tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67304568360684421162024-03-13T14:41:47.010+00:00UWHG at the Wilderness Beck Shell GrottoApril 2011 - An archaeological and historical study of the shell grotto in Widerness Back, Skipton. The Project is undertaken by the Upper Wharfedale Heritage Group under the direction of Susan Wrathmell, BA, MA, IHBC on behalf of the Friends of the Wilderness (a local voluntary body undertaking maintenance and restoration, supported by Skipton Town Council).Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-50056374467038755872011-04-18T00:19:00.000+01:002011-04-18T00:19:39.883+01:005. Friday 15th April 2011<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Peter very kindly visited the site before our scheduled starting time to remove the heavy bags of soil, which we had left in the trench last evening, hopefully to stop interested parties from excavating any further. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sue, Alan and Ruth then proceeded to widen the trench by a few inches to see if we could determine how far the flags extended. However, as they obviously continue towards the path and possibly under it, and time was running out, it was decided that any further excavation would have to be left to some future date. So it was time for Alan to photograph everything of importance and to start recording. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WI4Anbug1Vk/Tat1HEApZYI/AAAAAAAADdU/6fitSmb7MqI/s1600/DSC_101_3739_blg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WI4Anbug1Vk/Tat1HEApZYI/AAAAAAAADdU/6fitSmb7MqI/s320/DSC_101_3739_blg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Howard Carter, eat your heart out! © Alan Williams</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The more we looked at the ornate pattern of the shells and stones on the Grotto wall, the more apparent it became just how lovely it must have been in its day. How sad that it has been vandalised and left to decay to its present state.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Helen arrived just in time to sketch the floor and adjacent section of wall, and to discuss with Sue the drawing and painting of the ’Romantick Ruin’, which Helen is going to do. With Sue using her expertise in drawing and Alan and Ruth holding the staff and the tapes, the recording was finished in record time. Sadly it was then time for back-filling and clearing of the site, greatly assisted by another member of the Civic Society, Steve.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It has been an excellent week (we have been very lucky with the weather – only 1 hours rain on Monday) and as well as a great deal of fun, we have all added to our experience of excavating and recording yet another aspect of archaeology.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Grateful thanks must go to all members of both UWHG and the Civic Society who have taken part, helped or advised, and especially to the Director of the Project, Sue.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Thanks also to the members of the general public who have shown such an interest in the work and who have drawn on their memories, which have helped to increase our knowledge of the site. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;">Ruth Spencer</span></span></div>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-68133956482725030432011-04-18T00:02:00.003+01:002011-04-18T00:28:48.759+01:004. Thursday 14th April 2011<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><b></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">A select company of 2 today – just Peter and Ruth. Sue who was working had left instructions to open up a trench running from the SW corner to the centre of the Grotto. With the help of the wonderful Chillington hoe, the top soil was soon loosened. There was very little glass today (in comparison to the bucket and a half from the previous days), but oh those roots – they were everywhere! You thought you had got them all cut back, but up they sprang again!</span></div><div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Finds were interesting – a plastic Red Indian, a blade of kitchen knife, a screwdriver, numerous rusty nails, bits of shell, a piece of painted pot and 3 bits of white tile. There was much burnt timber and huge nuggets of charcoal and finally - a floor! This comprised a large slab of paving approx. 60cms x 70cms, with a smaller triangular slab leading to some larger stones in the centre. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> </span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucxZ2K0FbuM/TatwV33v-bI/AAAAAAAADdQ/5RC9WJOqu14/s1600/DSC_101_3714_blg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucxZ2K0FbuM/TatwV33v-bI/AAAAAAAADdQ/5RC9WJOqu14/s320/DSC_101_3714_blg.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">At last, the floor! © Alan Williams</span></em></span><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Having thoroughly cleaned this we were delighted to see the expression on Sue’s face when she returned from work.</span></div><div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">We were again visited by Doug Grant and by Isobel Warren, both members of the Civic Society, who are watching our progress with great interest.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Recording tomorrow!<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;">Ruth Spencer</span></span></span></div>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-9155619430919539532011-04-14T19:28:00.002+01:002011-04-18T00:28:09.936+01:003. Wednesday 13th April 2011<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On day 3, we were still digging. The UWHG diggers spent the day trowelling in a cosy little foursome within the tiny half segment of the grotto interior. </span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The huge number of glass sherds littering the top soil for several centimetres depth meant we couldn't just bag up the top soil for re-use later without first sifting through to take out as much of the glass as we could. In this process we also collected the grand total of 8p in coinage from the 1970s, an old Dime bar wrapper, a party popper and some knicker elastic!! Ah, if only the walls could talk....</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIDW0P7JEIU/Tac7VyNySAI/AAAAAAAADdI/eJqnuBBFVew/s1600/blog+3673_Alan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIDW0P7JEIU/Tac7VyNySAI/AAAAAAAADdI/eJqnuBBFVew/s320/blog+3673_Alan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Jane & Ruth digging © </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alan Williams</span></span></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We didn't get down to the original grotto floor despite all our efforts - indeed we found another level of dressed stone in the corner suggesting we had several more centimetres to go down. </span></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_aHKcejb6k/Tac7bR2dSBI/AAAAAAAADdM/Lv4hKa6AErU/s1600/blog+2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g_aHKcejb6k/Tac7bR2dSBI/AAAAAAAADdM/Lv4hKa6AErU/s320/blog+2022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Taking a moment to think © Jane Lunnon</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We were visited by Stephen Garnett of the Craven Herald newspaper which gave us a much-needed break from the hard work of digging while he took some photos. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tomorrow, let's hope the grotto floor will be finally found.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial;"><em>Jane Lunnon</em></span>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-66671112818057665692011-04-12T23:42:00.000+01:002011-04-12T23:42:00.576+01:002. Tuesday 12th April 2011<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Another good day in the Wilderness with no rain!<br />
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Anne Wood joined Sue and Ruth today. While Anne cleaned more moss off the walls Sue & Ruth dug a 50cms square in the SW corner inside the wall, looking for a possible floor surface. It took a long time to get through the hard packed earth and dandelion roots, but with care & perseverance a further pecked, curved stone was found under what had been thought to be the base of the wall. Approx. 14 cms down a covering of lime mortar was revealed, which extended throughout most of this area.<br />
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We had a number of visitors, including members of the Civic Society, who came to lend a hand. Sheila Clarke did a very useful job of recording the various types of shells, which had been used in the design – the more one looks, the more shell and interesting stone patterns can be seen. Other visitors were all very interested and word had obviously spread around that we were excavating in the Grotto!<br />
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After lunch Anne, Sue and Ruth set to, to excavate a further trench running westwards from the back of the Grotto, hoping to see if there was further lime mortar here. What we did find was masses of broken glass of every colour and a few coins mainly dated circa 1978. The thought was that the youth of that era practiced emptying the bottles and then smashed them against the wall! <br />
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As ever time ran out all too quickly and we have to hope that we find that elusive floor tomorrow - there is still all the recording to be done!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ruth Spencer</span></i></div>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-28187255954443172572011-04-12T10:29:00.002+01:002011-04-18T00:26:49.330+01:001. Monday 11th April 2011<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day dawned cloudy and threatening, but at least this was better conditions for getting a 'before' photo of the site, our 2 previous attempts were thwarted by bright sunlight casting 'orrible shadows across the feature.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TG9Ysx3BdM/TaQZ8A7J0cI/AAAAAAAADc8/Q1AK6603I-M/s1600/DSC_101_3629_blg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TG9Ysx3BdM/TaQZ8A7J0cI/AAAAAAAADc8/Q1AK6603I-M/s320/DSC_101_3629_blg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Wilderness Grotto © Alan Williams</em></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today Sue Wrathmell (site director) Ruth Spencer, Roger Pyrah and Alan Williams started the work of cleaning the feature. Sue and Roger painstakingly removing the moss from the shells embedded into the surface while Ruth and Alan cleaned the structural masonry to discover the extent of the construction. After an hour or so the threatened rain appeared, not heavy but still wet, making the walk to the spoil heap along the slippery beck side path rather exciting.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em5axa94nOA/TaQaLfO9L8I/AAAAAAAADdA/TnMjVyhsknY/s1600/DSC_101_3649_blg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em5axa94nOA/TaQaLfO9L8I/AAAAAAAADdA/TnMjVyhsknY/s320/DSC_101_3649_blg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Work underway © Alan Williams</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Johnson visited the site in the late afternoon giving valuable advice on how to draw the structure (well, it is a bit kiln shaped!) and looking in detail at the surface render in which the shells are set – cement and the mortar between the stones – lime mortar: useful information to assist with the dating. Work finished around 17:30. a productive first day. Tomorrow it is hoped to discover whether the structure has a paved/cobbled floor and to draw plans and sections </span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Alan Williams</span></div>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6730456836068442116.post-79257372765399509772011-04-04T15:35:00.001+01:002011-04-14T19:07:29.487+01:00Introduction<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><strong>An Archaeological and Historical Study of the Wilderness<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beck Grotto,</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>off Shortbank Road, Skipton</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Project is undertaken by the Upper Wharfedale Heritage Group </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">under the direction of Susan Wrathmell, </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">BA, MA, IHBC</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Project is supported by Skipton Civic Society and the <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Middletown</city></place> Community Association.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Summary Site History</strong> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">No reference to the grotto has so far been found in published material; the only fixed date for its existence in the 1850 Ordnance Survey map, published in 1852.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">Two likely dates for its construction are described in detail below:</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 39pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1773-80 for Samuel Plummer who as headmaster built himself a fine house and made the gardens on the east side.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 39pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>C1847 when money was set aside for work on the gardens.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The former date is considered more likely.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LT7NN62N1OY/TZnWVPf_A3I/AAAAAAAADcY/ibzfwoi8sJs/s1600/blog+1467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LT7NN62N1OY/TZnWVPf_A3I/AAAAAAAADcY/ibzfwoi8sJs/s400/blog+1467.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><strong>Background- the school and its setting</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">A late medieval chapel dedicated to St James was taken over by Ermysted’s school by 1570. The site would probably also have included a guest house, barn and stables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the Civil War the school was closed and the buildings used as a military base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school buildings were described as being in very poor condition in 1654 and it appears that little repair work was done in the following century.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">Samuel Plummer was appointed headmaster in 1751 and remained until 1780.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He managed the school’s extensive estates and was involved in the proposals for the Keighley – <place w:st="on">Kendall</place> turnpike road (Act of 1753).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1773 he sold school land and trees to a total of £560 to the <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> and Liverpool Canal Company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the money was used for the erection of a new school house and outbuildings, with additional land purchased for a paddock and garden which was planted with flowers, shrubs and fruit trees. The date for the new house (now the Cross Keys public house) and the gardens is therefore probably between 1773 and 1780.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">During the first half of the 19<sup>th</sup> century the grounds and school buildings were neglected, the Master continuing to live in his separate School House. A report of 1836 describes ‘very old’ school buildings which were made up of:</span></span></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0pt;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a small schoolroom, 18 x 7m, and 3m (10 feet) high, </span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">a room for the master and </span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">five small bedrooms for boarders.</span></span></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">The old school buildings were rebuilt in two phases in the 1840s: </span></span></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0pt;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">the school room was rebuilt to designs by <place w:st="on">Leeds</place> architect Robert Chantrell;</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">the range linking to the Schoolmaster’s House was converted into a house for the second master.</span></span></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">In 1847 the bad state of the school garden was remarked on and £10 was set aside for cultivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grotto with long flanking walls is shown on the 1850 Ordnance Survey map.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">The old Grammar School site was redundant in 1876 when the new school building on <street w:st="on"></span></span></span> <br />
<address w:st="on">Gargrave Road</address></street>was opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The site was sold in May 1878, although the plan of the lots includes the gardens, no reference was made to the grotto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following the sale it appears that the gardens were left to go wild.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 54pt; text-indent: -46.9pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 54pt; text-indent: -46.9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: white;">Aims </span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To clear the debris in order to survey and record the surviving structure.</span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>b) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To assemble an archive for the site, including an historical record.</span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>c) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To investigate the historic garden setting of the grotto at a superficial level.</span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: white;">Objectives</span></strong></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 75.35pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">To make a photographic and drawn record of the structure as it survives today and assess the evidence for its original form.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></i></span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 75.35pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Initiate further research into its age and significance.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></i></span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 75.35pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Monitor the continuing deterioration of the structure. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"></span></i></span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 75.35pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">To consider possible conservation options.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 75.35pt;"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: white;">Methods<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">a)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A desk based assessment to confirm the historical record.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">b)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A topographic, photographic and drawn survey of the grotto and its immediate <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>surroundings.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">c) The work to include a detailed examination of the shell patterning following<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>removal of the moss.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">d)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Examination and recording of the overall structure, <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>including the opening in the rear wall and any surviving floor at the base.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: white;">The survey is due to take place in April 2011. Reports will be lodged with the NYCC Heritage Unit, Skipton Town Council, Craven District Council Planning Department, Craven Museum, Skipton Reference Library, Skipton Civic Society, and UWHG.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 56.7pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -49.6pt;"><br />
</div>Upper Wharfedale Heritage Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07684634725974727043noreply@blogger.com0