Tag: Yorkshire

Narthen, behave thissen i' Yorksher

newby

I understand that we Yorkshire folk have been instructed to be on our best behaviour and helpful towards foreign visitors when T’ Tour heads through the county. So I suggest that if you see a cyclist in trouble at the side of the road, try saying (slowly of course): “Tha’ll nooan get ser far o’ that thing lad, – tha’s baht chain. Get thissen dahn t’ ginnel to arr kid’s next to t’ chip oyle – he’ll sithee reight.” (Don’t use ‘luv’ though – that’s banned.)
Photo – grand evening light in the western dales.

Where the wind blows… and blows… and blows

castle hill

Whenever I’m around Huddersfield way and I have the time, I’ll nip up to the Victorian tower on Castle Hill and remind myself of the fantastic 360 degree view. Yesterday I noticed for the first time a wind farm on the south western horizon. The turbine blades ought to have been whirling round in demented fashion, as the wind on this exposed outcrop felt like gale force – alas, apparently you can have too much wind on a wind farm for a wind turbine to work. Could be a wind up of course. Certainly put the wind up me – nearly got blown over the edge.

castle hill windfarm

Sensing the elements on Pennine moorland

barn

Sometimes I sense an elemental spirit when I’m out on lonely moorland. An inconsistent wind rocks me and the camera; layers of cloud opening up then slamming shut, creating an ever-changing picture before my eyes. This weather-beaten old barn has stood for centuries but has been long-abandoned by a long-forgotten smallholder. Beneath my feet spongy peat and moss soak up recent rain. If you look closely you’ll see a second framed picture within the photograph, created by the brighter light, left centre, as it meets up with the barn wall and roof. It neatly captures Lancashire’s Pendle Hill here on the very edge of Yorkshire.

All's well that ends well…

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It’s been persisting it down almost all day here in Ribblesdale but wow, what an ending! This is the scene outside my kitchen window at 6.20pm tonight – no Photoshop work required. I’m sure there will have been similar experiences all over Yorkshire… well, it is officially spring after all.

Dale in the frame

mallerstang

Another place on the western fringes of proper Yorkshire which deserves ‘framing’ (see previous blog) is Mallerstang. The B6259 which runs through this lovely dale starts off in Yorkshire, following the Settle-Carlisle railway, and enters Westmorland around Aisgill. To the east rises Great Shunner Fell while to the west (pictured) is Wild Boar Fell.  The river Eden flows down this valley and it certainly is a paradise.

Prelude to more snow in the Dales

ingleborough-snow

The unmistakeable outline of Ingleborough greets those motorists driving from Hawes towards Ingleton near Ribblehead. This afternoon the sun was getting low in the west; there was icy blue sky to the east, while snow clouds were building up all around me. There’ll be much more of the white stuff here by the morning.

Even Yorkshire's ruins are stunning

fountains

Fabulous no matter what the weather, Fountains Abbey is one of the county’s – nay, the country’s – greatest attractions. A cold, moody February day can add yet more drama to the magnificent 12th-century ruins. And a winter trip made early in the day usually means there are fewer visitors to spoil the tranquil atmosphere. Int Yorkshire great?

Vital wildlife corridors worth preserving

langcliffe

There’s a lovely old hedge close to home – interestingly unkempt and a mixture of all kinds of trees, bushes and shrubs. Unusually for this time of year, this morning there were small birds flitting between the branches and singing as though it was already spring. There aren’t a lot of hedges here in Ribblesdale, where those iconic drystone walls tend to dominate the scene. The Dales just wouldn’t be the Dales without those ancient walls; man-made but giving off a natural feel and perfectly embracing their surroundings. Last year I took a number of photos featuring the walls of Ribblesdale; including the one above in autumn just out of Langcliffe village and the one below on a beautiful summer’s day along Watery Lane in Settle. Just as with the hedges, walls provide homes, shelter and vital corridors for all kinds of wildlife – long may they remain part of our countryside.

wall

Pennine wind farms – at what cost to us?

castle_hill

I’ve yet to be convinced that wind farms are of much use to the majority of us; rather that they mainly benefit those involved in the manufacture of turbines and landowners looking to make a quick and easy profit. Enormous turbines are springing up all around the Yorkshire Dales National Park with little regard to those like me who treasure the views and care for wildlife and the rural way of life. Although I now live in the Dales my childhood was spent in the West Riding and I still travel regularly to Huddersfield to pay homage to Yorkshire’s greatest football team. One of my favourite places in the town, after the John Smith’s Stadium, is Castle Hill and the Jubilee Tower. The 360 degree view from the top of the tower, even with its industrial aspects, is one to behold. For hundreds of years Castle Hill has provided for ordinary folk an escape from the mills and the daily grind. To me and most residents, the surrounding moorland is just as precious and personal as that of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. The Pennines hills around Huddersfield offer beauty, solitude and drama which can’t be assessed in terms of pound coins. The number of wind farms appearing or planned for the region disturbs me greatly and I hope the local authority sees the deeper value in our countryside when considering wind farm applications.
Pics: above a view from Jubilee Tower; below, one of a crop of 93m turbines towering above grazing cows near Harrogate.

turbine

The way the wind blows

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‘Tha looks a reet bugga in that ’at, Paul,’  a neighbour commented in his best Yorkshire accent as he saw me setting off on my stroll. ‘At least it keeps my ears warm,’ I replied rather pathetically and defensively. (Anyway, that girlie umbrella he was carrying didn’t do him any favours either, I thought to myself far too late for it to be a witty riposte.) I’ve not had the chance to capture much on camera for my personal diary/blog recently, apart from these trees which took my fancy as the sun dropped low in the west. There’s no doubt about the direction of the prevailing wind which passes through this part of Ribblesdale is there? A friend told me recently that her young granddaughter asked whether trees ever got lonely. Children are wonderful thinkers aren’t they – that is until adults start mucking up their minds.