whose record breaking solo flights to Australia and South Africa are indeed the stuff of legend. A striking interpretation of the ‘Dambusters’ raids with the Barnes Wallis designed bouncing bomb is a major feature, along with Wallis’s work with the R100 airship at Howden. An innovative new iphone and android ‘app’ will allow users of these devices to bring some of these characters to ‘life’ in an exciting new way, the first of its kind in the Museum’s sector.
The Yorkshire Air Museum prides itself on being the unique Allied Air Forces Memorial, widely regarded as being the only such dedicated Memorial. We take care to maintain the authentic ambience of the wartime era, whilst at the same time providing an exciting and interesting day out for all the family.
SE5a bi plane
There really is something for everybody here, from the tranquil Memorial Gardens that have earned the coveted Silver Gilt commendation in the Yorkshire in bloom competition, to all the aircraft and exhibits mentioned before. Many fascinating artefacts and stories can be found – you never know when you could find yourself talking to a real veteran of WWII or someone amongst our team of volunteers who has flown some of the more modern aircraft.
The exciting Events Programme features lecture presentations, regular “Thunder Days” with the powering up of our ‘live’ jets, and now we have two live propeller aircraft, the WWI SE5a biplane and the post WWII De Havilland Devon twin prop VIP transport, which add greatly to the excitement with the special sound that these aircraft make. The huge Battlegroup North militaria show in May combines a historic military vehicle rally with a superb wargaming show and living history displays and is a favourite with many visitors.
Telephone: 01904 608595 Web: www.yorkshireairmuseum.org email: museum@yorkshireairmuseum.org Follow on Twitter: @air_museum or on Facebook.
YORKSHIRE A IR M USEUM
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DALES COUNTRYSIDE MUSEUM
The Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes tells the story of the Yorkshire Dales landscape and people over the last 10,000 years.
Stroll through the Time Tunnel to see unique exhibits from the Stone Age to Victorian times. Climb aboard our static train and find out how family life has changed in the Dales. Take a walk down the 'lead mine' and discover how the industries of the Dales, together with farming, have helped to shape this treasured landscape.
Events, demonstrations of traditional crafts and changing exhibitions help bring the Museum alive. Hands on, interactive exhibits make it fun for children.
There are education programmes for schools and a research room where you can explore local and family history.
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Take a look at the website for up to date information - www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
To contact the Dales Countryside Museum Tourist Information and National Park Centre
Open 10am to 5pm every day Telephone 01969 666210 or email : hawes@yorkshiredales.org.uk
www.countysignpost.co.uk
The Settle-Carlisle Railway
Travel between Leeds, Skipton, Settle and Carlisle and enjoy some of the most spectacular countryside in England.
A scheduled diesel service operates on a daily basis throughout the year (except Xmas and Boxing Day). For details of times and fares call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 (24 hrs) Group discounts are available for 10 or more people travelling together. For more information call
Freephone 0800 98 007 66
Please quote the Yorkshire Signpost All information, including a full MP3 audio guide to the route, is available from the web site
www.settle-carlisle.co.uk
Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby. al rigin o h Ric ections coll
tic e at ged h t See he lod re whe Grape Lane, Whitby YO22 4BA www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk Tel/Fax : 01947 601900 Open March - October Daily 945 - 5.00 (March, 11.00 - 3.00)
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NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
What will you discover at the greatest railway museum in the world?
Get up close to iconic locomotives and carriages, from record breakers to history makers. Explore our magnificent royal trains, see the replica of Stephenson’s world-changing rocket and discover the world of high speed travel on the Japanese bullet train.
Action-packed adventure
Live theatre, explosive science shows and real steam rides will keep the kids entertained all day. Join in with our Explainers as they share fantastic facts and stories. Get hands-on with creative crafts and watch a real turntable demonstration. Our railway-themed playground is the perfect place for the little ones to let off steam.
Discover fascinating stories
We’re home to the largest and finest collection of royal railway vehicles in the world. Feel like royalty as you peek into the elegant carriages, and make sure you visit Queen Victoria’s favourite saloon.
Lose yourself in thousands of books and documents in Search Engine, our library and archive centre.
A hands-on experience you won’t forget
Get on board awe inspiring locomotives, watch our engineers at work in The Workshop, uncover hidden treasures in The Warehouse and make tracks to the outdoor area.
2013 Events Highlights
Exhibition – The Beeching Cuts 16 March – 16 June 2013 An exhibition exploring the massive societal impacts of the Beeching Report – was it all worth it? Free entry Railway Detectives (Easter half term) 29 March – 14 April 2013
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The Museum is looking for young detectives to take part in their exciting Easter egg hunt to find the golden egg. Get hands-on with activities and learn all about railway crime past and present on the Warehouse tour.
www.countysignpost.co.uk As well as all this detective fun, you can enjoy our regular school holiday activities including explosive science shows, live theatre performances and rides behind a real steam engine*
*A small charge applies Free entry
Mallard 75 A series of commemorative events in 2013 The National Railway Museum is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Mallard becoming the world’s fastest steam locomotive with a programme of events, including a never-beforeseen gathering of all six surviving A4s at York. Keep an eye on the website for further updates and news of their exciting plans to mark this special year.
Open Daily (excl 24-26 December) 10.00-18.00 Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ
Please note that charges apply for some National Railway Museum events. Information is correct at the time of going to print.
www.nrm.org.uk
www.nrm.org.uk/mallard75
All images Š NRM
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County Signpost
BRONTË PARSONAGE MUSEUM father, local clergyman Patrick Brontë. But while the three sisters found solace in the world of the imagination, producing some of the most stunningly original and influential novels ever written in the English language, their brother Branwell lost a series of jobs, had unsuitable love affairs, and, weakened by drink and opium, died at the age of 31.
Just months afterwards first Emily, then the youngest sister, Anne, also died - from tuberculosis; their groundbreaking novels did not find fame until after their deaths. The last remaining Brontë child, Charlotte, married her father’s curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls. For a while it seemed she had found true happiness and achieved literary celebrity with her bestselling novel Jane Eyre. Then her first pregnancy ended in the tragedy of her untimely death, aged 38.
The beautiful village of Haworth, with its steep, cobbled Main Street, seems a strange place to find a world-class attraction. Yet, thanks to three famous literary sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë - and their brother Branwell, the Parsonage at the top of this sleepy village is now one of the world’s top literary tourist destinations.
The lives of the famous sisters are as fascinating as their enduringly popular novels: Charlotte’s Jane Eyre; Emily’s Wuthering Heights; Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. After losing first their mother, then two elder sisters, at a heartbreakingly young age, the four remaining children were brought up and educated by their
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Charlotte Brontë
Dining Room
All the sisters’ novels were written here at the Parsonage, now owned and run by the charity The Brontë Society. It also houses the world’s biggest collection of Brontë memorabilia, including hundreds of letters, original manuscripts and personal possessions, conveying the powerful experience to visitors of how it felt to be a Brontë.
This year sees the Parsonage’s biggest ever redecoration programme. Using forensic techniques, scientists and historians have uncovered more about how the house looked during the time of the Brontës’ residence than ever before. The results were used in an exciting new £60,000 redecoration scheme, now ready for visitors to view.
2013 also sees the opening of the exhibition ‘Heaven Is a Home’, telling the history of the house and stories of its other inhabitants – as well as a series of exciting new contemporary art exhibitions, drawing on the Brontës and their work for inspiration.
For more information visit the website: www.bronte.org.uk, log on to Facebook at Brontë Parsonage Museum, follow @BronteParsonage on Twitter, phone 01535 642323, or email bronte@bronte.org.uk.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Haworth, Keighley, BD22 8DR
New exclusive items in the Gift Shop
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SHEFFIELD INDUSTRIAL MUSUEMS 3 Places, 1 Steel Story
The three museums are the showcase of Sheffield’s industrial story from early industrialisation to modern times where ‘Made in Sheffield’ remains a mark of craftsmanship and quality known worldwide.
Enjoy a great family day out full of nostalgia and innovation at Kelham Island Museum - home to one of just three remaining Bessemer Converter’s in the world!
Located in one of the city’s oldest industrial districts Kelham Island Museum stands on a man-made island over 900 years old. Follow the growth of the Steel City as our interactive galleries tell the story of light trades and skilled workmanship to mass production. Learn what it was like to live and work in Sheffield during the Industrial Revolution, Victorian Era and throughout two world wars and discover how the art of steelmaking forged both the city of today and it’s impact on the modern world! Don’t miss our reconstructed ‘Little Mesters’ street with resident workshops, the world renowned Hawley Tool Collection and the mighty 12,000hp River Don Engine, the most
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powerful working steam engine remaining in Europe in steam!
Annual events programme includes the 1940’s Vintage Summer Fayre 20 & 21 July, Down by the Riverside 21 & 22 September and a warm Dickensian welcome awaits at the 21st Victorian Christmas Market on 30 November and 1 December 2013.
At Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet you can catch a unique glimpse of life at home and at work at a rural scythe and steelworks dating back to the 18th century. Now a Grade 1 Listed
www.countysignpost.co.uk Building and Scheduled Monument, ‘Abbeydale Works’ was once a main producer of scythes and edge tools and one of the largest water powered industrial sites on the River Sheaf. See worker’s houses, waterwheels, tilt hammers and workshops and the only intact crucible steel furnace surviving today.
Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust (SIMT) has been awarded £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a 3 year development of the Hamlet from 2013 with a focus on developing the accessibility and learning potential of Abbeydale and to conserve and restore the working machinery of the Hamlet so that visitors can experience a working site and understand how the buildings and the machinery would have been used, this includes restoring the waterwheels, creating a new Learning Centre and updating visitor facilities.
Mr Tyzack owner of Abbeydale Works who leads the living history tours
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet
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Shepherd Wheel
The seasonal events programme includes Living History tours, Traditional Crafts and Skills Displays and the annual Steam Gathering season finale on 5 & 6 October.
Shepherd Wheel Workshop is set in the picturesque valley of the Porter Brook and is a unique example of Sheffield’s knife grinding industry. This water-powered workshop dates back to the 1500s and displays the tools of the trade for cutlery grinding, A Grade II listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, the site is now open every weekend and Bank Holiday Monday following a major restoration project. Telephone 0114 272 2106 ask@simt.co.uk www.simt.co.uk
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THE NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM FOR ENGLAND
Caphouse Colliery from Hope
The National Coal Mining Museum for England offers you the unique opportunity to travel 140 metres underground, down one of Britain’s oldest mines. Take a step back in time with an ex-miner as your guide who will take you around the underground workings, where models and machinery depict methods and conditions of mining from the early 1800s to the present day.
Above ground, the story of coal is brought to life through the Museum’s interactive exhibitions and audio-visual plasma screens. In the Mining Lives gallery it gives a glimpse into the life of a miner at home, on the pit surface and at play. There is the chance to see into a mining family’s back yard from the 1940s and find out what the miners did during World War II. Coal mining was dangerous and difficult work. The Coal Interface gallery shows a few of the hazards of working underground. There is the opportunity to see some of the problems miners had to deal with and to try and solve them.
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Visit the pithead baths and the Victorian steam winder; follow the nature trail and find the adventure playground, and then meet the ponies along with Finn the Clydesdale heavy horse.
The Hope Pit complex, a secondary colliery site at the Museum is where visitors can explore the interactive displays and multi-media science exhibits. The science of coal mining bursts into life and promises to send you away buzzing with ideas!
There is free admission to all visitors and opening hours are 10.00 am - 5.00 pm daily except for 1 January and 24-26 December. Do arrive early to book onto an underground tour. Temperature underground is 12c; we strongly recommend warm practical clothing and sensible flat shoes. Unfortunately children under five years old are not permitted on the underground tour, however there is an indoor play area especially for them. For more information contact the Museum on 01924 848806 or visit www.ncm.org.uk
SKIDBY MILL
After an 18 month long restoration programme – during which the mill’s cap and sails had to be removed completely for some months, and then run on two sails for a further six months – the new sail was completed and replaced during summer 2010, and Skidby Windmill is now operating with all four sails!
While the restoration project was in progress, the new miller, Neil Johnson, took the opportunity to work through the formal milling qualifications offered by the National Association of British and Irish Millers (NABIM) with the result that Skidby now has its first qualified miller. As a result, Neil has been experimenting with different methods of running the mill to produce a fine, almost silkytextured wholemeal flour. Skidby now supplies well-known East Riding restaurants such as the Pipe and Glass at South Dalton and the Michelin-starred White’s in Beverley with flour; this same flour is available for visitors to purchase in the mill shop, and is also used by Sails, the café in the mill courtyard for some of its products.
Historically, grain from the various farms surrounding Skidby mill was brought to the mill to be ground into flour. However, at the end of
the 19th century, British agriculture was seriously depressed; many small farms failed, while grain from North America was ‘dumped’ – that is, imported at prices so cheap that it undercut home-produced wheat catastrophically. The implications for windmills were equally catastrophic; North American grain was too ‘hard’ to be milled consistently in traditional windmills, and was processed using steel roller-mills, built in the ports through which the grain was imported. In East Yorkshire, where hundreds of mills historically operated, the numbers were drastically reduced by the early 1900s, and of those that did manage to stagger on, most were grinding animal feed products. Skidby Windmill survived as a working mill because the Thompson family who bought it in the mid-19th century had also invested in a steam roller mill in Hull, and kept the windmill going out of sentiment. This was primarily for the production of animal feed, although the mill came back into its own producing flour during the two World Wars.
The mill was eventually sold by the Thompson family, along with the Hull business, and produced animal feed for another decade before being ‘sold’ to the then Beverley Borough Council to be a ‘museum of milling’. Now owned by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the windmill is maintained and managed as a working windmill, open daily to the public. The story of the people who worked the land in the Yorkshire Wolds, and of the Thompson family themselves, is told in a series of displays in the two warehouses either side of the mill tower. Neil Johnson runs the mill – which is the last working example of those hundreds of East Riding windmills - Wednesdays to Sundays, weather permitting. Telephone 01482 848405
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The Captain Cook Museum, Whitby
paintings and drawings, ship models and maps, and strange objects from newly discovered lands. From the bleak Antarctic ocean to the fertile beauty of Pacific islands, all Europe was fascinated by the images and objects brought back. Discover how Cook became a household name in Britain and beyond, and his voyages a model for others to follow.
2013 special exhibition
“Oceans Apart - Canoes of the Pacific” Webber Tahiti canoe
In 2012 the Museum won Yorkshire's White Rose Award (Best small visitor attraction - under 50,000 admissions). A favourite among ‘personality’ museums, the Captain Cook Memorial Museum tells the story of Britain’s greatest explorer. A wealth of authentic paintings, contemporary maps, and original letters bring his world to life, from his early years in Whitby to his death in Hawaii in 1779 – his associates, his supporters in the Navy, the crews, the artists and scientists who sailed with him to the South Seas.
Maori canoe prow. Hull Maritime Museum.
The Museum’s rich collection celebrates Cook’s achievements and the work of those who sailed with him – sailors, scientists and artists. See letters in Cook’s own hand, original
The new exhibition brings together paintings and plans, original artefacts and models showing the variety of canoes and catamarans which astounded Cook and his men with their beauty, speed and manoeuvrability. They could even outpace larger European ships! How did Polynesians navigate across the vast and trackless ocean, discovering and settling numerous island groups? How did they build such finely adapted craft from simple local materials? Cook was fascinated, and he and his officers provide some of the earliest and most detailed insights into Pacific seafaring. Grape Lane, Whitby YO22 4BA Open Daily – 1 March to 31 October Telephone 01947 601900 www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk
www.countysignpost.co.uk
THE INGROW MUSEUM OF RAIL TRAVEL
Over 60 television programmes and films have featured carriages and steam locomotives from the Ingrow Museum of Rail Travel, so there’s a good chance you may have seen some treasured items from the museum’s Collection. The museum has just filmed sequences for BBC TV’s South Riding, starring Anna Maxwell Martin.
The whole family can enjoy a visit – you don’t have to be a confirmed railway enthusiast! Children and adults of all ages will enjoy exploring the differences between 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, and listening to the sound presentations as they sit inside the carriages. Video presentations help to bring the past to life, whilst the walls are covered with old signs and posters. Young children will enjoy hunting for
our little helpers, or finding items from our “look and find” worksheets. The confirmed enthusiast will enjoy our shop, which specialises in out-of-print railway magazines and books.
Located adjacent to the Ingrow Loco Museum, and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. When Worth Valley Railway trains are operating, ask for a Green Rover ticket, which includes admission to both museums and one day’s unlimited travel on the KWVR Location: South Street, Ingrow, Keighley BD21 5AX
Telephone 01535 680425 www.vintagecarriagestrust.org
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YORKSHIRE WATER
Peace and quiet is a given at North Yorkshire's Swinsty Reservoir one of the country's best-known waters for fly fishing.
Land of Opportunity
Yorkshire is home to some breathtaking scenery and it really is the land of opportunity when it comes to the great outdoors.
But when you take to the rolling landscapes of Yorkshire for a walk around a reservoir, you probably wouldn’t realise the land is owned and maintained by Yorkshire Water. In fact, water companies are among the largest landowners in the UK and play a significant part in the way the countryside looks today.
Yorkshire Water owns just over 72,000 acres of land and more than a hundred reservoirs, with details of more than 30 circular walks available on its website since 2004.
More recently, the company has been working on new ways of enhancing visitors’ experiences and is encouraging more people to make the most of the countryside on their doorsteps.
“Research told us the majority of people who come to our reservoirs have been before – and probably keep coming back,” said spokesman Steve Parsley. “However, although most people have their favourites, what they may not realise is that there is often another site within easy reach which offers something completely different.
“As a result, we’ve been looking at how we can tell people about the options they have when they’re planning a day out in the countryside.”
More information on walks on Yorkshire Water land – including the long-distance Yorkshire Water Way – can be found on the company website at www.yorkshirewater.com Leaflets which include maps and directions can also be obtained by telephoning 01274 692856.
At yorkshirewater.com/enjoyment you can now download our country walks. Just the joB
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At www.yorkshirewater.com/enjoyment you can now download our country walks. Just the joB
www.countysignpost.co.uk
GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW 9 – 11 July, 2013
Visitors can enjoy:
Food Hall with some of the country’s finest food & drink *Fashion shows with national and regional designers * Music from a range of bands including The Yorkshire Volunteers Band * Cookery theatre * Garden Show * Top class show jumping and equine classes * International sheep shearing competitions * Demonstrations of country skills – including dry stone walling, fly fishing, gundog training * Hundreds of stands for plenty of shopping! …. and more than 5,000 of Britain’s best cattle, sheep and pigs competing for the coveted championship awards.
The Great Yorkshire Show is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
Supreme Sheep Champion, a British Rouge owned by Percy Tait of Worcester with handler Will Price at the Great Yorkshire Show 2012
Telephone 01423 541222 www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk
England’s premier agricultural show, The Great Yorkshire Show, takes place on Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 July, 2013. More than 130,000 visitors are expected to flock through the gates for an entertaining and informative day experiencing all aspects of farming and country life. This will be the 155th Great Yorkshire Show.
The event is a shop window for the agricultural industry as well as a great day out for the family. The venue is the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.
The Yorkshire Volunteers Band performing in the Main Ring at the Great Yorkshire Show 2012
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NORTH YORK MOORS NATIONAL PARK
From coast to woodland, moorland to lush green dales, the scenery in the North York Moors is simply breathtaking. There’s plenty of heritage and local history too from the largest Iron Age hill fort in the north of England to atmospheric ruined abbeys and the signs of a once bustling industrial past.
Charming moorland and coastal villages nestle amongst the landscape each with their own traditions, customs and tales to tell. Pubs and cafes offer a warm welcome and there is an
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eclectic mix of museums and attractions that provide a fascinating slice of the area’s history.
If you love the great outdoors, then this is the place for you. Cycling, walking, horse riding, surfing, sailing, gliding – there is something for everyone. There are walking routes for all abilities from short strolls to the more challenging Cleveland Way National Trail and an extensive network of bridleways to take you up hill and down dale for as far as your legs (or horse!) can take you.
To get a feel for the people, places and wildlife of this special place and for inside information on must sees and dos, head to one of two National Park Centres. New for Easter 2012, a fascinating exhibition at Sutton Bank National Park Centre will take you on a journey through time to discover how this iconic landscape was created and the influence it’s had on people through the ages.
For more information on the North York Moors National Park go to : www.northyorkmoors.org.uk
At The Moors National Park Centre, Danby the kids can play on the indoor climbing wall or outdoor play area or you can wander along riverside and woodland trails and take a look at the Inspired by… Gallery with its changing exhibitions of local arts and crafts.
This year, the North York Moors is celebrating 60 years as a National Park. To mark this special occasion, there will be a range of events taking place throughout the year. To find out more, pick up a copy of the free Out & About Guide at National Park and Tourist Information Centres. You can also get a copy by calling 01439 770657 or emailing info@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk
All images © Mike Kipling
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THE TRANS PENNINETRAIL
The Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) provides a gateway to the countryside. This national coast to coast route provides recreational facilities for walkers, cyclists and in many parts horse riders – stretching from Southport to Hornsea with spurs to Leeds, Chesterfield, York and a newly opened sections providing an on-road and offroad option from Barnsley to Kirkburton officially opened late 2012. The Trail provides a wonderful opportunity to re-engage with nature, with many areas providing a green corridor and a haven for wildlife and countless options for a short stroll or a longer visit. The Trail also provides a whole host of visitor attractions for you to see during your visit including historic bridges, museums, canals, castles and abbeys. The TPT is a free facility, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has many connections to public transport facilities and the motorway network. Many sections of the TPT are also part of the National Cycle Network.
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Unbeknown to many, sections of the TPT are a mere stones throw away from your doorstep, with over one quarter of the UK’s population living within 20 miles of the Trail. The Trans Pennine Trail is managed by a partnership of Local Authorities with a national co-ordinating office based in Barnsley, the mid-point of the Trail and the birthplace of the vision for the route itself.
Visit the Trans Pennine Trail’s website to find out about maps that are on sale to help you along your route – showing the individual routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. You will also find lots of free literature for a short visit out on the Trail and interesting facts to keep the kids interested, including Treasure Hunts: www.transpenninetrail.org.uk
…and it doesn’t have to stop there. Remember that the Trans Pennine Trail is a free facility for
Hollingworth Lock, Chesterfield, new cycle hire facility. Photo provided by Chris Allen, Chair of Friends of TPT
anyone to use and it’s open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It’s a great way to explore the countryside whether you want to go for an afternoon stroll or cycle right across the north of England. As much of the Trail follows old railway lines, canal towpaths and riverside paths it is relatively flat and well signed. The easy gradients and surfaced paths make many sections suitable for families with young children and provide a great facility for gentle exercise for people recovering from health issues and those using wheelchairs or pushchairs.
The Trans Pennine Trail is a great place to get out and take some exercise – whether you want to walk, cycle or horse ride. Experts agree that regular moderate exercise can help protect the body from many illnesses an conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, obesity, diabetes and cancer. It’s also a great way to relieve stress and stay happy by providing a great way for everyone to re-connect with nature right on their doorstep.
Get in touch with your Local Authority and ask about nature walks, health walks and cycle rides. There will also be a good number of local walking and cycling groups that are always keen to welcome new members on board – so don’t worry about having to get active on your own, there’s always someone there to lend a helping hand.
As the route is well served by public transport it’s easy to plan a walk or cycle ride along the Trail. There are also a number of car parks accommodating horse boxes providing great access for our equestrian users. So what are you waiting for…
Please contact the Trans Pennine Trail Office for a free information pack and details of the three saleable route maps available. Telephone 01226 772574 info@transpenninetrail.org.uk www.transpenninetrail.org.uk
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3 Places, 1 Steel Story
Kelham Island Museum Celebrating 100 Years of Stainless Steel! 1 April - 27 Nov Rustless: The Harry Brearley Story Exhibition 1 April - 31 Dec Stay Bright - Keep Bright Exhibition 20 & 21 July 1940’s Wartime Weekend & Vintage Fayre 21 & 22 Sept Down by the Riverside 30 Nov & 1 Dec 21st Victorian Christmas Market
Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet Open 31 March - 6 October Our exciting £1million Heritage Lottery Fund restoration project begins! Family Events, Traditional Crafts and Skills, Living History Tours – find out more at simt.co.uk Shepherd Wheel Open every weekend and Bank Holiday Monday
Find out more at www.simt.org.uk T: 0114 272 2106 E: ask@simt.co.uk Signpost - page 64
Allied Air Forces Memorial
Tremendous atmosphere, Fascinating exhibits & Historic aircraft A Great Family Day Out • Ideal for Coach Parties!! Licensed Restaurant • Open daily Elvington, York, YO41 4AU. Tel: 01904 608595 museum@yorkshireairmuseum.org www.yorkshireairmuseum.org