August 2012 ÂŁ1.95
ANTIQUES
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WILDLIFE
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FOOD
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INTERIORS
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GARDENING
Hazy Days Dining alfresco
Bee Happy Gardening to save the bumblebees
INSIDE STORY
Inspiration for your home and garden
Spread Out Perfect summer picnics
COUNTY KITCHENS
(Leyburn) Ltd
Exquisite new range of handmade kitchens now in stock. Please ask for our complimentary brochure Telephone: 01969 624274 Visit our website: www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk Open: Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 10am-1pm
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Showroom: Belle Vue Offices, Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5AW
From the editor August/September 2012
Everyone out!
With plenty of lovely warm weather in prospect (in theory, at least) and lengthy school holidays to fill, high summer is the time of year that everyone wants to be out enjoying the Dales. So I make no apology for the fact that this issue of Dales Life concentrates singlemindedly on helping you do just that.
Picnics in Prospect Summer wouldn’t be summer without a picnic or two, and here on our doorsteps we have some of the country’s most spectacular picnic locations – Malham Cove is my personal favourite. If you want to rustle up some tasty treats to take with you then turn to p.96, where you’ll find some scrumptious recipes from Annie Bell. Alternatively, if you’re planning to dine in the privacy of your own garden, add a touch of Mediterranean chic to your outdoor supper party with the stylish recipes on p.65.
Moor to Do
For Peat's Sake Page 32
Fancy getting to grips with the great outdoors, but not quite sure where to go? Then why not follow the fascinating walk in verdant Swaledale that’s detailed in our feature on p.92? The heather moors that give the higher slopes of the Dales a beautiful purple tinge in August are a national treasure, and you can read about this rare and fascinating environment in Professor Chris Baines’ article on p.32. You’ll find lots of other suggestions for enjoying summer throughout the magazine, so there’s no excuse for not getting out there and making the most of it. We’ll be back again in early autumn with more news and views about the Dales – see you then!
Sue Gillman Editor
Bake It Page 56
To advertise in Dales Life please contact Sue on 01904 629 295 or 07970 739 119 email: sue@daleslife.com web: www. daleslife.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Bespoke doors Cast iron radiators Oak ooring Period replaces Handmade kitchens Wood stoves Wallpapers and paints by Little Green Paint Company Carpets and rugs by Crucial Trading
View our on-line brochure at www.periodhousestore.co.uk
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Unit 3-7 Simpson Buildings, Borough Road, Gallow elds Trading Estate, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4SX Tel: 01748 821500
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Contents
August/September 2012
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32
9 Subscribe to Dales Life
August 2012 £1.95
Go to www.daleslife.com for further details
ANTIQUES
|
WILDLIFE
|
FOOD
|
INTERIORS
|
GARDENING
Hazy Days Dining alfresco
Bee Happy Gardening to save the bumblebees
INSIDE STORY
Inspiration for your home and garden
Spread Out Perfect summer picnics
Features 9 Emporium Inspiring ideas for your home and garden. 14 Roundup Out and about in the Dales. 16 Bee Happy Ambra Edwards explains how you can make even the smallest garden a haven for bees. 25 Inside Story Elegant living, Yorkshire style.
32 For Peat’s Sake Our heather moorlands are Europe’s finest and they need our help, says Professor Chris Baines. 40 Dig It Late-planted fennel can still give you a tasty crop, says Adam Appleyard. 46 The Discerning Diner Claudia Blake visits The Morritt, Greta Bridge.
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Contents
August/September 2012
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110
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Features To advertise in Dales Life contact Sue on 01904 629295 or 07970 739119 sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com
Editor: Sue Gillman Deputy Editor: Brian Pike Production: Claudia Blake Advertising: Sue Gillman Art Editor: Stefan Suchomski Fashion Editor: Chloe Smith Proofreader: Helen Stevens Contributors: Adam Appleyard, Ambra Edwards, Brian Pike, Chloe Smith, Chris Baines, Claudia Blake, Ian Henry, Laurie Campbell Proprietor: Sue Gillman T: 01904 629295 M: 07970 739119 E: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com Dales Life, Holgate Villas, Suite N, 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB 6
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
56 Bake It Delight your dinner party guests with these recipes from Paul Hollywood.
92 A Walk In Swaledale This easy walk circles Fleetham and follows the River Swale.
65 Hazy Days Recreate a holiday atmosphere with this inspiring collection of Mediterranean recipes.
96 Spread Out Turn your picnic into a real treat, with these delicious dishes by Annie Bell.
74 The Big Cheese A big hit with visitors to the creamery, this luscious cheesecake packs a punch. 77 Dales Diary A guide to local events, compiled by Elaine Pollard.
108 Skin Deep Sue Gillman takes a look at some fresh new products for Summer 110 Of Meissen Men Brian Pike on the colourful history of Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer. 128 To Dine For Great places to eat and stay in the Yorkshire Dales.
All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction must be sought from the publisher. Freelance contributions welcomed. The views and opinions expressed in Dales Life are not necessarily those of the publishers or their employees.
W O N N PE O B E S P O K E | C O N T E M P O R A RY | M O D E R N | C L A S S I C
From design to installation, quality individual kitchens designed especially for you. PARTNERS TO:
WE ALSO STOCK
OPEN MON - FRI 9AM - 5PM | SAT 10AM - 4PM
168-170 Skipton Road | Harrogate | HG1 4PS | t: 01423 537 627 Find us in The Abacus Building, through the Esso garage forecourt and opposite Majestic Wine on the Skipton Road A59.
www.lewisandhobbs.co.uk
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Silverdale official stockists OF
Kit Heath • Ortak • Nomination The widest christening range in the area High quality gifts for retirement, anniversaries, weddings etc Diamond jewellery for all tastes Repairs and alterations
37 North End, Bedale 01677 427222 info@silverdalejewellers.co.uk Jewellery boutique in Garthway Arcade Northallerton Clogau gold in Bedale only, Nomination in Northallerton only
Visit our beautiful shop in Bedale. We stock a gorgeous range of designer yarns, from cashmere, silks, baby alpacas, Mulberry silk, mohair to British sheep breeds. Exciting range of patterns, needles and accesssories. Babies and Toddlers clothes by Powell Craft
New Jersey, for everyone who loves to knit. new jersey, 38 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1EQ. 01677 427746 www.newjerseywools.co.uk
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Emporium
Inspiring ideas‌
for your home
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3 1 Fabulous fabrics from the Voyage Country collection, available from CB Furnishings, Northallerton, 01609 772916, www.cbfurnishings.co.uk. 2 Pretty green heart sign from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464, www.dovetailinteriors.com. 3 Hand-embroidered apple rose cushion from Patchwork Rose, Bedale, 01677 427627, www.patchworkrose.co.uk. 4 Gorgeous pink hearts teapot from Serendipity, Leyburn, 01969 622112. 5 Delightful Battenburg Mug by Martin Wiscombe, available from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464, www.dovetailinteriors.com. 6 Set of twelve antique pots in a crate, available from The Period Garden Store, Richmond, 01748 821500, www.periodgardenstore.co.uk.
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PepperCorn House Furniture & Interiors in Hurworth
Reinvented, Recycled & Revived • Upholstery • Bespoke Service • Furniture Commissions • Home Accessories 01325 401778 or 07961 967070 | www.peppercornhouse.com The Grange, 41 Hurworth Road, Hurworth Place, Darlington DL2 2BN
B E A R C OT TAG E I N T E R I O R S Period & Contemporary Country Design Bespoke design service ranging from a single cushion cover to a complete home design package
Curtains & Blinds, Fabric, Furniture, Lamps Mirrors, Bespoke Joinery. The Cattle Market, Market Place, Hawes, DL8 3RD Tel 01969 666077
www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk
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Emporium
Inspiring ideas‌ 1
for your home
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1 Environmentally friendly, quality paints by The Little Greene Paint Company Ltd, available from The Period House Store, Richmond, 01748 821500, www.periodhousestore.co.uk. 2 Wicker picnic basket, perfect for summer days, available from Peppercorn House, Hurworth, 01325 401778, www.peppercornhouse.com. 3 Traditional folding fine wire chair, available from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464, www. dovetailinteriors.com. 4 Hand-finished bird house clock by Thomas Kent, available from Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464, www.dovetailinteriors.com. 5 Stunning collection of fabrics from Vanessa Arbuthnott, available from Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes, 01969 666077, www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk.
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Bespoke Oak Doors
Rachel Brown Design
BES PO K E FA B R IC L AM P SH AD E MA KER
◆ ◆ ◆
EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DOORS DOOR FRAMES ◆ ARCHITRAVE ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE
◆ ◆ ◆
Tel 01677 427400
www.bespokeperioddoors.com
Welcome to the party Montpellier Event Management have over 10 years experience in creating unique, dynamic events.
Fabric; Ashley Wilde, Smoke, trimmed with Chocolate Teardrop Coque and Goose Biots. This shade and one other is on display and for sale at William & Victoria's Wine Bar, Harrogate
Whether it’s a meeting, conference, promotion or a private party, we will tailor a bespoke event to suit your budget. Our services include complimentary venue finding to full event management and production.
Free Artistic Direction and Home Consultations if desired. All work undertaken including simple covering, Fan pleating, Knife pleating, Box pleating, Rouching and Swathing. Contact Rachel on t 01765 640335 m 07715 305642 rachelarbrown@btinternet.com
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Montpellier Event Managemant Park House, West Courtyard, Hornby North Yorkshire, DL8 1DG www.montpellierevents.co.uk t 01748 818889 m 07979 421212
When your first impression has to count… GMW Interiors The Studio now open in Richmond GMW Interiors offers friendly and professional advice an all aspects of interior décor. From a simple colour consultation to a fully project managed refurbishment we will work together to achieve your desired look within your budget. 2 Mowbray House, Olympic Way, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond. DL10 4FB 07801 384682 / 01748 518183 gillwilkinson01@btconnect.com www.gmwinteriors.co.uk
…we make affordable home styling and property staging easy
Creating beautiful homes We specialise in unusual and elegant furnishings decorative items and gifts, all at realistic prices. Our new store in Leyburn has a wide selection of Voyage fabrics, cushions and furniture, Steiff bears, candles, decorative wall mounts, lighting and much more. We aim to bring a fresh style to your home, by making beautiful and unusual items more readily available.
15 Market Place, Leyburn N. Yorkshire DL8 5BD 01969 625018 www.countryhouse.tv
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In Tents Offering what must be some of the quirkiest accommodation in North Yorkshire, Bivouac Swinton is a new venture providing guests with affordable but cosy lodgings in a charming collection of rustic shacks and yurts – with a camping barn thrown in for good measure. It’s set in the rolling landscape of the Swinton Park Estate, near Masham, so there’s plenty to see and do in the area, including the Druid’s Temple (an intriguing local folly), lush
woodland and spectacular moorland walking right on the doorstep. It all sounds like goodnatured, eco-friendly fun, with a family play room, walled garden and welcoming café on site – and, for hardier visitors, a variety of exciting adventure sports on offer. Prices start at just £18 per person per night (that’s the camping barn), and you can check the website for late-booking discounts on woodland shack or yurt packages. Bivouac Swinton www.thebivouac.co.uk 01765 535020
Roundup
Out and about in the Dales
Just the Ticket for Gardeners Preparations are well under way for one of the UK’s key gardening events, The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show, which takes place at the Great Yorkshire Showground from 14th to 16th September. And there’s a generous £2.50 discount on tickets booked before 4th September. As always there'll be horticultural inspiration aplenty, with over 100 leading nurseries creating amazing displays of plants (expect to see more than 5,000 immaculate autumn blooms). Specialist events range from the largest exhibition of bonsai outside Japan to one of the UK’s most important honey shows, along with the National Onion Championship, in which contributors will vie to smash last year’s world record for the heaviest onion. With talks and demonstrations, expert advice, a Cookery Theatre, dozens of food outlets and a wealth of craft and gift stalls, it's an unmissable day out. Harrogate Autumn Flower Show www.flowershow.org.uk, 01423 546157
Go With the Flow
Spotting wildlife on the riverbank, with Professor Chris Baines.
owground Great Yorkshire Sh ptember Se th 16 from 14th to 14
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Gardener’s Delight…
Venue – and Menu There can be few more impressive wedding venues in the Dales than Thorp Perrow – a gorgeous mansion near Bedale, family home of Sir John and Lady Ropner and worldfamous for its extraordinary arboretum.
Now le lab v a ai r fo g in weddre hi
Thorp Perrow is a stunning lakeside house which, belying its imposing 18th century facade, dates back to the Middle Ages. Newly available for wedding hire, it can hold up to 60 people for smaller events or – with marquees – up to 400 guests. Top-quality catering, of course, is vital to the success of a wedding, and exclusive rights to cater for private events at Thorp Perrow have been granted to CWC Malings, a bespoke catering company who have catered for Ropner family functions for a number of years. Whether it’s an informal buffet lunch or a full silver-service meal, their dedicated team offers the exceptional level of service and attention to detail that will help make a special day truly memorable. CWC Malings www.cwcevents.co.uk 01748 831100
Gardeners looking for inspiration – old hands and enthusiastic beginners alike – will definitely want to make a beeline for the newly opened Wensleydale Home and Garden Centre in Leyburn. Located in the old station yard in Harmby Road, it’s a cheerful, friendly and attractively laid-out place, with expert advice always on hand to guide your choices. It’s crammed with luxuriant, healthy plants, including a huge range of trees, shrubs, houseplants, perennials and bedding plants. There’s also a unique selection of garden tools, stoneware, garden furniture, hanging baskets, gazebos and unusual statuary – in short, everything you need to help you create a truly beautiful garden. A particular highlight is the magnificent selection of competitively priced topiary. Topiary plants can instantly transform a space, adding structure, interest and a touch of old-fashioned elegance – ideal if you’re looking to give your garden or frontage a quick boost. Wensleydale Home and Garden Centre Station Yard, Harmby Road, Leyburn 01969 625397
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bee
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Words: Ambra Edwards; Pictures: RHS Images
Even the smallest garden can become a haven for bees, says Ambra Edwards.
O
f the 250 species of bee native to Britain, nearly one quarter are currently endangered. Particularly hard hit are the bumblebees: two species have become extinct within the last 70 years, and several more are hovering on the brink. Two in particular, the Shrill Carder Bee and the Great Yellow Bumblebee, have declined to critical levels. The latter was once common throughout the UK, but is now found only on the northernmost shores and islands of Scotland. Though modern pesticides, and virulent diseases such as the varroa mite, have played their part, the decline in bee populations
is believed to stem mainly from changes in agricultural practices that have seen productivity increase at the expense of our native wildflowers. We have lost an incredible 97% of our flower-rich grassland since the 1930s, and because bees rely entirely on flowers for their food, it is no wonder they are suffering. Fortunately, we gardeners can take practical steps to help. There are over a million hectares of gardens in Britain, and by choosing beefriendly plants, rich in pollen and nectar, we can go some way to redressing the balance. We can also help by providing suitable habitat, such as an area of rough grass at the base of a hedge. This will attract small voles to nest, and their nests will later be AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Rather than mowing every inch of lawn, why not let an area grow into a mini-wildflower meadow?
used by bumblebees. Solitary bees will nest in dry, hollow stems. Bee nest-boxes are commercially available, but some upturned flowerpots under the hedge, with lumps of dry moss underneath, will do equally well.
Nectar Points Nectar contains sugars and provides adult bees with an energy source, while the pollen grains, rich in proteins and oils, provide food for developing larvae. Old-fashioned cottage garden flowers and 18
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single blooms tend to be richest in pollen and nectar, while double flowers and modern hybrids offer very little. Avoid plants that have long, thin tubular blooms that are too narrow for bees to feed from. Catmint, sedums, verbenas, knautia, fuchsias and plants with daisy-like flowers are all excellent choices, along with fragrant herbs like mint and lavender. The more variety you can offer, the wider the range of visitors you will attract.
Spread the Joy Try to plant a succession of flowers that will provide food from late February right through to October. It is crucial that bees find plenty of pollen from the start of the season, when the queens are establishing their nests, right through to autumn, when the new queens are fattening up ready for hibernation. Keep plants in flower longer by regular deadheading: there’s no more pleasant task for a summer evening. If you cut back hardy geraniums and catmint
(Nepeta) as soon as the flowers have faded, they will reward you with a second sprinkling of flowers later in the season.
Go Wild Rather than mowing every inch of lawn, why not let an area grow into a mini-wildflower meadow? Grasses will try to dominate in this situation, so you will need to add flowers in the form of plug plants – though self-heal, knapweed and ox-eye daisies will probably appear as if by magic, and in a damp area you AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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may be lucky enough to find ragged robin or lady’s smock settling in. Alternatively, seed a small area with a flower-meadow seed mix, or strip off the grass and lay down a pre-sown wildflower mat for instant and reliable results. If a meadow isn’t an option, try to work a few native wildflower species into your plantings. Cowslips, cranesbills and scabious are all highly decorative, and there are few sights
more enchanting than a fat, dozy bumblebee nosing its way into the cups of a foxglove.
On the Tiles A green roof on a log store or shed provides an extra resource for the bees, especially if planted with red clover. Ready-made wildflower mats are available for these situations, and contain a mix of suitable species.
Top Tips for Bee-Lovers • Don’t be too fussy about your lawn. Grass that’s full of daisies and dandelions, red clover and bird’s foot trefoil is much better for bees. • Avoid garden chemicals. Insecticides kill bees and 20
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butterflies as well as garden pests. • If a bee approaches you, don’t flap. Bees only sting when they feel threatened, so stay calm and move slowly away, ideally into the shade
For a full list of bee-friendly plants see the RHS ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ campaign at www.rhs.org.uk. Where to buy bee-friendly plants–Wensleydale Home and Garden Centre. Harmby Rd, Leyburn. 01969 625397
MILNERS of Leyburn Inspiration for your home
Your local department store for style and personal service Carpets • Rugs • Curtains • Blinds • Lighting • Bedding Ladies & Gents Fashion and Accessories
6 Market Place, Leyburn DL8 5BJ t 01969 622208 e sales@milnersofleyburn.co.uk w www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk
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SANDERSON & CO
INTERIOR DECORATING SUPPLIERS Looking for colour and inspiration? We can help you! We stock the Dulux Tailor Made Colour collection, offering over 1200 colours which can be mixed in any finish you want
Special purpose paints • Kitchen • Bathroom • Endurance •Light & Space •Weathershield Finishes available in Flat Matt, Matt, Soft Sheen, Silk, Eggshell, Satinwood and Gloss
High Street, Leyburn | Tel: 01969 623143
Heidi’s Bathrooms
formerly B A T H R O O M S D I R E C T
Come and visit our stylish new showroom where we have a range of stunning bathroom suites on display.
01677 425788 sales@bathrooms-direct.net www.bathrooms-direct.net John H Gills Yard, 1 Leeming Lane Leeming Bar DL7 9AB 22
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DOVETAIL INTERIORS Furniture Home Accessories Gifts
17 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1ED 01677 426464 www.dovetailinteriors.com
Sophisticated Style
The very best in natural, luxurious rattan furniture‌
For further information, please call Kath or Colin Blanchard on 01748 811773 or 07764 279815 www.canefurniturenorthyorkshire.co.uk Showrooms at Leeming Bar are now open Saturday 10am till 2pm, other times by appointment AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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It’s a Gift If you want to add a touch of elegance and style to your home – or find beautiful and unusual gifts at realistic prices – Countryhouse Gifts and Interiors in Leyburn Market Place has a splendid selection of luscious furnishings and decorative items that should fit the bill. New owner Nina Swainston has put together an array of gorgeous goodies including Steiff bears, stunning Voyage fabrics , furniture, Orchid Designs silver-plated gifts,
Border candles, VIP Design scarves, Sarome gifts for men, Jodds greeting cards and gift wrap and Angela Hewitt animal design cards – to name but a few. Animal lovers will adore the striking decorative pieces, including a finely modelled white glazed horse head, a silver
antelope wall mount and a tall, glossy white leopard. Nina is currently working on the new website, which will feature all this and much more. Countryhouse Gifts and Interiors 01969 625018 www.countryhouse.tv
The Inside Story Elegant Living, Yorkshire Style
STAGE COACH
In her splendid new studio on the outskirts of Richmond, Gill Wilkinson offers all the services you would expect from an interior design consultancy – and a few that you might not. If you’re in search of a new look, qualified designer Gill can help you with friendly, creative advice on all aspects of interior design, from simplest of colour schemes to a complete refurbishment. Gill, who trained with
Ann Maurice of Channel 5’s The House Doctor, also offers something that is still a relatively new service in these parts: property
staging. If you want to sell or rent a home, Gill can help you de-clutter and reorganise it to maximise space and light and ensure that it appeals to the widest possible market. In these tough times, sellers and renters need all the help they can get. Property staging is modestly priced, but clearly has the potential to save you thousands in the long run. GMW Interiors www.gmwinteriors.co.uk 01748 518183
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Open and Shut Case
For sheer beauty and style, nothing beats real wood. Bespoke Oak Doors use time-honoured techniques and the finest carefully selected European oak to create stunning doors in various finishes, for internal or external use. You can see the results in their spacious Bedale showroom. There are oak skirting boards, architrave mouldings, and an unrivalled range of period and contemporary architectural hardware.
The Artful Lodger
These doors aren’t just beautiful and long-lasting, they have excellent fire-resistance and are environmentally friendly, with wood sourced from responsibly managed plantings. Everyone at Bespoke Oak Doors is passionate about wood, and happy to sit down with customers and discuss their requirements. Bespoke Oak Doors www.bespoke-oak-doors.com 01677 427400 26
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Husband and wife team James and Sarah Gawthorpe have clearly hit the spot with their beautiful development of 32 luxury cedar wood log cabins just a short walk from the shops, pubs and other amenities of the charming village of West Tanfield. Set in six acres of landscaped grounds, and surrounded by mature trees and open countryside, the cabins – many of which overlook a lake – offer stylish, bespoke contemporary living space, with sumptuously appointed kitchens and bathrooms and every home comfort.
Double-glazed and generously insulated, they offer a cosy rural retreat, whatever the weather, and are ideally placed for those who want easy access to the Dales, Ripon, York and beyond. If you’re interested, though, you’ll need to get your skates on, because Dales-lovers keen to secure themselves a rural retreat – along with canny investors sensing a bargain – have already started snapping them up. West Tanfield Luxury Lodges www.westtanfieldluxury lodges.com 01677 470284
Double-glazed and generously insulated, they offer a cosy rural retreat
Floor Show Is your floor a bit of a bore? A carefully chosen rug or two can instantly transform a room, and if you’re looking for something really special then be sure to check out the exciting new collection of rugs currently on show at Milners of Leyburn. Whether your tastes incline towards contemporary, vintage or traditional, you’ll find plenty of inspiration and a dazzling array of colours, shapes and dimensions. The Milners collection includes superb rugs from Mastercraft and Plantation Rug Company that tick all the right boxes: wool-based, top quality,
affordably priced and bang on trend. With the Olympics in the headlines daily, Plantation Rug Company’s ‘Jack’ design, a clever reinterpretation of the Union Jack in muted red, white and blue antique washed wool, is bound to be popular. And with a bespoke service available, the only limit is your imagination – whatever size, colourscheme or style you fancy can be yours. Milners of Leyburn www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk 01969 622208
And with a bespoke service available, the only limit is your imagination
Loxley furniture is crafted to meet customers’ individual requirements, and with its beautiful timbers, hardwood frames, extrathick doors and dovetailjointed drawer boxes – and, in short, uncompromising concern for quality and attention to detail – is built to be enjoyed for a lifetime. At the showroom you
can also see the awardwinning Metris range with its bold styling and innovative use of materials – so whether you’re looking for a classic country look or urban chic, Lewis & Hobbs is a great place to start. Lewis & Hobbs www.lewisandhobbs.co.uk 01423 537627
By Design The kitchen is the heart of any home, and if you would like to turn yours into something special, Lewis & Hobbs’ new luxury showroom in Harrogate – it opened in May – showcases some stunning and inspirational ideas, ranging from classic to contemporary. Lewis & Hobbs are the only kitchen supplier in Yorkshire partnered with Edwin Loxley, the Nottingham firm that produces some of Britain’s most highly regarded bespoke kitchen furniture.
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A master of the Art Traditional craftsmen are few and far between nowadays, and there aren’t many that can claim to offer bespoke joinery in which every piece is entirely handbuilt from raw materials. Master cabinet maker Peter Grainger, though, is an honourable exception. With over four decades of experience in the business, PR and N Grainger of Bedale are highly respected local specialists in all forms of bespoke joinery, and have worked up and down the country on a variety of specialist projects. They can create everything from stylish and practical kitchens to elegant bedrooms and bathrooms and immaculately crafted free-standing furniture. 28
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Peter prides himself on exceptional workmanship and competitive prices Their gorgeous granite worktops which are a delight to the eye, but also eminently practical – have also won them an enviable reputation. Peter prides himself on exceptional workmanship and competitive prices, and
offers a comprehensive service that covers everything from developing initial ideas through to those all-important finishing touches. PR and N Grainger www.graingerkitchens.co.uk 01677 424671
The best bed in the world for your back is now available in the UK ✔ The only bed system to provide upward support to the spine ✔ Unique, patented, hydraulic pump system and specially designed
mattress ensure your back is always perfectly supported
✔ Helps to alleviate lower back pain, disc problems, lumbago, sciatica,
hernia pain, arthritis, rheumatism and many more painful conditions
✔ Scientifically proven to improve sleep quality and reduce
tossing and turning
✔ Over 10,000 beds already sold ✔ Two month money back guarantee ✔ 12 year product guarantee
Dorsoo UK Freephone: 08006 123452 www.dorsoo.co.uk email: info@dorsoo.co.uk UK Showroom Westwood House, Annie Med Lane, South Cave, HU15 2HG
Sleep without back pain AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Chalk Pastel Paintings
KIM BURN
ANIMAL PORTRAITURE
Email: kimburn@hotmail.co.uk Telephone: 07803 170077
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www.kimburn.co.uk
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Boundless Beads
Fine art photography for your home
www.boundlessbeads.com Workshops and Kits plus Jewellery using only the finest quality Components.
• Bumps • Newborns • Children • Family • • Couples • Weddings • Pets •
Open Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm Saturday 10.00am -5.00pm Unit 3, The Craft Yard,The BridgeAiskew, DL8 1BZ , UK Tel: 01677 425544
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www.inspirationalspaces.com To book call Caroline on 0780 313 6023 today! 5 Castle Hill,Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4QP @CarolineAONeill
Gatsby’s hairdressing now stocking Pleasure State Lingerie
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Models required for Jane 9a Market Place, Bedale AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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For Peat’s Sake Our heather moorlands are Europe’s finest – and they need our help, says Professor Chris Baines.
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Images Laurie Campbell Left: Red Grouse; Below: Merlin
Peat bogs and heather moorlands all across the uplands are being reinvigorated by Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, the water companies and others.
A
s you gaze out over the glorious purple heather of Yorkshire’s moors, it is difficult to imagine that this is one of the world’s rarest wildlife habitats. It is also an asset that the UK needs to take special care of. Britain has the lion’s share of Europe’s upland heathland, and although our moors have suffered serious loss and damage for decades, there are now exciting schemes to protect and restore these very special wild places. I grew up in Sheffield, so the moors are in my blood. This summer’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout brought back early memories of striding out through waist-high heather, of picnicking on bracken-covered hillsides, and of tongues and fingers stained deep purple by the annual bilberry harvest. Twenty years ago the BBC’s Countryfile flew me by helicopter to the top of Kinder Scout so that the late Benny Rothman could relive the moment in his youth when he led a small army of protesters into their heather-covered promised land. As Benny stepped out onto the peat it was clear that this wild and windswept landscape had lost none of its magical appeal.
Heather and bilberries dominate these uplands, but in the wetter areas and around the shallow pools the waving sheets of cotton grass can be glorious. There are also less obvious moorland plants that help to make this habitat very special. The lack of fertility AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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in peatland soils is a challenge for most plants, but two wetland specialists have adapted very cleverly. Sundew and butterwort are both insectivorous wild flowers that supplement their food supply by trapping flies on their sticky leaves and slowly absorbing nutrients from the corpses. Several spectacular animals call the heather moorland home, too. The ptarmigan and the mountain hare both turn white for the winter. Their camouflage is almost perfect in snowy conditions, although climate change is starting to expose a flaw in this survival strategy. The merlin is the classic moorland bird of prey. It is a high-speed hunter, and if you are lucky you may spot a brown blur streaking low over the heather, searching for an unsuspecting grouse chick or a meadow pipit. Hen harriers are much bigger birds of prey, and Yorkshire’s 34
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moorlands are a national stronghold, but the years of persecution by gamekeepers took a heavy toll on all birds of prey, and numbers have only recently started to recover. Several bird species move to the moorland for the summer. My favourite amongst them is the curlew. With its long wading legs and curved beak it spends the winter feeding on the coastal mud flats of our tidal estuaries, but come the spring these handsome birds move to the mountains, and their rolling call is a key part of the soundtrack of summer on the moors. Lapwing, golden plover, oystercatcher and other coastal waders all breed up in the hills too, as does one of our most elusive wild thrushes. Whilst we are all familiar with the redwings and fieldfares that migrate from Scandinavia and the frozen north to strip
our garden shrubs of autumn fruits, the ring ouzel is a thrush that migrates from the south to spend the summer here. With its white ‘dog collar’ it looks for all the world like an ecclesiastical blackbird, and its favoured habitat is the swift-flowing streams that splash over the edge of heather moorland. Moorland has always been important as a wildlife resource, but it is now beginning to be recognised as a vital part of the nation’s natural life-support system. The old water corporations in Bradford, Leeds and elsewhere understood its significance as a living water storage system more than a century ago, which is why the modern water companies still own or manage so much of this landscape. And nowadays the peat bogs are starting to be seen as equally important for the role they play in storing carbon.
Main picture: Hare's-tail Cottongrass; Above: Cowberry; Below: Curlew
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Bog Rosemary
Ring Ouzel
The key to both these ‘ecosystem services’ is waterlogging. The peat accumulates under a healthy surface layer of sphagnum moss, and this plant needs to be completely saturated if it is to grow. For a century or more, though, the peat has been encouraged to dry out. Artificial drains or ‘grips’ have been used to drain the water and improve the land for sheep, and as the peat has dried it has lost the capacity to soak up rainwater. As a consequence we have dry streams in summer, flash floods in spring, and carbon is being released into the atmosphere on a massive scale. The carbon emissions now being released from Britain’s upland peat each year are equivalent to those
produced by a third of a million households. Concern about climate change, flood risk and water shortages has prompted an imaginative response. Peat bogs and heather moorlands all across the uplands are being reinvigorated by Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, the water companies and others. Last century’s drainage ditches are being dammed, the rainwater is being contained, the sphagnum moss is starting to grow much more vigorously and the peat is accumulating once again. This is great news for streams and rivers in the valleys, the wild moorland plants and animals, and, of course, the purple tongues and fingers of future bilberry pickers.
Moorland Marvels… The UK is home to 75% of Europe’s upland heath habitat and 15% of the world’s blanket peat bog.
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The moors contain an estimate 580 million tonnes of stored carbon in the form of peat.
‘Hefted’ flocks of sheep roaming the moors act more like wild animals than domestic ones. They are strongly linked to their home mountain, and ‘weather ewes’ seem able to anticipate snow and lead their flock down from the mountain to safety.
Loss of peat through burning, drainage and drying is currently releasing an estimated 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year – but fortunately the damage can be reversed relatively cheaply and quickly.
In the UK, bilberries are picked by a few families for personal use. In France, where they are known as ‘myrtilles’, they are a major wild commercial crop and feature in patisserie and liqueurs.
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
The home of inspiration
At CB furnishings we have everything you need for the perfect home. Step into our store where you can explore a wide range of home, designer and contemporary furnishings, bedding, lighting and kitchenware and much more. We also offer a home consultation and fitting service. Why not use our knowledge and expertise to create your dream home.
Standard Way, Northallerton DL6 2XA 01609 772916 8 Castlegate, Thirsk, YO7 1HL 01845 525575 www.cbfurnishings.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Floor tiles cleaned and sealed Kitchens • Conservatories • Halls Sandstone • Terracotta Travertine • Slate • Marble Limestone • Flag Stone • Ceramic
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Darlington branch 01740 645736 Harrogate branch 01937 582451 38
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Discover
Wensleydale
Home & Garden Centre
Now open in Leyburn
We have a wonderful selection of unique garden furniture, ornaments, stoneware, terracotta pots, compost, garden tools, bird feed and accessories. You will find a fantastic selection of plants, trees, shrubs, vegetables and herbs to suit the Dales climate. We also stock an exquisite range of Topiary trees which will enhance any garden. Open 7 days a week Station Yard, Harmby Road, Leyburn. Telephone 01969 625397
The Dales hard landscape specialists. High quality workmanship by an experienced and friendly team
Why have a concrete block-paved drive or path when you can have a beautiful and durable natural sandstone one for the same price?
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Tel: 01969 640457 Mobile: 07803 735000 E-mail: frank@stonescapes.com www.stonescapes.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Dig It
Late-planted fennel can still give you a tasty crop, says Adam Appleyard Phenomenal Fennel
Fennel is a terrific all-rounder, a treasure that no decent garden should be without. It ticks pretty much every box when it comes to vegetable virtues, starting with the fact that it’s almost stupidly easy to grow.
Fennel bulbs, with their cool, aniseedy flavour and crunchy texture, are delicious raw or cooked, and the plant's delicate, feathery leaves make a striking garnish. Bees and other insects are crazy about the large, flat, yellow-green flower heads – flower heads which, left on the plant, will produce a generous crop of aromatic seeds that give a real lift to curries and stir-fries. Quite apart from that, it’s a tall (up to 2m) and handsome plant that will add dignity to any border. Leave a plant or two untouched and the dried stems will add structural interest to your plot all through winter.
The Key Question There’s one thing we need to be very clear about: not all varieties of fennel are 40
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equal. Before you start planting you need to ask yourself whether you want something that looks good, or something that makes a good vegetable. For sheer visual impact – and, potentially, a bumper crop of spicy seeds – choose one of the so-called ‘bronze’ fennels, such as Foeniculum vulgare ‘Giant Bronze’. Bronze fennel’s clouds of copper-tinted leaves make it a real stunner, and they look particularly spectacular in evening sunlight. Left alone it will survive even bitter winters and return year after year, most likely selfseeding all over the place into the bargain. Try to eat Bronze fennel bulbs, though, and you’ll be mightily disappointed. For use in salads, sautés and stews you’ll have to plant Florence fennel instead. It may not look as good as its
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colourful cousin, but the bases of its stems will – with a little care – swell up into the familiar vegetable that you can find at the greengrocer’s. Fennel grows quickly, so you can still look forward to a respectable crop from a July sowing – just be sure to chose one of the faster-maturing varieties like ‘Sirio’ or ‘Heracles’. Even if the weather is unkind and the bulbs don’t plump up as much as you would like, you can still happily scoff the stems.
Fostering Your Fennel Fennel grows best in rich, freely draining soil in a sunny and sheltered spot – though to be honest it can tolerate a fairly wide range of conditions. For fennel bulbs, sow your Florence fennel in rows spaced 45cm apart and thin your seedlings to around 35cm apart. For producing seeds and for ornamental purposes, sow Bronze fennel in pots and plant out in clumps of three or five while the seedlings are still relatively small – potbound fennel won’t transplant well.
“Fennel grows quickly, so you can look forward to a respectable crop”
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Make Your Bed: Plant Green Manure! As the year wears on, beds begin to empty as you harvest your spring and early summer crops. Instead of just leaving them standing empty, why not plant a green manure? That’s right, manure doesn’t have to be a steaming pile of dung from the stables, it can be a nutritious vegetable crop. Choose the right species and it will both enrich your soil and help you to keep weeds at bay by smothering unwelcome invaders.
In clover An ideal choice for a green manure is our native British clover, Trifolium repens. Clover is a member of the pea family and, like all its leguminous cousins, it has special root nodules that will help to fix precious nitrogen in your soil. And, at just a pound or two for a packet of seeds, it’s one of the cheapest ways to give your soil a big boost.
Crop and chop Simply clear the ground and strew your clover seed. Rake it in, water well, and soon you should see the first stirrings of a thick crop of weed-suppressing three-lobed leaves. It’s as well to dig in your clover just before it flowers. Simply strim off the tops and dig the whole lot – leaves, stems, roots and all – into the soil as part of your normal annual digging regime.
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It’s important to keep Florence fennel well-watered in hot weather to stop it bolting. Feed liberally with potassium-rich fertiliser. As the bulbs start to develop, pile earth up around the base of each plant. This will blanch the bulbs, and also give them protection against surprise early autumn frosts.
Bronze fennel can be left pretty much to its own devices, although it will benefit from an occasional feed and water. You can eat the flowers – in moderation, obviously, or you won’t get any seeds. Harvest the seeds when they are brown. Dry them well and they should last you until next year’s seed crop is ready. Fennel seeds are fairly pungent and fennel usually crops heavily, so a couple of plants should be sufficient to meet your requirements. Replace your plants from self-sown freebies every three or four years.
“…for ornamental purposes, sow Bronze fennel in pots”
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Photographs were kindly provided by RHS Harlow Carr www.rhs.org.uk/ harlowcarr
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Visit our showrooms at: Lifetime Home Improvements Plews Way, Leeming Bar Ind. Estate Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9UL T: 01677 424381 W: www.lifetimeltd.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life 1|
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The Discerning Diner
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Claudia Blake visits The Morritt at Greta Bridge
O
n sunny summer weekends the A66 is a noisy jumble of nose-totail caravans, but you only need veer off the dual carriageway for a few hundred yards to find tranquility – and The Morritt Arms, a grand old ivy-clad reminder of the days when a horse-drawn carriage was the fastest transport most people could aspire to. Coaching inns, the Travelodges of their time, catered for vital overnight stops on lengthy journeys, and the hamlet of Greta Bridge once boasted three of them. Now only The Morritt Arms remains – though recently it has started styling itself as simply ‘The Morritt’, presumably in an attempt to present a more 21st century face to travellers queuing to get from the Dales to the Lakes and vice versa. This rebranding exercise has left the cosy lounge, with its maroon leather sofas, largely untouched. But the oak-clad dining room, Gilroy’s Restaurant, has now been decked out with assorted drapes and fabric panels in vibrant blues and shocking reds. Some of these panels look disconcertingly like magnified sections of the flock wallpaper favoured by Indian restaurants, and – slightly surreally – two of them have even been tacked to the ceiling. To my eye this does an
atmospheric old room no favours, and the stuff on the ceiling simply draws attention to the smoke alarms and sprinklers. According to The Morritt’s website, “prices [on the menu] are very competitive, we have adopted a straightforward approach with single-digit prices throughout”. Someone seems to have misunderstood the notion of a single digit, because if this were true then nothing would cost more than £9. In reality, the menu (which obstinately refuses to use pound signs) was full of double-digit prices such as ‘18’ (i.e. £18) – and, worse still, fractions. Why writing ‘7½’ is supposed to be more ‘straightforward’ than writing ‘£7.50’ is a mystery to me. The wine list operated on the same eccentric pricing system as the menu, but fortunately it was a thoughtful and wide-ranging selection, from which we chose a bottle of sprightly, gooseberry-sharp Cloudy Bay, one of my favourite Sauvignon Blancs. I wasn’t impressed by the fusion of traditional and modern in the décor, but Chef had definitely pulled off this clever trick with the food. Piers’ Yorkshire ham, black pudding and rabbit terrine looked like an elegant hunk of polished marble, and it arrived on a plate accompanied by three curled slices of
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carrot filled with carrot foam. Looks aren’t everything, of course, but the smoky tang of the black pudding and the contrasting textures of the ham and the rabbit gave the terrine a delightfully meaty punch. My starter, a pea and mint pannacotta, came in a shot glass on a plate decorated with pea shoots and a citrussy dressing. To be honest the texture was less that of a pannacotta and more that of a mousse or purée. But no matter, it made a suitably light and appealing summer evening starter – even if the dressing was arguably a touch too muscular for the delicate pea shoots. My main was a ‘deconstructed salad Niçoise’, which I ordered largely because I was intrigued by the description. The deconstruction consisted in artfully scattering the principal ingredients, variously treated, loosely across the plate, with a nicely grilled slab of tuna as the centrepiece. The anchovies put in an appearance as tempura fillets, and the olives as an olive pâté. Along with them came cherry tomatoes, quail eggs and some little coins of fried new potato. The potatoes were a touch overdone, and a general shortage of deconstructed salad dressing left the dish as a whole seeming a touch dry. It was, nonetheless, an enjoyable – and amusing – plateful.
Piers’ main involved three takes on lamb: loin, shoulder and sweetbread. All nicely done and, again, presented with flair, with a rosemary jelly, a pea and broad bean purée, a gravy and some potato dauphinoise all bringing little extra touches of jollity to the party. Desserts were a slightly mixed story. The lavender-infused crème brûlée left me slightly underwhelmed – the texture didn’t seem quite right, and it had an oddly savoury tang to it. It did, however, arrive with some excellent shortbread biscuits. Full marks, though, for the bitter chocolate fondant with espresso sauce, strawberries and malted milk ice cream. It had bags of rich, dark, deep flavours, but was still light enough not to floor you at the end of the meal. Service was friendly and efficient without being particularly formal, and we left feeling both well-fed and well-treated. Back in 1838 Charles Dickens stayed at The Morritt Arms and reported being given “a piece of beef about the size and much the shape of my portmanteau”. Portion sizes have clearly been refined a little since then, but echoes of the warmth and bonhomie of the coaching era still remain. For further information about The Morritt call 01833 627232 or visit www.themorritt.co.uk.
What to expect AA four-star hotel dining; enthusiastic, unstuffy service. Ambience Solid old coaching inn with some questionable splashes of pink and aquamarine. The bottom line For three courses, excluding drinks, we paid £32 per head.
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Value for money 7.5/10 High points Chef has a sense of fun and a keen eye for presentation. Also at The Morritt If the formal setting of the restaurant doesn’t suit, you can also eat from the à la carte menu in the bistro or the
Dickens bar, which is decorated with murals by John Gilroy, of Guinness poster fame. Ideal for Family celebrations when you feel like pushing the boat out a bit further than usual. Business jamborees. Not so good for Pedantic mathematicians.
Beautiful kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms at realistic prices.
We have been designing, manufacturing and installing kitchens for over 45 years. Our kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms are all handmade in our own workshops. Our overheads are minimal, we have no expensive showrooms to maintain, and this is reflected in our prices.
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Contact Peter or Nona to arrange a free consultation. . & N. Grainger P.R Cabinet Makers B es p o k e Kit ch e n s
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Unique and atmospheric 16th Century family-run country dining pub. Fabulous food at affordable prices. Recommended by all major good food guides. 10 minutes from Ripon, Harrogate and Knaresborough. Open for lunch Tuesday – Saturday 12.00 noon – 2.30 p.m. Sunday lunch 12.00 – 4.00 p.m. and dinner Tuesday – Saturday 5.30 – 9.30 p.m.
The Malt Shovel, Brearton HG3 3BX Tel. 01423 862929 email: bleikers@themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk
Occasional Opera evenings with Dinner. Jazz Trio with Sunday Lunch every month. Summer week-end all day barbecues if fine.
or book through our website www.themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk
For the Love of Food
Enjoy Roux Scholar Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn Modern British food using only the finest local ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented. Fine wines, real ales and friendly service Accommodation available
Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire Tel 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk 50
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Thorp Perrow~ The secret to your fairytale wedding] MALINGS LTD Best known for its stunning Arboretum, Thorp Perrow is now also the ideal setting for your dream wedding. With its elegant rooms, spectacular grounds and ornamental lakes, this stunning stately home is no longer Yorkshire’s best kept secret. With exquisite menus to choose from, whether it’s for an informal buffet or full silver service, we will work with you every step of the way to make sure your day is truly unforgettable.
01748 831100 § www.cwcevents.co.uk
Step into Swaledale Stay, Relax, Explore. On The Green, Reeth North Yorkshire
www.theburgoyne.co.uk enquiries@theburgoyne.co.uk Tel 01748 884292
All special occasions catered for AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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The Countryman’s Inn H U N T O N
The Countryman’s is a charming traditional Inn, offering friendly service and a warm welcome. Our AA award winning restaurant offers a tempting menu, using a variety of fresh local produce, much of which is home grown. Our 3 Star Inn recently “Highly Commended” for 2012, now has four modern en suite rooms, all refurbished which make an ideal base to explore the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. The Countryman’s Inn, Hunton, Near Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1PY T: 01677 450554 W: www.countrymansinn.co.uk
Breathtaking views, exceptional food and great service, The Queens Head is the ideal venue for weddings, christenings, private parties and family celebrations. New and exciting menu Fixed Price Lunch Menu from £6.50 and a Two course Early Diner offer from £13.50
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The Queens Head Finghall North Yorkshire 01677 450259 enquiries@queensfinghall.co.uk www.queensfinghall.co.uk
Luxury Hotel, Restaurant & Fish Bar
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New Heifer Tapas Menu
Available Monday - Saturday Lunchtimes
Early Bird Menu Available 6.00- 6.30pm Monday - Friday
West Witton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4LS Telephone: 01969 622 322 www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk
The White Bear Masham, North Yorkshire PUB
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The White Bear is a five star inn situated in the pretty market town of Masham, in the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales. Relax in our beautiful rooms and dine on the finest Yorkshire produce. Experience a real taste of the Dales.
01765 689 319 • thewhitebearhotel.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Food for Thought Q 59w_Quarter Page ad 22/02/201
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foodfor thought LIZ FAIRBURN T: 01677 460262 M: 07840 721052 E: lizfairburn@hotmail.co.uk www.meals2remember.co.uk WEDDINGS • DINNER PARTIES FAMILY CELEBRATION MEALS
New Chef Mark Gatty, has created an exciting range of dishes for the summer. Our stunning restaurant set deep in the rolling countryside offers you the perfect place to relax and enjoy some of the finest food in the Yorkshire Dales. Open 7 days a week, lunch time and evening. We can offer private dining for parties and have facilities for corporate events and meetings. Please visit our new web site to see our latest events For bookings and enquiries please telephone (01969) 663268 Hendersons Bar and Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth, North Yorkshire DL8 3SP www.westholme-estate.co.uk 54
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Stone House Hotel
Country House Hotel overlooking magnificent Wensleydale Open daily for: Coffee & Fresh Baking New A La Carte Lunch Menu 12-2pm Delicious Table D'Hote Dinner Menu 6.30-8.30pm Stone House - Health & Beauty Suite
Tel : (01969) 667571 Sedbusk. near Hawes. Wensleydale www.stonehousehotel.co.uk
THE BLUE LION
EAST WITTON
Tel: 01969 624273
Wednesday 22nd August to Saturday 25th August 2012
Morning coffee, afternoon teas and food served all day.
See our web site for full details or ring 01765 689000 (quote dales life on booking for a 10% discount)
The White Swan Hotel and Restaurant. Middleham, North Yorkshire DL8 4PE www.whiteswanhotel.co.uk
01969 622093
7 Silver Street, Masham, North Yorks, HG4 4DX Tel: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Bake It Delight your dinner party guests with these three exquisite recipes from Paul Hollywood, artisan baker and judge for The Great British Bake Off
PA S S I O N F R U I T S O U F F L É S makes 6 / prep 40 minutes / bake 10–12 minutes
These light, delicate soufflés have a superb flavour and make a very elegant dessert. Serve them as soon as they come out of the oven, without delay, as they will quickly start to subside. They’re surprisingly easy to make. Melted unsalted butter for greasing 140g caster sugar 6 medium egg whites and 2 egg yolks 30 0ml passion fruit juice (sieved from 20–25 fruits, or good-quality passion fruit juice/ smoothie from a carton) Icing sugar for dusting
1. H eat your oven to 220˚C. Brush 6 deep ramekins with melted butter and dust with caster sugar. 2. I n a large bowl, using an electric hand-held whisk, whisk the 2 egg yolks with 70g of the sugar for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick and holds a trail when the beaters are lifted. 3. I n another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining 70g sugar. 4. Add 60ml of the passion fruit juice to the egg yolk mixture and mix well. Stir one-third of the whisked whites into the yolk mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whites. 5. F ill the ramekins almost to the top with the soufflé mixture and run your finger around the edge to lift the mixture away from the side slightly (this helps it to rise evenly). Bake for 10–12 minutes until well risen and golden on top. 6. Immediately dust the soufflés with icing sugar and serve. Use the remaining passion fruit juice as a sauce – I like to break into a soufflé with a spoon and pour passion fruit juice inside.
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S m o k e d sal m on c h e e s e c a k e w it h l e m on v o d k a makes 6 / prep 30 minutes / bake 1 ¼ hours
I love cheesecakes, and savoury ones are so reminiscent of the 1970s. For the sake of nostalgia I just had to include one here, though with an updated twist. With its impressive high crust and rich, creamy filling, this is lovely served in small slices with a fresh green salad. 1 quantity shortcrust pastry Butter for greasing Flour for dusting 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk (eggwash), for glazing for the filling
275g cream cheese 220g smoked salmon, chopped 3 medium eggs, separated Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Finely grated zest and juice of lemon 30g plain flour 150g soured cream or crème fraîche 2 tsp lemon vodka 150ml full-fat milk Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Paprika for sprinkling for the pickled cucumber
Large cucumber, thinly sliced 1 tbsp white wine
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1. H eat your oven to 200˚C. Lightly butter a 20cm loosebased deep flan tin or shallow cake tin. 2. R oll out your shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round page 263, and use to line the prepared tin, leaving the excess hanging over the edge . 3. P rick the base all over with a fork, line with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 10–12 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans, brush the pastry case with eggwash and return to the oven for another 5–8 minutes to dry out the base and seal it. Trim off the rough edges and set the pastry case aside. Set aside to cool. Lower the oven setting to 160˚C. 4. To make the filling, put the cream cheese and smoked salmon into a food processor and whiz until evenly combined. Using the pulse button, incorporate the egg yolks, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice, flour, soured cream, vodka, milk and some seasoning (go easy with the salt as the salmon and cheese add plenty). Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then fold them gently into the mixture, using a large metal spoon. 5. S poon the filling into the prepared pastry case and smooth the surface. Bake for 1¼ hours or until the filling is set and springy to the touch.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the pickled cucumber. Toss the sliced cucumber in a bowl with the wine vinegar and some salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, turning the cucumber slices from time to time. 7. O nce the cheesecake is ready, remove from the oven and leave in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully release from the tin and let cool to warm on a wire rack. 8. T o serve, drain the pickled cucumber slices and pat dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle the cheesecake with paprika and serve warm with the pickled cucumber and a green salad on the side. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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W h it e c h o c olat e pu d d in g s w it h plu m s serves 6 / prep 30 minutes / bake 30 minutes
These little puds are sweet and delicate and go beautifully with the rich, deep flavour of plums. I like to pour on a little cream too. You could use other fruits – lightly poached cherries, perhaps, or fresh raspberries. Butter for greasing 50g good-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces 3 medium eggs, separated 100g caster sugar 1 tsp natural vanilla extract 50g ground almonds 25g fresh white breadcrumbs Icing sugar for dusting for the plums
300ml red wine 300g caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 3 star anise 250g plums, quartered and stoned
1. H eat your oven to 190˚C. Butter 6 darioles or other small pudding moulds. 2. M elt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. 3. M eanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with 50g of the sugar until the mixture is pale and thick and holds a trail when the beaters are lifted. Fold into the melted chocolate, then fold in the vanilla extract. 4. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the remaining sugar and whisk again until glossy and holding soft peaks. Fold a third of the whisked egg whites into the white chocolate mixture. Fold the ground almonds and breadcrumbs into the remaining whisked egg white, then fold this into the white chocolate mixture. 5. S poon the mixture into the prepared moulds – they should be a little over half-full. Stand the moulds in a deep roasting tray and pour hot water into the tray to come halfway up the sides of the moulds. Bake for 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, to prepare the plums, put the wine and sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Split the vanilla pod open, scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife and add both the pod and seeds to the red wine syrup together with the star anise. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add
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the plums to the syrup and poach for a few minutes or until tender (the time will depend on the ripeness of your plums). Remove from the heat. 7. T urn out the white chocolate puddings onto serving plates and dust with a little icing sugar. Serve with the plums in syrup, and cream if you like.
Recipes and photographs are from How to Bake by Paul Hollywood, published in hardback by Bloomsbury and available from all good booksellers, RRP ÂŁ20.
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12 Bottles of Wild Boar Rosé "A beautiful Rosé wine from Provence. Intense stony notes leading you into a light finish. Hints of berry and fruitiness throughout. Enjoy through late summer!"
12 Bottles of Wild Boar Rosé for only £90 including VAT Delivery free anywhere in North Yorkshire saving over £20 on RRP Order now 01765 601701 or email: info@yorkshirevintners.co.uk Limited stocks available and not for use in conjunction with any other offer. Standard delivery charges apply to all other orders within the UK, see our website for further details
Our New Warehouse can be found at: Yorkshire Vintners, Unit 2 Ripon Business Park, Charter Road, Ripon, HG4 1AJ | T 01765 601 701 F 01765 601 700 | W www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk | E info@yorkshirevintners.co.uk
FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS, HOME AND ABROAD
The world comes to Wensleydale! PACKAGE HOLIDAYS • TAILOR-MADE ITINERARIES • CRUISES • RAIL FERRIES • FLIGHTS • FAMILY HOLIDAYS • CITY & UK BREAKS • HONEYMOONS SAFARIS • LONG-HAUL HOLIDAYS • AIRPORT HOTELS PARKING & LOUNGES • THEATRE TICKETS
Contact: Robert Sturdy, 10 Market Place, Leyburn, DL8 SBG Tel: 01969 623486 robert.sturdy@ speartravels.net www.speartravels.net/leyburn also at 9 Market Place, Helmsley Tel: 01439 770456 40 High Street, Boroughbridge Tel: 01423 324545 Barkers Arcade, Northallerton Tel: 01609 779821
RETAlL AGENTS FOR ATOL HOLDERS - ABTA L804J
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ASKRIGG VILLAGE KITCHEN D E L I , B AK E RY & T E A RO O M
GOOD, HONEST FRESH FOOD
From the deli Fresh hand baked bread • Jams and chutneys Bistro style meals to take home • Fresh baked pies and pasties Take away fresh filled rolls, homemade soup and cakes Tea Room Breakfast rolls • Light lunch • Homemade soups, cakes and pies Askrigg Village Kitchen - next door’ Gifts • Greeting cards and postcards Old fashioned sweets and Yorkshire Dales ice cream
Deli Bakery Tea Room open Mon - Saturday 8.30 - 4pm Gift Shop open 7 days a week from 10 - 4pm
Market Place, Askrigg • www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk • 01969 650076 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Hazy Days Recreate a holiday atmosphere with these evocative dishes from Summer Days & Balmy Nights, an inspiring new collection of Mediterranean recipes.
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linguine with clams and garlic This dish is often on the menu in restaurants in Italy, especially in coastal towns where good seafood is plentiful and inexpensive. It’s one of those restaurant dishes that’s easy to cook at home. Since it contains so few ingredients, quality and freshness are key. Look out for small clams, which are sweeter, and use a good, fruity extra virgin olive oil.
1 kg fresh clams, well scrubbed 400 g dried linguine or spaghetti 65 ml extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 large red chillies, deseeded and chopped 65 ml dry white wine
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper crusty bread, to serve
Serves 4
Tap each clam lightly on the work surface and discard any that don’t close. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 8–10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and return to the pan. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook until the garlic just starts to sizzle, flavouring the oil without burning. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and cook until it boils and has reduced by half. Add the clams, cover the pan tightly and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan to encourage the clams to open. Discard any clams that don’t open. Add the pasta to the pan, toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve immediately with good crusty bread on the side for mopping up the juices.
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goat cheese tart 200 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
50 g finely grated Gruyère cheese
100 g. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
a small bunch of fresh chives
a pinch of salt
fine sea salt
3–4 tablespoons cold water
parchment paper and baking beans
GOAT CHEESE FILLING
or baking weights
3 eggs
a loose-based tart pan, 27 cm diameter
200 ml crème fraîche/sour cream 3 Crottin de Chavignol goat cheeses, about 50–75 g each 68
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Serves 4-6
To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and, using the pulse button, process until the butter is broken down (about 5–10 pulses). Add 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse just until the mixture forms coarse crumbs; add 1 more tablespoon if necessary, but do not do more than 10 pulses. Transfer the pastry to a sheet of parchment paper, form into a ball and flatten to a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface to a disc slightly larger than the tart pan. Carefully transfer the pastry to the pan, patching any holes as you go and pressing gently into the sides. To trim the edges, roll a rolling pin over the top, using the edge of the pan as a cutting surface, and let the excess fall away. Tidy up the edges
and refrigerate until firm, about 30–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Prick the pastry all over, line with the parchment paper and fill with beans or baking weights. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake until just golden, about 10–15 minutes more. Let the tart shell cool slightly before filling. To make the filling, put the eggs, crème fraîche/ sour cream and a large pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk well. Slice each goat cheese into 3 rounds and arrange in the tart shell. Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle with the Gruyère. Snip the chives with kitchen scissors and sprinkle over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–30 minutes, or until browned.
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Sisteron-style roast lamb The town of Sisteron in Haute-Provence has been known since Roman times as the gateway to Provence. Sheep dot the high pastures nearby, nibbling the wild mountain herbs. A famous local breed is the Préalpes, which has a long head, spindly legs and sparse wool. The quality of its meat is exceptional: tender and tasty. 650 glarge baking potatoes, peeled a handful of fresh thyme, rosemary or marjoram 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 3–4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 leg of lamb, ideally from a herb-fed mountain breed, about 2–2.2 kg 200 ml lamb stock or water 1 x 50-g can anchovy fillets 1 small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, snipped with scissors freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
Serves 4-6 Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F) Gas 7. Cut the potatoes into 5-mm slices. Arrange them in overlapping lines or circles in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish. Put half the herb sprigs into the centre of the potatoes. Strip the leaves from the rest, place in a mortar with the garlic and pound to a pulp. Add a tablespoon of the olive oil and mix again. Rub this mixture all over the lamb, then place it on top of the potatoes. Mix the remaining oil with the stock or water and pour it over the lamb. Drizzle the oil from the anchovy can all over the potatoes, and dot the fillets on top. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160˚C (325˚F) Gas 3 and continue to cook for another hour, or until the lamb is
golden outside and pink at the bone. A meat thermometer should read 65–70˚C (150–160˚F). Let rest for 10 minutes, then scatter over the parsley. Slice the lamb thickly and serve hot with the potatoes. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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messy strawberries Romanoff This is a foolproof dessert that pays homage to a popular fine-dining dish from the 1970s. Ready-made meringues are roughly broken and arranged on a serving platter, then topped with whipped cream and Cointreau-macerated ripe summer strawberries. 500 g fresh strawberries, hulled 65 ml Cointreau or other orangeflavoured liqueur 6 ready-made meringues 125 ml whipping cream 4 tablespoons icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
Serves 4 Put the strawberries in a non-reactive bowl and add the Cointreau. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours, stirring often. Roughly break each meringue into 3–4 pieces and put them on a serving platter. Put the cream in a grease-free bowl and use a balloon whisk or hand-held electric whisk to whip. Add the icing sugar a little at a time as you whip, until the mixture forms soft peaks.
Recipes and photographs are from Summer Days & Balmy Nights: Simple Summer Food from Mediterranean shores, published in hardback by Ryland Peters & Small and available from all good booksellers, RRP £19.99.
Spoon the cream over the meringue, then arrange the strawberries on top, along with a tablespoon or two of the juice. Dust with icing sugar just before serving. VARIATION
Try replacing the strawberries with raspberries or blackberries or even sliced poached peaches, scattered with toasted flaked almonds.
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Reader Offer Dales Life readers can buy Summer Days & Balmy Nights for the special price of £17.99 including postage & packaging (RRP £19.99) by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quoting the reference GLR 6LO.
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The Big
Cheese…
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A big hit with visitors to The Wensleydale Creamery, this luscious cheesecake packs a piquant gingery punch. Yorkshire Wensleydale & Ginger Cheesecake
C
alvert’s restaurant at The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes has a variety of sumptuous desserts on its menu, and their Wensleydale & Ginger Cheesecake is one that keeps delighted customers popping back for more. The Creamery has kindly let us have the recipe, so now Dales Life readers can try their hand at making it at home. As you might expect, a key ingredient is the Creamery’s gorgeous Real Yorkshire Wensleydale and Ginger Cheese, a mouthwatering blend that brings together creamy-white Real Yorkshire Wensleydale – hand-made with milk from local cows – and the warm, spicy tang of stem ginger.
For the base 200g digestive biscuits, crushed 75g melted butter For the topping 500g Real Yorkshire Wensleydale & Ginger Cheese, crumbled 500g cream cheese pouring cream to mix 125g crystallised ginger icing sugar to taste Mix together the digestive biscuits and the melted butter. Press down firmly in an 8” loose-bottomed cake tin and refrigerate. Mix together the Real Yorkshire Wensleydale & Ginger Cheese and the cream cheese, adding enough pouring cream to make a stiff consistency. Add the stem ginger, and then the icing sugar to taste. Spread the cheese mixture onto the biscuit base and refrigerate until ready to serve.
It’s a clever combination, one of a mouthwatering range from The Wensleydale Creamery – others include Wensleydale & Pineapple and Wensleydale & Apricot. Not only do they taste terrific on their own, but they make great cooking ingredients too, as this recipe demonstrates. For more information about The Wensleydale Creamery – and more inspirational cheese recipes – visit www.wensleydale.co.uk. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Dales Diary
Events compiled by Elaine Pollard.
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
Fountains Abbey
near Ripon
Telephone: 01765 608888 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ fountainsabbey/ School Holiday Fun – Wild and Wonderful Wednesday 1 August-Monday 3 September , 11am-4pm Follow the clues on our trail and join in with drop-in craft activities in Swanley Grange.
Craft activities to keep everyone enthralled
Get Medieval! Saturday 4-Monday 6 August 11am-5pm Join the costumed re-enactors around their medieval encampment: activities and demonstrations based on 15th-century life. Get Georgian! Sunday 26 & Monday 27 August 11am-4pm Step back in time to the age of elegance and decadence in the 18thcentury pleasure garden at Studley Royal. Live performances of dance and entertainment with The History Wardrobe throughout the day. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Dales Diary
Traditional Crafts: Woodturning and Weaving Demonstrations Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 September 11am-4pm Find out about the history of the pole lathe and see historical woodturning and weaving in action outside Fountains Mill. Traditional Crafts: Leatherwork Workshops with Andy Bates Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 September 10am-4pm Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 September 10am-4pm £95 Hear about the history of working with leather as you learn to fashion skins and hides into objects which are both beautiful and functional. Booking essential, tel: 07947 156880 or email am.bates@btinternet.com
Swinton Park
near Masham Telephone 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com Garden Design Day 3 August , 10am-4pm £75 (includes lunch) Join Susan Cunliffe-Lister for a day of garden design and planting ideas as she compares two kitchen gardens she 78
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Herd of deer at Swinton Park
has designed, along with an overview of the 18th-century landscape of the parkland surrounding the hotel. Children's Activity Days 4 & 5 August, 11am-4pm £5 per child, £2.50 per adult A day at the Deerhouse. Entertainment, face painting, pony rides, treasure hunts and Land Rover trips to see the fallow deer.*
Parkland, gardens, fallow deer, foraging… there's plenty to do and see at Swinton Park
Hunter Gatherer Day 11 & 18 August £95 (includes a delicious alfresco meal served in the grounds) A day in the parkland hunting with the Swinton Park Birds of Prey, and foraging in the woods with Chris Bax (including fire lighting). Family Falconry & Nature Days 14 & 21 August, 10am-3pm £3 per child, £5 per adult A day in the gardens and woodland. Falconry flying displays, pet corner, nature trail, bird hide and trips to see the deer.* Deerhouse Dining 25 August & 8 September, £35 Pimm’s on arrival, candlelit barbecue dinner and a canopy of stars. *Please bring outdoor clothing and your own picnic
Kiplin Hall
Dales Diary
Art in an English Country House: Paintings from the Grand Tour Monday 17 September, 10am, £14 What do paintings tell us about history, the artist and the subject? Art historian Sandra Pollard reveals the story, imagery and symbolism in paintings hanging at Kiplin Hall.
near Scorton, Richmond Telephone: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk Come to the Circus Thursday 9 August , 11am-4pm £4, adult or child (under 2s free) Children’s fun day. Dress as a clown, ringmaster or lion, drop in any time and join in themed activities (indoors if wet). Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Sunday 19 August , 11am-5pm Throughout the day owners show their Rolls Royces and Bentleys from the 1920s to the 21st century. Meet the Admiral Sunday 26 August , 11am-5pm Admiral Walter Carpenter (Mark Bamforth), owner of Kiplin Hall 1868 – 1904, talks about his Victorian home. Walk with the Head Gardener Tuesday 11 September, 10.30am-1pm, £12.50 Chris Baker leads a tour of the gardens, talking about their history and restoration.
Take afternoon tea with the Lord and Lady of Kiplin Hall
Kiplin Hall
Country House Tea Party Saturday 22 September, 3.00pm for 3.30pm, £10 ‘Lord and Lady Tyrconnel’ invite you to afternoon tea in their home.
Newby Hall & Gardens near Ripon Telephone: 01423 322583 opt 3 www.newbyhall.com info@newbyhall.com Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition – Reece Ingram 1 June-30 September A charming collection of sculptures inspired by natural shapes, animals and human form. Set in the gardens and orchard.
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Matombo Zimbabwean Sculpture Experience 1 July-9 September A hands-on experience for all ages. Exquisite pieces of all sizes to buy.
Dales Diary
Masham Sheep Fair
Telephone: 01765 688417 www.mashamsheepfair.com Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 September This year marks the 27th Masham Sheep Fair. Events will include a sheep show, sheep racing, craft market, wool competition, sheepdog demonstrations and much, much more. Masham boasts one of the largest and finest market squares in England, famous for its sheep sales, where as many as 70,000 sheep have been sold each year. Don't miss this popular event for "sheepy fun" and entertainment!
The Wensleydale
Children’s Theatre – The Wizard of Castle Magic Tuesday 21 August A crazy, hysterical afternoon for 5-11 year olds. Open Air Shakespeare – As You Like It Tuesday 28 & Wednesday 29 August The outstanding Globe Touring Company return by popular demand. Last Day of Season & Apple Day Sunday 30 September Including the Annual Apple-Throwing Championship. Workshops Botanical Drawing Workshop with Sue Vize – Thursday 6 September Floristry Workshop with Carl Banks – Thursday 13 September Foraging Workshop with Rose Badger – Tuesday 18 September Photography Workshop with Steve Gosling – Friday 21 September Growing and Training Fruit Trees with Martin Fish – Wednesday 26 September
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At Newby Agricultural Show near Leyburn Hall & Telephone: 01969 623750 Gardens www.wensleydaleshow.org.uk Saturday 25 August you can 9.45am-5.00pm have a The Wensleydale Show is a traditional Dales show in the heart of great day Wensleydale. The show will feature out, from an extensive range of competitive applelivestock events, homecrafts and handicrafts, dry-stone walling, walking throwing sticks and much more. The main ring to floristry entertainment will be the impressive workshops "Inch Perfect Trails Display" motorcycle stunt display team.
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show
Telephone: 01423 546157 www.flowershow.org.uk 14-16 September The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show provides an excellent opportunity to plan the perfect garden with inspiration, plants and products to suit every space and pocket. Beautiful show-garden borders bring ideas from the designer to your doorstep, and 100 leading nurseries will create wonderful displays of plants. A staggering array of over 5,000
Dales Diary
fabulous autumn blooms awaits visitors to Britain’s biggest Specialist Societies Marquee, while colossal cabbages, magnificent marrows and tremendous tomatoes weigh in for the giant vegetable competition. Talks and demonstrations include a daily menu of mouth-watering dishes in the Cookery Theatre, plus expert advice from Kitchen Garden Live and Garden Roadshow teams. Thousands of top-quality garden products, over 70 craft and gift stands, and dozens of specialist food outlets make for great Christmas shopping. This really is the perfect day out for all garden lovers!
11th Black Sheep Brewery Boots & Beer Walking Festival
Telephone: 01765 689227 www.blacksheepbrewery.com Friday 7-Sunday 9 September This year's festival brings a fantastic programme of events including great walks in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales,
Blooms on show at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show
Combine a beer and ramble at the Black Sheep Brewery
new evening entertainment and of course The Black Sheep's awardwinning ales. Ticket price is £27.50 per person and includes a choice of 14 superb walks over the weekend, ranging from short to long, compiled by Mark Reid – author of 'The Inn Way' books. The ticket price includes a superb goody bag. Walks start from either Hawes, Askrigg, or Aysgarth, and there will be a free daytime shuttle bus linking the registration desks. New for 2012 is a beer and food night – an exclusive evening at The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes with one of our talented brewers (additional tickets required). Lots of other exciting events will also take place throughout the weekend. For further information and to book your tickets, please go to www.blacksheepbrewery.com or telephone 01765 689227. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Dales Diary
Dales Countryside Museum Hawes Telephone: 01969 666210 www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/ outandabout/see/dcm.htm Heritage Crafts Day Saturday 11 August, 10am-4pm Demonstrations of woodworking, pottery, feltmaking and blacksmithing, plus the chance to purchase some of the work. Patching It Up Sunday 19 August, 1am-4pm A demonstration of English and American patchwork. Paper piecing as used in English patchwork for hexagons, diamonds and other complex shapes, and American patchwork using templates. Meadow Magic! Wednesday 29 August, 1am-4pm Join us for lots of flowery fun and help make a wildflower meadow collage – or make your own! A fun and practical drop-in craft session led by Yorkshire 82
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Dales Countryside Museum
A museum with plenty to see and do – watch pottery being made or try tracing your own family history
Dales Millennium Trust and Natural England. Age 5-14 yr, under 7s to be accompanied by an adult. Beginners’ Family History Workshop Sunday 16 September, 10.15am- 3.15pm Introduction to family history research. Led by an experienced tutor and using census, parish registers and other archive material. Tea and coffee included. Bring own lunch. Not suitable for children. Price £15. Pathfinder Advanced Sunday 23 September, 10am-4.30pm A full day’s advanced navigation course, mainly outdoors and focusing on practising and developing existing skills in open country. Previous navigation experience required – a perfect follow-on from the Introduction and Intermediate courses earlier in the year. Not suitable for children. Walking boots and waterproofs are essential. Bring food and drink. £10. Sorry, no dogs.
A great place toVisit, Relax and Unwind.
New Look, Seasonal Feel • Fantastic Quality, Unbeatable Prices.
Open a 7 daysk wee
Enjoy some great Autumn entertainment... Floral Feast
Wednesday 5th September
Join us for an exciting array of flower arranging as Bob Forbes of Oasis demonstrates the importance of symmetry and colour coordination in seasonal floral displays. Doors: 2:00pm Tickets: £3.00pp (includes tea and biscuits in the Granary).
Steve Holbrook
Tuesday 25th September
Prepare yourself for an afternoon of psychic phenomena, mystery and the paranormal with renowned medium Steve Holbrook. Refreshments available. Doors: 2:00pm Tickets: £15.00pp prepaid/reserved or £17.50 on the door
Gervase Phinn
Wednesday 17th October
You will be on the edge of your seat as Gervase shares hilarious and poignant tales of life as a schools inspector in the Dales. Refreshments available. Doors: 2:00pm Tickets: £7.50pp prepaid/reserved or £9.50 on the door
www.lightwatercountryshopping.co.uk Lightwater Country Shopping Village, North Stainley, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3HT. So easy to find, just off the A6108, North of Ripon. Telephone: 01765 635321 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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North of England Horticultural Society
NEHS
2012 SEPT 14-16 GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOWGROUND
The perfect day out for all garden lovers • Inspirational show garden borders • Over 100 leading plant nurseries • Giant vegetable show • 1000s of beautiful autumn blooms • Expert gardening advice and talks • Kitchen Garden Live • Cookery theatre and specialist foods • Unique crafts and gifts
SAVE £2.50 PER TICKET book before noon Tuesday 4 Sept
01423 546157 or visit
www.flowershow.org.uk Tickets available every day on the gate: Friday & Saturday £15; Sunday £14 Opening times: 9.30 - 5.30
P New VI ce n experieble a l i ava
All proceeds donated to the North of England Horticultural Society, supporting horticulture in the north. Charity No: 702017 Harrogate Flower Shows, Regional Agricultural Centre, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate HG2 8NZ e-mail: info@flowershow.org.uk In purchasing pre-booked tickets for the Harrogate Flower Shows, you agree to receive information relating to future NEHS Shows. A booking administration charge applies per order. Photograph by kind permission of Rebecca Darbyshire, Bugs and Flowers
E IR SH OM 11 RK LO 20 YO B ER IN NN I W
Open Air Summer Theatre at Newby Hall MAGIC CARPET THEATRE present
'Wizard of Castle Magic'
GLOBE TOURING present
'As You Like It'
21 Aug at 2.30pm
28 & 29 Aug at 7pm
Tickets/enquiries 01423 322583 opt 3 or via website www.newbyhall.com Open daily except Mondays (but inc. Bank Holidays) April-June and September, and every day throughout July and August from 11am Information Hotline: 0845 4504068 www.newbyhall.com 84
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Family Fun in the Parkland at Swinton Park
Children’s Activity Days 4th & 5th August Pony Rides, Treasure Hunt & Entertainment 11.00am – 4.00pm £5.00/child £2.50/adult
Family Falconry & Nature Days 14th & 21st August Falconry Demonstrations, Pet Corner & Nature Trail 10.00am – 3.00pm £3.00/child £5.00/adult
Bring your own picnics & outdoor clothing Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH www.swintonpark.com
Discover something new this summer at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Ripon. Explore the history and nature of this World Heritage Site with special tours and events this summer. World Heritage Site Tour, 11 August Get Georgian, Sunday 26 & Monday 27 August Step back in time to the age of elegance and decadence in the 18th century pleasure garden. Enjoy live performances of dance and entertainment throughout the day.
Call 01765 608888, or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey
Registered charity number 205846.
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26th MASHAM
S H E E P FA I R 29th & 30th September 2012 During the weekend from 10.00 am SHEEP SHOW • SHEEPDOG DEMONSTRATIONS • SHEEP RACING SPINNING & WEAVING DEMONSTRATIONS OLD TIME CHILDREN'S FAIR • CRAFT MARKET AND FLEECE STALLS MORRIS DANCERS • HANDBELL RINGERS • TOURS AROUND T&R THEAKSTON AND BLACK SHEEP BREWERIES • HARVEST FLOWER FESTIVAL • BISHOP BLAIZE PROCESSION & BANDS • HANDSPUN WOOL COMPETITION Further details and entry forms are available from MRS SUSAN CUNLIFFE-LISTER, High House, Swinton, Ripon HG4 4JH Tel: 01765 688417 or susan@burtonagnes.com or at Broadley's Insurance Office, Market Place, Masham
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO YORKSHIRE CHARITIES 86
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Own your own luxury lakeside lodge set at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales • • • • •
Open all year round Luxury Eco lodges around an idyllic lake setting A short distance from some of North Yorkshire’s main attractions Sound investment and quality guaranteed Within walking distance of the beautiful village of West Tanfield, renowned for its pubs, shops and other facilities • Open now for viewings
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Download the App West Tanfield Enquiries 01677 470 284 or visit www.westtanfieldluxurylodges.com
Th e We n s l eyd a l e
Agricultural Show Saturday 25th August 2012, 10am www.wensleydaleshow.org.uk
for details call: 01969 623750 Car Parking: Free, Entrance: Adults £8, Children £4, Under 5s Free. Family Ticket £20 (2 adults and up to 3 children)
To book space in the Autumn issue contact Sue Gillman
Attractions: ‘Inch Perfect’ Trials Display, Cattle, Sheep, Poultry, Ponies, Heavy Horses, Riding and Driving, Handicrafts, Horticulture, Homecrafts, Leyburn Band, Hounds, Vintage Vehicles, Dry Stone Walling. Children’s Attractions. Trade Stands.
Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life |
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Bring your message to Life With 20,000 copies delivered to carefully selected households, Dales Life is the only cost-effective way to reach customers in the Dales. The whole magazine’s online too — so readers can click straight through to your website. Over 75% of our advertisers stay with us, for one very good reason:
Dales Life delivers Contact Sue Gillman now on 01904 629295 or sue@daleslife.com to find out more.
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SAIL FROM NEWCASTLE... with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Palaces of Stockholm & St Petersburg Departs 18th June ’13 - 13 nights - W1309
Crossing t he Arct ic Circle wit h Midnight Sun Departs 1st July ’13 - 8 nights - W1310
Es tonia & St Petersburg Departs 9th July ’13 - 13 nights - W1311
Fjords & Coas tal Towns of Norway Departs 22nd July ’13 - 8 nights - W1312
Canary Island Cruise Departs 30th July ’13 - 15 nights - W1313
ALL INCLUDED IN EVERY CRUISE:
• Comfortable en suite cabins • All meals throughout your cruise • Five-course à la carte dinner • Waiter service breakfast & lunch • Relaxed buffet dining
• Late night snacks & Gala buffet • Morning coffee & afternoon tea • Choice of varied daytime activities & events • Live evening entertainment
• Captain’s drinks party • Swimming pools, Jacuzzis & gym • All UK port taxes (where collectable in advance)
Bookings are subject to Terms and Conditions as detailed in the Fred. Olsen Cruises Worldwide 2012/13 2nd edition brochure. E&OE.
It’s all about the people
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... iis one off England's l d' most recent ffollies. lli The brainchild of Mr C.R. Armtrong 0 B E, it was originally built as a private folly but due to public demand was subsequently opened.
A unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four-acre garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The Temple of the Underworld, the Eye of the Needle, a huge pyramid made of translucent glass, paths and passages that lead nowhere, extraordinary statues at every turn. The Cat and Mouse Experience, a series of underground tunnels with life size sculptures, plus a rather large surprise at the end. There are decisions to make and tricks to avoid, a day out with a difference which will challenge and delight children of all ages. Why not take a break in this enchanting environment? In one of our four self catering accommodations ideal for families & groups of visitors, they are situated in beautiful Coverdale with a free day pass with all stays.
Visit th
Corner Ceafe
Admissiookned
is by pre-bo ly. tickets on
Every day from 1st April - 31st October & then Sundays until Christmas
Self Catering Holiday Accommodation available
Mon - Sat 12 noon until 6pm Sundays & Bank Holidays 10am until 6pm
with its new me nu and freshly-mad e dwiches, soups, barista san coffees and delicious, award-winning pies and cakes
To reserve your ticket please telephone 01969 640638 - www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk Tupgill Park Estate, Coverham, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4TJ
Welcome to
Dales Holiday Property
Self Catering Holiday Coages in Leyburn, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. Dales Holiday Property coages are the perfect place to stay for your countryside holiday. With access via private drive, Each coage has private parking, a decked outside area and glorious views over Penn Hill. A fantastic base to relax, unwind and explore the Yorkshire Dales
t: 01748 886351 e: mail@dalesholidayproperty.co.uk w: www.dalesholidayproperty.co.uk 90
| Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
To book space in the Autumn issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com
KIPLIN HALL
Jacobean House
Country Seat of Founder of Maryland, USA
l l l
Owned by the Calverts, Crowes, Carpenters and Talbots Now furnished as Admiral Carpenter’s comfortable Victorian home Crowded with centuries of family possessions
Hall
Open 1 April – 31 Oct, Sun – Wed, 2pm – 5pm
l l l
Delightful gardens being restored Woodland and lakeside walks Home baking and lunches in the Tea Room
Gardens and Tea Room
Open 5 Feb – 31 Oct, Sun – Wed, 10am – 5pm (4pm Feb and March)
Kiplin Hall, nr. Scorton, Richmond, DL10 6AT 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk
HHA
Sharing the stories of the people and places of the Yorkshire Dales Station Yard, Hawes Open p daily y 10am-5pm ( (except p Christmas bank holidays and Januar y)
Free for children www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/DCM 01969 666210
2for1
~entry~
National Park and Tourist Information Centre
READER OFFER with this ad
one of Britain’s
breathing
spaces
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a walk in
SWALEDALE This easy walk circles Feetham and follows the elevated riverbank of the River Swale
B
C
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2 3 A
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FeethamWoods
The Punch Bowl Inn
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Low Row
E F
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The Old 270 Dairy B6
Sw ale
Feetham
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A The walk starts from the B6270 opposite a solitary barn about ½ mile (0.8km) east of Feetham. Climb the steep tree-lined track. B It is difficult to follow in its upper reaches but keep to the left of the stream without C climbing any walls A A1D Viewpoint. Looking down Swaledale and across the heather-clad Grinton Moors. 2 B AEB Turn left at theA top of the rise and join a 1 farm track. 3 C 2FBC Gallows Top Farm; named after a gibbet B which stood nearby. 4 D 3 D C GC Cross the moorland road and follow A 51 direction of a signpost across rough the E 4E pastureland to Blades. Look out for stiles to D D 26H B keep on course. 5 F E 37EF Viewpoint. Looking east towards a C wooded section of the central dale. 6 G G4F F
7 5
GH
PLAN YOUR WALK DISTANCE: 3¾ miles (6km) TIME: 2 hours START/END: SD994985 Opposite a solitary barn on the B6270 half a mile east of Feetham. TERRAIN: Easy; one climb of 354 feet (108m) MAPS: OS Explorer OL 30; OS Landranger 91, 92 & 98
D
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A
1 A
1
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A
2 1 3 2 3
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A 4 1 D Bear left, then right for about 40yds A 1 (37m) along the road. Go left through the 5 2 B A second gate beyond the roadside house. E 2 B diagonally6 right, Follow a line of stiles 3 C down a series of fields. AB 3F 7 C Yorkshire Dales 4 Blades. A typical hill D settlement. Look for the date over the door BC G4 D the right of the path. 5 the last house on of E
D5C Each spring, purple orchids grow near 6H the stream below ETurnip House. F 6 D 7E Turn left on a rough track and follow it downhill. Cross aFford and just after, turn 7E G on a path through a right and descend F wood. Turn rightG along the road. F G
H
Bear left at the road junction and go down to the bridge. H
G H
B A
B
Cross the stile beside the ruined gate on the nearside of the bridge and turn left downstream, along the elevated riverbank. H
CB
C
4 3
DC
D 54 The Swale drains a large area of moor to ED the north and west and can quickly reach 6E alarming proportions, hence the need for 5 such a high embankment. FE 7F 6 Viewpoint. Feetham stands on its sunny terrace well above G Fthe danger of flooding. 7 G At the signpost, go left away from the river and climb through trees to reach the GH road. Turn left back towards Feetham. H H Brough Barnard Castle
Kirkby Lonsdale
Skipton Clitheroe
Ilkley
Keighley Bradford Blackburn Burnley
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SPREAD OUT! These delicious recipes from Annie Bell’s The Picnic Cookbook will turn your day out into a real treat
Here in the Dales we’re spoiled for picnic spots, and we can choose from any number of splendid backdrops for an alfresco feast. If you favour solitude then head for the high moors and their panoramic views. If cosier countryside is more your style there are any number of lush meadows and shady riverbanks where you can unfold your picnic blanket. Alternatively, of course, you can combine your picnic with a trip to a fascinating historic ruin like Fountains Abbey or Richmond Castle, or soak up the atmosphere of an elegant stately home like Newby Hall. And for a really spectacular setting, what about the extraordinary forest of rock formations at Brimham Rocks? Like everything else, the best picnics usually benefit from a bit of forward planning. These easy but stylish ideas from The Picnic Cookbook by Annie Bell, food writer for publications as diverse as Vogue and The Mail on Sunday, will get your day out off to a cracking start.
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Farmhouse Chicken Liver Pâté This silky pâté is a staple in our house and it freezes well, so it’s a good one for that getting-ready-in advance picnic. Dish it up with some chutney, radishes, gherkins and pickled onions and some grainy brown bread, and all you need are a couple of cheeses in addition. It’s unusual to come across fresh chicken livers, so look out for them in the frozen-foods section. For 4–6 people 225g unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
225g chicken livers, fatty membranes removed
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
2 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
sea salt and black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
Melt 25g of the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the foam starts to subside add the chicken livers and the herbs, season and sauté for 3 minutes until the chicken livers are golden on the outside but still pink in the centre, turning them halfway through cooking. Discard the herbs and tip the livers with any juices into a blender. Add another knob of butter to the pan and fry the shallot and garlic for a couple of minutes until glossy and translucent. Add the Calvados or brandy to the pan and simmer until it has all but disappeared. Tip the contents of the frying pan into the blender and purée with the crème fraîche. Leave this to cool for about 20 minutes, then dice and add the remaining butter and blend until the pâté is really smooth and creamy. Add a grating of nutmeg and adjust the seasoning. (I like to pass the pâté through a fine sieve to ensure it’s as silky as possible, but you don’t have to.) Spoon the pâté into a jar or a bowl, smooth the surface, cover and chill until required. It keeps well for at least 48 hours in the fridge.
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GRAVADLAX Passionate as I am about cooking, I tend to draw the line at home-smoking and making bread. Gravadlax, however, is the easiest cured fish to prepare and enormously satisfying to make. And, most importantly, you can guarantee the quality of your salmon in the first place, something that gets harder and harder when you buy cured salmon ready-prepared and sliced. The ideal section is from the thickest part of a whole fish – ask for it to be filleted into two pieces, leaving the skin on, but don’t fret if it turns out differently. This is a good dish to freeze, even ready-sliced, and makes an elegant centrepiece. Lovely laid on a slice of buttered soda or rye bread, but equally delicious on a small crisp lettuce leaf. For 6–8 people 100g rock salt 100g caster sugar 20g yellow mustard seeds a small bunch of dill or chervil (approx. 20g), finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons to serve 900g salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed Little Gem heart leaves or buttered soda or rye bread, to serve
Mustard Sauce Blend 150g soured cream,1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard,1 rounded tablespoon wholegrain mustard,1 scant tablespoon caster sugar together in a bowl. Leave to stand for 10 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve, then stir again. Chill until required.
Combine the salt, sugar, mustard seeds and dill (or chervil) in a bowl. Scatter a quarter of the salt mixture over a piece of clingfilm large enough to wrap the two fillets up in when placed on top of each other. Place one fillet skin-down on top, scatter over two thirds of the remaining mixture, then lay the second fillet on top so the thick part of the fillet is on top of the thin part of the fillet, and they lie flesh to flesh. Scatter over the remaining salt mixture, wrap the salmon up, and then in foil. Two heavy cast iron roasting dishes that fit inside each other provide the best route to curing and weighting the fish. Place the salmon inside the larger dish and place the smaller dish on top (anything lighter will require weighting with a tin can or two). Chill for 48 hours, turning the parcel every 12 hours. During this time the sugar and salt will draw the juices out of the salmon and turn into a sticky brine. Unwrap the salmon and rinse the marinade off the flesh side. Some of the mustard seeds and dill should remain but you will get rid of the excess salt and sugar. Place the fillets skindown on the work surface, then place a kitchen paper over each fillet and press to absorb any excess liquid, and repeat. Press the 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill into the surface. Trim the edge of the fillets if very thin, then slice the gravadlax diagonally off the skin, thicker than you would smoked salmon, discarding the ends. Serve with some mustard sauce.
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Simple Spanish Tortilla I don’t think you can beat the austerity of a classic potato and onion tortilla. A humble basic but so delicious, you don’t have to run to the Parmesan and herbs if you want something truly plain, it will still prove to take the starring role. For 4–6 people extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved and finely sliced
500g medium waxy potatoes, peeled or scrubbed as necessary and thickly sliced
6 medium eggs
sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons marjoram leaves (optional)
25g finely sliced Parmesan (optional)
100ml water
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a 24cm non-stick frying pan with a heatproof handle over a medium heat, add the potatoes and cook them for about 5 minutes, turning them now and again, until they are coated in the oil. Season them with salt, add 100ml of water to the pan, cover it with a large saucepan lid and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Using the lid, drain off any excess water and carefully transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Wipe the pan out with kitchen paper, return it to a medium heat, add another couple of tablespoons of oil and fry the onions for 7–10 minutes until golden, stirring frequently and seasoning them at the end. Mix them into the potatoes. To cook the omelette, whisk the eggs in a bowl with a little seasoning, then pour them onto the potatoes and onions and gently stir to combine. Preheat the grill to high, and pop the frying pan in which you cooked the vegetables over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, tip in the egg and potato mixture, level the surface and cook for 3 minutes. Scatter the Parmesan slices over the top of the omelette, and then the marjoram leaves, if including. Drizzle over another tablespoon of oil and place under the grill for 3 minutes until golden and sizzling. It should still be slightly moist in the centre, but will firm up as it cools.
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Gorgeously Buttery Very French Chicken The herbs that go to make up a classical French ‘fines herbes’ together form one of the quintessential scents of the cooking of this country. But finding fresh chervil? I confess that I have hardly ever seen it outside of doing time as a commis chef in a restaurant. There is no real substitute, but if needs must then mock up its gentle shades of tarragon in parsley with a little of the former and more of the latter – that is, a blend of tarragon, parsley and chives. Whatever route you choose – and you could even reduce it to parsley alone – this is still a brilliant way of cooking chicken, its flesh infused with buttery succulence and a rich skin. For 4 people 5 tablespoons finely chopped herbs, such as chervil, tarragon, chives, parsley
sea salt and black pepper 1 x 1.6kg free-range chicken, untrussed
75g unsalted butter, softened
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/210°C/gas mark 7. Blend the herbs with 50g of the butter and half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Starting at the neck end of the chicken, slip your fingers beneath the skin to loosen it over each breast. Gently smooth the butter and herb mixture over the breasts and pat the skin back into place, spreading the butter out evenly. Rub the remaining butter over the chicken and season. Place the chicken in a roasting dish that holds it quite snugly, lined with a double thickness of foil large enough to wrap the chicken up in – depending on the width of the foil you may find it easiest to place two sheets at right angles to each other. Roast for 50 minutes, then spoon off any excess fat in the base and wrap up in the foil to transport.
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Black Forest Fridge Cake Of all the biscuits that can be used to make a fridge cake, nothing satisfies quite like a digestive – or Sablés Anglais L’Original as the French would have it, which gives them a much more glamorous spin. It’s that wholesome grainy finish that spars with the silky chocolate surround. Add in juicy glacé cherries and we are deep in the Black Forest country. Makes 25 squares 300g dark chocolate (approx. 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
150g raisins
180g unsalted butter, diced
250g digestives, broken into 1–2cm nibs
11/2 tablespoons golden syrup
icing sugar, for dusting
180g glacé cherries, halved
Gently melt the chocolate, butter and syrup in a large bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it, stirring until smooth. Stir in the raisins, the cherries and the biscuits, tossing until everything is coated in the chocolate mixture. Line the base of a 23cm square brownie tin with baking paper (you can dab a little of the melted chocolate mixture on the four corners to make it stick), and spoon the mixture over the base of the tin. Lay a sheet of clingfilm over the surface, and press it level using your hands, though it will still appear slightly craggy. Remove the clingfilm and loosely cover with another sheet of baking paper, then chill for 2–3 hours until hard. Run a knife around the edge of the tin to remove the slab and lift off the paper. Place upwards on a board and liberally dust with icing sugar using a tea strainer. Cut into whatever size squares you’d like and chill. It will keep well for a good week, but you may want to give it another flurry of icing sugar close to the time of serving. Transport in an airtight container or tin.
Recipes and photographs are from The Picnic Cookbook by Annie Bell, with photography by Jonathan Bell. It is published in paperback by Kyle Books and is available from all good book retailers, RRP £15.99.
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SkinDeep
Sue Gillman takes a look at some fresh new products for Summer
Vitabella Repair and Protect Gel £20.00
Aromatherapy Associates Overnight Repair Mask £48.50
Soothe and nourish dry, damaged skin with this multitasking lightweight gel. Infused with essential oils and Aloe Vera, it helps calm and repair skin damage. www.myvitabella.co.uk
Intensive treatment to repair your skin while you sleep. Pure plant extracts smooth and firm your skin for an instant rejuvenating effect. www.aromatherapyassociates.com
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Pupa Cheek Enhancer £33.00 Lightweight cream designed to help you achieve showstopping cheekbones, without the pain of fillers. Skin instantly looks firmer and brighter. www.urbanretreat.co.uk
Eve Lom TLC Radiance Cream £45
Korres Black Pine Eye Cream £29 This innovative eye cream from Korres’ new anti-ageing skincare range is exclusive to Harvey Nichols. It has up to 97.7% active natural ingredients to firm, lift and hydrate your skin. With five patented ingredients, it's a milestone in natural skincare research. www.harveynichols.com
Instantly smooth and target those lines with this agedefying cream that’s rich in anti-oxidants. Lightweight and naturally scented with Rose Otto of Bulgaria, it will leave your skin youthfully radiant. www.evelom.com
Aromatherapy Associates Instant Skin Firming Serum £43.50 Lightweight serum that restores firmness and radiance in an instant. Helps slow down the ageing process, leaving your skin plump and supple. www.aromatherapyassociates.com
Pai Chamomile and Rosehip Sensitive Skin Cream £24 Natalie Portman’s skincare favourite. Chemical- and irritant-free, Pai’s Skin Cream is extremely popular with Rosacea sufferers. It calms redness and strengthens the skin. www.paiskincare.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 109
Of
Meissen men
Tennants expert Andrew Parker talks Brian Pike through the colourful history of Europe’s first porcelain manufacturer.
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Pictures (left and below): courtesy of Meissen
The Meissen ‘crossed swords’ mark is probably the best-known pottery mark in the world The Meissen factory was set up at Meissen near Dresden in 1710, and quickly established itself as the finest producer of ceramics in Europe. The Meissen ‘crossed swords’ mark is probably the best-known pottery mark in the world, and certainly one of the most frequently imitated. A magnificent collection of more than 150 pieces of early German porcelain is coming under the hammer at Tennants auction rooms in Leyburn as part of their July Summer Sale. For Dales Life, ceramics expert Andrew Parker selected six pieces that that give a vivid insight into the first turbulent century of Meissen’s existence. The Chinese had long known how to make porcelain, but to Europeans its startling whiteness, translucency and strength seemed altogether magical. At the beginning of the 18th century the race was on to crack the secret, and the person who did it was a young man called Johann Friedrich Böttger. In an extraordinary story that reads more like a fairytale than real life, Böttger, a
would-be alchemist, was imprisoned by Frederick Augustus I, Elector of Saxony, who hoped to bully him into uncovering a technique for changing base metals into gold. This proved to be a tall order, but the much-put-upon Böttger eventually became involved in the rather more realistic project of working out how to manufacture porcelain. In 1708 he eventually managed it, and a year or two later the first pieces of Meissen porcelain went on sale.
Opposite: workers in the Meissen factory Left: hand-finished gold work Above: the Meissen mark
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 111
The speed with which the Meissen factory solved its teething problems and started producing exceptional wares is demonstrated by an exquisite little teapot decorated in gold with Chinese motifs. Early Meissen pieces were often left unadorned in order to show off the whiteness and sophistication of the porcelain itself. Tastes soon change, though, and this teapot – which was made, unadorned, in 1720, or possibly earlier – was acquired and gilded by the Seuter brothers in Augsburg around 1725. Its shape derives from silverware of the same period – no surprise, given that the finest silversmiths were drafted in to the Meissen factory to
apply their talents to this new and exciting medium. The teapot has survived in remarkably good condition, in part because pieces of this kind were so hugely expensive that they were seldom used for practical purposes. This would have been a cabinet piece with
Along with the silversmiths, sculptors were called on to apply their expertise to Meissen porcelain. The most important of these was court sculptor Johann Joachim Kändler. Kändler threw himself into a variety of grandiose projects, including the creation of a menagerie of life-size porcelain animals, along with a life-size porcelain equestrian statue. In his more down-to-earth moments Kändler modelled some lively and spirited figure groups celebrating courtly life, including The Betrothal, a charming scene in which a lilac-coated dandy plights his troth with an
elegant lady in a gorgeous dress, with a couple of cherubic putti thrown in to underline the romance.
112 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
which the super-rich would have dazzled guests with their discrimination and buying power.
Meissen porcelain goldchinesen teapot and cover, circa 1725, auction estimate £5,000 to £7,000.
Meissen porcelain group, The Betrothal, circa 1750, auction estimate £2,000 to £3,000.
Kändler also modelled a series of putti representing various arts and sciences. The great and good decked their grand houses with figures such as these to demonstrate their commitment to culture and scientific advancement. The putto shown here represents Geography, hence the globe. And a very beautifully detailed globe it
is too, albeit somewhat fast and loose with geographical facts. Europe, Africa and Asia are shown as being of identical size and entirely separated from each other by ocean. But it’s the idea, of course, that counts.
Meissen porcelain figure of a putto, circa 1755, auction estimate £300 to £400.
Early Meissen pieces were often left unadorned in order to show off the whiteness and sophistication of the porcelain
The aristocracy of the mid18th century were obsessed with the imagined joys of rural life, as illustrated in a pair of dancing peasants modelled by Eberlein, an understudy of Kändler, around 1750. The figures are beautifully realised, with a genuine sense of vigour and movement about them, but it is hard to believe that real peasants of the day were quite so fresh-faced and immaculately dressed as this merry pair.
Meissen porcelain figure group, The Dancing Peasants, circa 1750, auction estimate £700 to £1,000. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 113
The figure of a vinegar seller with his masterfully modelled barrel and jug was modelled for Meissen by Reinicke, who took his inspiration from a series of engravings by Huet entitled Cries of Paris. The series was a popular one, and has continued, in various forms, to the present day. An original vinegar seller, though, is relatively rare, hence the robust estimate. Meissen porcelain figure of a vinegar seller, circa 1757, auction estimate £2,000 to £3,000.
Sooner or later Meissen’s new method of porcelainmaking was bound to be stolen by rivals, and by the close of the 18th century several other factories were in business producing similar wares – and in some cases, downright copies. The figure of Die Flohsucherin – a man searching for fleas underneath his nightgown, a piece typical of the comic subjects of the period – was made by the Fürstenberg factory. It is certainly not a slavish copy of Meissen, and technically it’s a worthy piece of work in its own right. With the diffusion of expertise in porcelain making, Meissen started to lose its drive and its reputation for innovation. The factory continues to this 114 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Fürstenberg porcelain figure, Die Flohsucherin, circa 1775, auction estimate £800 to £1,200.
day, but has never regained the status it enjoyed in the golden years of the mid18th century. As Meissen declined, it was the Sèvres factory, in the suburbs of Paris, that emerged as the
leading porcelain factory in 19th century Europe. But that’s another story. For details of forthcoming auctions at Tennants visit www.tennants.co.uk.
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nh flooring Unit 6 Borough Court, Borough Rd, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond, DL10 4SX Telephone Nick Hodges to make an appointment T 01748 831564 M 07789 996526 E nhflooring@btinternet.com W www.nhflooring.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 115
On themarket market On the
Our beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire. Ourregular regularround-up round-upofof beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.
£375,000 Meadowlea, Harmby, Leyburn Attractive 5 bedroom detached family house. Spacious first class accommodation. Useful garage and good sized gardens. Stunning views over the Dales. Delightful village location. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
£245,000 Brindley House, Thornton Rust, Leyburn Immaculate country cottage. First class accommodation with 3 bedrooms. Gardens and store. Stunning location overlooking countryside. Investment opportunity. Viewing by appointment. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
£225,000 10 Curlew Close, Harmby, Leyburn Immaculate 3 bedroom house. Spacious accommodation. Useful garage and enclosed garden. Views across to the Dales. Ideal holiday cottage. Viewing by appointment. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
£250,000-£275,000 Stable Cottage, Askrigg, Leyburn A delightful 3 double bedroom cottage. First class accommodation. Courtyard garden. Viewing by appointment. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
£250,000-£275,000 San Miguel, Leyburn Substantial detached 4 bedroom property. In need of updating. Large gardens and garaging. Views over the surrounding countryside. Excellent location. Viewing by appointment. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
£350,000-£375,000 The Granary Incorporating ‘Cakewalk’, Askrigg Substantial family house with 3 floor accommodation. Ground floor unit in prime location. Superbly appointed. Contact Robin Jessop on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk
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Selling your home in a difficult market‌ We are urgently seeking properties to sell in the Dales and North Yorkshire for our new Country Homes department. At Austin Brooks we provide bespoke, high quality services, from preparing your property for marketing, through to completion. Our new offices are located in York, gateway to North Yorkshire enabling you to reach a much wider audience of potential buyers. Contact us now for a free appraisal and the best possible advice to get your property moving.
01904 227992
sales@austinbrooks.co.uk www.austinbrooks.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 117
J.R. HOPPER
& Co. EST. 1886
“For Sales In The Dales” SALES • LETTINGS • COMMERCIAL LAND & PROPERTY SPECIALISTS • PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Residential Buying, Selling & Letting. Commercial Sales & Leases. Holiday Property. Overseas Property. Business Transfers. Acquisitions. Valuations. Surveys. Mortgage Advice. Inheritance Planning. Property & Antique Auctions. Removals, Collections & Deliveries. 01729 825311 Bentham 015242 63739 Settle Hawes 01969 667744 London 02072 980305 0845 2802213 Leyburn 01969 622936 Fax
www.jrhopper.com
Beautifully designed cast iron radiators Traditional, Contemporary, Classic or Chic. Incorporating cast iron radiators within your design will add elegance and style to any room. Castironrads: The largest cast iron radiator company in the UK. • Original cast iron radiators • Reproduction radiators direct from our foundry • A full range of period style Valves & Fittings • Restoration service available
COATINGS LIMITED
SPECIALISTS IN SURFACE PREPARATION AND COATINGS, FROM SMALL COMPONENT PARTS TO VEHICLE CHASSIS
COATING SPECIALISTS Powder Coating Teflon Coating Nylon Coating Xylan Coating Steel, Iron or Alloy components
BLAST CLEANING SERVICES Dry Blasting Aqua Blasting Mobile Blast cleaning Grit, shot, bead
The Sawmills • West Tanfield • Ripon • North Yorkshire • HG4 5JU • Tel: 01677 470808 www.castironrads.co.uk
info@castironrads.co.uk
118 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
www.rnrpowdercoatings.co.uk
rnrcoatings@live.co.uk
CHARTERED SURVEYORS • ESTATE AGENTS • PROPERTY AUCTIONEERS • VALUERS • LAND AGENTS
Dalton Fields House | Newsham, Richmond
Lady Bank House | Kiplin, Richmond
Magnificent Georgian country house with 9.5 Acres set in a stunning rural location, superb traditional English tree lined drive. 5 bedrooms. Walled gardens and grounds. Garaging, stabling and grass paddocks. Beautiful park land location, spectacular views.
Charming detached country property with 8.8 Ac. Spacious family accommodation. 4 double bedrooms. Attractive gardens & grounds. Garage/stable block with planning permission for 2 residential annexes. Useful general purpose buildings.
Offers In Excess Of £895,000
£575,000 - £625,000
West View | Old Byland, York
Beck Cottage | Grinton, Reeth
An outstanding grade II listed detached Yorkshire long house. A highly desirable and beautifully restored cottage. Attractively situated overlooking the village green. In a picturesque part of the national park.
A delightful three double bedroom detached country cottage with 1.6 Acres of land and a useful range of buildings. Immaculate accommodation. Viewing by appointment,
Offers In Excess Of £425,000
£425,000 - £450,000
If you are thinking of selling your property please contact Tim Gower MRICS for a FREE Market Appraisal Bedale 01677 425950 robinjessop.co.uk
Leyburn 01969 622800 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 119
The
Wensleydale House Doctor Home Improvement Specialist Established over 10 years
Is your house feeling tired and neglected or just in need of some tlc? Then call the Wensleydale House Doctor • Interior & Exterior Painting • Decorating • Tiling • Plumbing
• Plastering • Flooring (including laminate) • Roofing and guttering repairs • Kitchens and bathrooms fitted
No job too small BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR SUMMER EXTERIOR PAINTING
Tel: 01677 450810 Hunton, Bedale, North Yorkshire
www.wensleydalehousedoctor.co.uk
Love Yorkshire
LOVE DALES LIFE A year’s subscription for just £13 • Keep informed of rural events • Enjoy irresistible dishes using seasonal produce • Try recipes from the top chefs • Learn about your local environment • Subscribe to ensure you never miss an issue, or give someone the perfect gift
Send a cheque for £13 payable to Dales Life Holgate Villas, Suite Q, 22 Holgate Road, York YO24 4AB
Recipes • Books • Travel • Restaurants Wildlife • Gardening • Antiques • Wine 120 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Clifton St Annes P.C.S.
The Millings “There is always something going on and we have lots of laughs. I am very settled here and can’t imagine being anywhere else. This is my home.”
RESIDENTIAL & DAY CARE HOME FOR OLDER PEOPLE North End, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1AF
Tel: 01677 423635 www.residential-homes.net
CareQuality Commission Winner 2008 Best Care Employer
★★★ Rated as Excellent
Help is at hand in your own home Our highly-trained, experienced staff provide high quality care, support and companionship at home that is personalised to suit a wide range of needs.
At Home
Call: 01609 777413 Email: admin@herriothh.org.uk www.herriothh.org.uk 18 Omega Business Village, Thurston Rd, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 2NJ
Registered Company No.All7646053 profits support the services of Herriot Hospice Homecare, a registered charity
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 121
Hillcrest
Care Home
Dedicated to quality care • Handpicked staff • New management • New experienced owners • Totally refurbished • Value for money • Home cooked quality meals
At Hillcrest we believe in giving all our residents the quality, care and respect that they deserve. We deliver this with our team of dedicated staff that all have empathy and passion for the care they give. Hillcrest has undergone a major refurbishment by the new owners, giving the home a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The only way to really appreciate the high level of care offered at Hillcrest is to arrange a visit for yourself.
Call Hillcrest’s manager Nicola Cooper to arrange a visit at a time to suit you on 01748 834444 or email hillcrest@sirtin.com
Hillcrest, Byng Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 4DW
122 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Paul Rutter BSc(Hons) MC Optom
Optometrist and contact lens practitioner
We offer quality eyecare for all the family Relaxed and friendly atmosphere NHS and private patients welcome Full range of contact lenses available Extensive range of frames Home visits available Personal service Digital retinal photography now available
7 Southend, Bedale Telephone 01677 424142
Premiere Care
North East Ltd.
We are a Leyburn based agency offering high quality care services to our Clients. Our experienced team supports the various needs of vunerable people to remain as independent as possible in their home. We provide hourly, day/night and live-in-care. Testimonial
’Exceedingly high quality ladies, honest, caring and totally trustworthy’ Premiere Care has been awarded by the CQC the highest possible rating on their last inspection in 2009 which confirms the quality of service that we supply. For an information pack please contact: Premiere Care (NE) Ltd Thornborough Hall, Leyburn DL8 5AB 01969 622 499 www.premiere-care.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 123
Solar PV
Secure a smarter, greener future
Get paid for producing electricity Cut your electricity bills Reduce your carbon footprint Receive tax free indexed linked income Feed in Tariff guaranteed for 25 years 25 year cell performance warranty 10 year full module warranty 10 year inverter warranty
Solar Thermal Hot water throughout the year Cut your bills Cut your carbon footprint Qualify for the Renewable Premium payment Qualify for the Renewable Heat Inventive 25 year solar collector warranty Roof or wall mounted Flat Plate or Evacuated tube systems
The one thing you will notice about our Solar installations is that you won’t notice them. We only deliver high quality systems at remarkably low prices, but we also make sure they look good too. Solar PV • Ground Source Heat Pumps Air Source Heat Pumps • Solar Thermal
Call 01609 749155 | thesmartenergycompany.co.uk
104371
A.J.Hicks Domestic Plumbing Services For all your domestic plumbing needs Fast, friendly, reliable service. 24hr service NO CALL OUT CHARGE Are you having difficulty finding a plumber? Are they always too busy to deal with the little jobs? Bathrooms fitted Tiling work Call Andy Hicks Tel: 01677 450309 Mob: 07845 936064 Email: andrew.hicks93@virgin.net
No job too small!!! 124 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
Prices correct at time of going to press - May 2012
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 125
Paul Carnell
EARN MONEY FROM
CLEAN AND FREE
SOLAR ENERGY WITH SOLAR PV PANELS SOLAR PV PANELS
• • • •
MICB CB.Dip PM.Dip
Certified Bookkeeper Payroll Management Consultant QuickBooks ProAdvisor paul@paulcarnell.co.uk 01677 422503 www.paulcarnell.co.uk
Reduce your Electricity bill Tax free return on your investment Feed in tariff guaranteed for 25 years Protect yourself against future energy price increase
g solar Now installinral / on agricultu buildings commercial
The timeless classical beauty of solid hardwood floors h Direct from our sawmill
For further information please contact
DDR Solar Ltd Telephone 01969 622 260 www.ddrsolar.co.uk 126 | Dales Life | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012
h Every floor produced individually
to a consistent profile and assured quality
h Extensive range – from rustic oak
to exotic walnut
h Matching skirtings & mouldings
Duffield Timber, Melmerby, Ripon HG4 5JB Tel: 01765 640564 Flooring Sales www.duffieldtimber.com
Why Choose Solar Power? • Combat the rise in fuel prices • Reduce your carbon footprint • Financial gain: Solar PV Feed in tariffs Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme for Solar Thermal.
Why NRGs Ltd • • • •
MCS certified Solar PV & Thermal Installation Company Local company based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. We install high quality bespoke systems to individual needs and budgets. We can on average give you a return on investment (ROI) of 9% with a repayment time of approx 9 years.
For Further information or to arrange a free site visit contact Northern Renewable Green Systems T: 01969 622939 M: 07789 373340 www.nrgs.biz
MICHAEL WATKINSON Building & fine restoration
Building Contractors Renovations, New Build, Extensions Specialists in Stonework, Roofing and Plastering
Tel. 01969 667921 or 07980 105722 www.watkinsonrenovations.com
We are looking for distribution agents Positions available throughtout Yorkshire. Excellent rates paid Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 127
To Dine For
Great places to eat and stay in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
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The White Swan Overlooking Middleham’s picturesque market square and boasting lovely rural views, the White Swan is now a premier town-house hotel with superb facilities. Originally a coaching inn retaining many original features, the hotel has been extended and refurbished offering 17 excellent bedrooms. The brasserie offers a range of mouth-watering meals, all freshly prepared. T: 01969 622093 www.whiteswanhotel.co.uk
The White Bear The White Bear is situated in the beautiful market town of Masham. A team of talented chefs use locally sourced ingredients to create delicious, seasonal dishes. Enjoy your meal in the charming dining room or the traditional bar; open fires create a cosy atmosphere throughout. An extensive wine list complements the menu. Accommodation is available in fourteen individually designed rooms all en suite. T: 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.co.uk
The Wensleydale Heifer Situated in the heart of the Dales, the Heifer, with two AA rosettes, is renowned for fantastic seafood and locally sourced meat. The restaurant, with its leather chairs, linen table cloths and Doug Hyde artwork, is ideal for an evening out or special occasion. The fish bar is more relaxed, and features wooden tables, rattan chairs and freshly cut flowers. When the weather’s fine, why not dine outside in the garden restaurant? Early Bird Menu 6–6.30pm, food served all day at weekends. Thirteen luxurious guest rooms. T: 01969 622322 www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk
The Countryman’s Inn A traditional country pub, with four wellequipped, comfortable en-suite bedrooms. You are assured of a warm welcome, with good beer, good food and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The restaurant offers a wide selection of locally sourced and freshly
prepared food to suit all tastes and budgets. The bar offers a selection of four caskconditioned ales, three of which are brewed within 10 miles of the pub. T. 01677 450554 www.countrymansinn.co.uk
Swinton Park Hotel An elegant, 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel. With four Red Stars (Inspector’s Choice) and three Rosettes awarded by the AA for excellent facilities, this is one of the most highly rated hotels in Yorkshire. Award-winning cuisine is served in the sumptuously furnished dining room, using seasonal produce sourced from the hotel’s four-acre walled garden and surrounding estate. T: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com
Hendersons Bar & Restaurant Set in the idyllic riverside surroundings of Westholme Estate in Bishopdale near Aysgarth, Hendersons is a bright, stylish, relaxed bar and bistro-style restaurant with a contemporary feel. Using local and homegrown produce, talented head chef Mark Gatty creates Modern British cuisine, drawing on his wealth of experience from restaurants throughout London and the Midlands. T: 01969 663268 Westholme Estate, Aysgarth.
The Queen’s Head The Queen’s Head is a charming, characteristic country inn dating from the 1700s, set in the attractive village of Finghall. near Leyburn. It offers comfortable modern accommodation and a traditional, cosy bar. Owner and head chef Ian Vipond has devised a fresh, new menu for the restaurant, based around tasty local and seasonal produce. Traditional bar snacks are also available. With original oak beams and a dining room that looks out over the woods, The Queen’s Head combines great food with a genuinely warm welcome. T: 01677 450259 www.queensfinghall.co.uk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 129
The Malt Shovel
Vennells Restaurant
The Malt Shovel in Brearton, ten minutes north of Harrogate, is a lovely old country pub with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Jürg and Jane Bleiker, founders of Bleiker’s Smokehouse and formerly of the Old Deanery in Ripon, specialise in fresh fish and home-smoked foods. The Malt Shovel holds occasional Opera with Dinner Evenings, With a comprehensive list of interesting wines and well-cared-for hand-pulled ales, The Malt Shovel is definitely worth a visit. T: 01423 862929 www. themaltshovelbrearton.co.uk
Now in its seventh year, Jon Vennell’s cooking continues to impress with many major accolades and awards under his belt. Jon’s wife, Laura, is front of house and has a relaxed, friendly approach which is probably why customers keep coming back to sample the seasonally changing menu. Even Claudia Blake gave a flawless review. Vennell’s holds many events throughout the year. See the website for further details. T: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk
The Burgoyne Hotel Overlooking Reeth village green, The Burgoyne Hotel is a luxurious home-from-home set in an elegant Georgian mansion. It has eight spacious and beautifully appointed rooms — the panoramic views from some of them have to be seen to be believed. There’s an emphasis on friendly service and fine food, with generous breakfasts and a four-course dinner menu focusing on fresh local produce sourced from the Dales and the Yorkshire coast. T: 01748 884292 www.theburgoyne.co.uk
Stone House Hotel Stone House Hotel is an elegant, country residence dating from 1908. It is just a short drive from the bustling market town of Hawes. With its cosy bar, library-cum-billiard room and panelled Oak Room, Stone House makes a great place to relax. Enjoy delicious, locally sourced traditional food from breakfast through to dinner, and choose from an extensive list of fine wines. There are three spacious and romantic four-poster suites, and five groundfloor conservatory bedrooms that open directly onto the lawns, popular with dog owners and guests who aren’t keen on stairs. T: 01969 667571 www.stonehousehotel.co.uk
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The Blue Lion Regarded as one of the North’s leading country inns. The ‘candlelit restaurant’ provides a stunning setting in which to enjoy a gourmet meal. All food is freshly prepared using a variety of Yorkshire produce. There is an extensive wine list to choose from. The bar, with its open fire and flagstone floor, offers a tantalising range of bar meals, as well as a fine selection of traditional hand-pulled beers. T: 01969 624273 www.thebluelion.co.uk
The Black Sheep Brewery The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre – situated in Masham, is the ideal place for a great day or evening out. You can take a tour of the Brewery, have a meal in the Bistro, and taste their award-winning beers at the ‘Baa…r’. You can also buy lots of goodies from the well-stocked Sheepy Shop. It offers a ‘ewe-nique’ venue for corporate entertaining, product launches, parties and weddings. T: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com
The Sandpiper Inn Enjoy Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn, Leyburn. Modern British food prepared using only the finest ingredients. Fine wines, real ales and friendly service. Accommodation is available. T: 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk
Eccles Heddon LLP Solicitors
For your legal ease For help and legal advice call Bedale 01677 422422 Ripon 01765 601717 Thirsk 01845 522324 www.eccles-heddon.co.uk
Family Law (Divorce, Family & Children) Property Law (Residential & Commercial) Business Advice Employment Law Wills, Probate and Family Trusts Estate Planning Lasting Powers of Attorney Advising the Elderly Farming & Agriculture Dispute Resolution
FAMILY LAW CLINIC We also run a family law clinic once a week at our Bedale and Ripon offices. Please telephone Jane Midgley at Bedale or Liz Kidd or Sandra Windross at Ripon to book a FREE 30-minute consultation. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 | Dales Life | 131
Telephone 132
us on 01677 424669 or visit our website www.holmedesign.com