The conference will include presentations on a range of topics reflecting the rural character and history of the Dales. The speakers and topics are:

Esther Rutter
Esther is an acclaimed author and PhD student. She will share an illustrated talk on her current research working with archive material in the University of Leeds' Special Collections and the Dales Countryside Museum to research the fascinating lives and works of Yorkshire artist-historians Marie Hartley, Ella Pontefract and Joan Ingilby.

Jude Rhodes, Chair of the BALH Outreach Committee and Grassington resident
Jude will share the fascinating history of a Dales barn from 1603 to the present day in the context of the local history of Grassington, North Yorkshire. A planning application reveals a wealth of detail about the barn through the Historic Building Report: Analysis and Interpretation.

Sally Robinson, Washburn Heritage Centre
Sally will speak about the Fewston Assemblage project. Prior to the construction of the Washburn Heritage Centre in 2009, skeletal remains and artefacts were removed from Fewston Churchyard, known as the Fewston Assemblage. Because of its size, age and rural location the Fewston Assemblage has global significance. The project is a collaboration of commercial archaeologists and academics from the Universities of Durham, alongside descendants and volunteers from the Washburn Heritage Centre.

David Cant, Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group and BALH Outreach Committee member
David will speak on Traditional Buildings of the Dales. The stone buildings of the Dales are a remarkable part of the landscape. They have attracted attention for many years. Pioneers in their study have included Arthur Raistrick, Marie Hartley and Joan Ingleby, and more recently Alison Armstrong and Arnold Pacey. This talk will look at the buildings and the people who built and used them.

Attending the conference

Tickets are £8 for BALH members and £10 for non-members, this includes refreshments but not lunch. There will be space for people to bring their own lunch or there are plenty of options in Grassington. 

A small selection of local history stalls will be available on the day. 

There is a large Yorkshire Dales National Park car park on Hebden Road, a four-minute walk away, charged at £7 per day.

Further details

Please contact outreach@balh.org.uk if you have any questions about this event.