Looking at Old BuildingsLeader:Ruth Evans
& Elizabeth Evans
The group usually meets on the 4th Thursday of each month though occasionally at other times,
focussing on visits to look at old buildings to see how they are
constructed and to look for any interesting features that may help to
date them. Where possible tours are pre-booked with an experienced guide
but sometimes there is a self-guided tour. Travel may be by coach,
public transport or car sharing and it has been agreed for the latter a
small scale of suitable donations for expenses by passengers in cars on
such occasions.* JULY 2018 Visit to Lancashire Infantry Museum, Fulwood Barracks, Preston and Hoghton Tower. Seventeen people signed up for the trip to Fulwood Barracks and Hoghton
Tower on 26th. July 2018. Fortunately we left Settle in plenty of time
to reach the Barracks, as when we arrived at Junction 31 of the M6, south
of Preston, we discovered the motorway was closed due to an accident involving
a lorry and a bridge support. We were able to drive through Preston to
our destination. The traffic was very slow, but we arrived with enough
time to make the visit worthwhile. Vicky Cooper JUNE 2018 Visit to Morecambe on 21st June 2018 A nearly full minibus of enthusiasts set off from Settle on what turned
out to be a dry and reasonably sunny day. Our first point of call was
the newly restored Midland Hotel on Morecambe's seafront. Originally built
by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1933 by the architect
Oliver Hill, the hotel fell into disrepair after it closed in 1998. It
was vandalised and looked very forlorn with broken windows for some 10
years. Happily it was finally saved and restored and re-opened in 2008
to much acclaim and is now a Grade ll* Listed Building. We were taken
on a tour by our very enthusiastic guide who explained the marvellous
sculptures by Eric Gill, especially the 6 tonnes of Portland stone of
'Odysseus Welcomed from the Sea by Nausicaa' located behind the Reception
Desk. Also a large wall relief map of the Lake District and Lancashire
Coast. The beautiful cantilevered staircase which winds itself from bottom
to top of the hotel was pretty impressive and it wasn't difficult to imagine
the likes of Coco Channel, Sir Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward along
with many others gracing its steps and polished handrail. Lynda Boyce MAY 2018 Visit to Gleaston Water Mill and Stott Park Bobbin Mill on 24th May 2018 Gleaston water mill The Breretons bought the mill in 1989 and they embarked upon its restoration. The roof was leaking but luckily the previous owner had kept racing pigeons on the top floor and his coverings for them had also provided sufficient protection for the machinery and much else. We were shown round by one of the very enthusiastic owners, Vicky Brereton, and were immediately struck by what I consider to be the pride and joy of the mill, the dominating 18ft water wheel and the very impressive wooden gearing and milling room. A sight to behold! Sadly we did not see it turning as is usual for visitors. Some time before, a flooded quarry higher upstream had been inconsiderately drained all in one go, thereby causing much flooding and damaging the machinery and leats and other property and land beside. The wheel was repaired but the leats were not yet in good order. There is much to see, including an excellent and well laid out museum, The Pigs Whisper Country Store, and we lunched well in the very pleasant Dusty Millers Tearoom. Stott Park Bobbin Mill Thank you to Jim for organising this fascinating and worthwhile trip. Sally Edwards FEBRUARY 2018 – An Architects Approach The February meeting of LAOB was 'An Architects Approach '. By James Innerdale. Introduced by Hilary Baker, Mr Innerdale gave a very interesting illustrated talk on the various aspects of his work as a Conservation Architect. A member of the Society to Protect Ancient Buildings, founded in 1877 by William Morris, Mr Innerdale is consulted on matters of conservation and restoration of buildings in many parts of the country. The principal criteria to consider are; Historical Value, Aesthetic Value and Communal Value. By showing illustrations of local buildings we were taken from the ' Peel Tower,' demonstrating fortified building, via the ' Long House,' not needing to be fortified, but essentially narrow allowing light to enter from both sides. Then, from the 18th. century, 'Double Pile' houses with two or more equal sized floors and two rooms deep, coinciding with advanced methods if interior lighting. Windows progressed from the horizontal mullion to the vertical multi pane sash type. Apparently, we should not take for granted that Date Stones are a reliable indication of the age of a property. Frequently they are placed to commemorate a wedding, change of ownership, or significant alteration of the building. Finally we were warned of the dangers of using modern plaster, paint and sealants on old houses as these can seriously effect the 'breathable status' of the original structure.
Grateful thanks are due to Hilary Baker for arranging such an entertaining and informative meeting. Joan Schofield. JANUARY 2018 Our January activity on 25th was a talk, organised by Michael Cullingworth. The speaker was Dr Michael Clark and was open to all members of Settle District U3A. Dr Clark lived at one time at Rochford Hall in Essex when he was MP for Rayleigh. He was instrumental in restoring and renovating this huge manor house dating from 1216, the major part of which had been destroyed by fire in 1791. In 1340 Edward III granted the manor to William de Bohun. In 1381 the arranged marriage of William’s daughter Mary to Henry Bolingbroke took place. Henry was to become King Henry IV in 1399. By the 16th century when Rochford was granted to Thomas Boleyn it was recognised as one of the largest properties in the country. The house was square, each face being 200 feet in length, with a tower at each corner. There were four internal courtyards. The Boleyn family lived there from 1515, first Thomas de Boleyn Viscount Rochford, and later his daughter Mary. It is said that the secret courtship between Henry IV and Thomas's second daughter Anne Boleyn took place at Rochford. In 1791 the major portion of the house was destroyed by fire and was never restored. In recent times part of the remaining building became the Rochford Hundred Golf Club. The site of what were the extensive gardens was converted into the golf course. The remaining part was left in ruins. This is where Dr Michael Clark came into the story. The portion which Dr Clark purchased consisted of the opposite corner to the golf club. The club house having one remaining tower and Dr Clark's property having the other, known as Lady Anne's Tower. It was a daunting task. The buildings which were not total ruins had been used to house livestock. There was an accumulation of bedding and manure several feet deep to be removed. Windows had been bricked up to prevent the livestock from escaping. It was a delicate job removing the brick work without damaging the surrounding 16th century stone work. One thing of which Dr Clark was particularly proud was his idea of following a line, basically what he perceived to be the original outline of the house, in an attempt to find the third tower. He dug it himself. much to the amusement of the building contractors working on the house. He was absolutely delighted to be proved right. There, perfectly in line, was the complete base of the other tower. Dr Clark has had it made into a beautiful feature in his garden.
Joan Schofield
NOVEMBER – LANCASTER CASTLE On the morning of our visit to Lancaster Castle we were greeted with the news that Lancaster was on of the worst hit areas in the overnight floods! However, out excellent coach driver changed his normal route to avoid the worst of the flooding and got us safely through. On arrival we were met by out splendid guide, Victoria, whose clear and firm voice was an immense help to those of us with hearing problems. Her knowledge of the castle was encyclopaedic and she talked us through its various incarnations from its origins as an actual castle to recent prison and onto the present day – most of it pretty grim. Our tour took us to the magnificent Shire Hall with the coats of the arms of all the past high sheriffs and then on to the Second Court Room which is still in use today. Once the accused is found guilty he is led down a flight of steps under a trap door, hence the term “Take him down”. We saw the branding iron with which a criminal's hand was marked thereby starting the custom of raising one hand when swearing an oath. To continue the grim theme, we then visited the “Prep Room” where prisoners were prepared for the public hanging in the courtyard. This eventually became a public entertainment and a gala atmosphere prevailed until the practice was abandoned in the mid nineteenth century. Some of experienced the grimness of the prison cells where the Pendle Witches were held prior to their trial, when we were “Locked Down”. All in all an excellent visit. So much so that our one-hour guided tour became two hours!
OCTOBER – TOWNELEY HALL On a grey, grizzly late October day a group of us set off for Burnley
to visit Towneley Hall. After a fortifying cuppa we were met in the
entrance by our guide Derek – a fount of knowledge of all things
Towneley. Towneley Hall was the home of the Towneley family for over 500
years but sold to Burnley Corporation in 1901.
SEPTEMBER 2017 – PLANNING MEETING This was held on Thursday 21st September in the Castleberg Room of the Victoria Hall. Attendance of 16 was disappointing given that at that time our membership was 74! But a rough plan was produced for the coming year with plenty of ideas forthcoming from all present and with some offering to organise the visits which is the idea – to share out responsibilities! Visits were proposed for October and November – both to be confirmed. There will be no event in December as there will be the usual Settle District U3A Christmas Social Event in the Victoria Hall while in consideration of possible inclement weather in January and February activities will be indoors both open to all U3A members. After that Long Preston, followed by Fulwood Barracks at Preston, Muncaster Castle &Stott Park Mill or Gleeson & Eskdale Mills, Kiplin Hall and finally Raby Castle. The August event is the U3A Open Morning. JULY 2017 - ROCHDALE On Thursday, 27th July, our visit to Rochdale was a great success. We
started with a guided tour of the very impressive Victorian Town Hall.
Many cotton and wool towns built impressive town halls but this exceeded
anything I have seen. The huge rooms, majestic staircase and snug
mayoral chambers all had hand painted walls with Art Nouveau designs.
Some had lots of detail and all had beautiful colours. Colour was also
the outstanding feature of the windows with many a story to tell. There
were Minton tiles on the floor of the entrance hall. In addition to
being a town hall the wings of the building also encompassed a Police
Station with Courts, a Fire Station and Exchange, though the latter was
not much used.
Thanks go to Debi Burridge for arranging this visit and thanks to Gill for this excellent write-up. JULY 2017 – LITTLE SALKELD and ACORN BANK WATERMILLS I gasped as we approached the VIVID PINK buildings which were our
first destination of the day, Little Salkeld Mill, a working watermill
fed by a plentiful supply of water from a brook off the River Eden in
Cumbria and which is now Cumbria’s only fully-operational mill producing
organic flour on a commercial basis, which is sold in the shop on the
premises, on line and through some retail outlets, including Booths in
Settle.
MAY 2017 – VISIT TO GAWTHORPE HALL The sun was shining and it was already very warm when we left Settle.
The coach journey to Gawthorpe Hall was by the scenic route over Pendle
to Padiham. We arrived just before 11 a.m. in time for a minute’s
silence, standing in the sunshine outside the front door, to remember
the victims of the Manchester bomb. APRIL 2017 – FARFIELD MILL, SEDBERGH Thanks are due to Rosemary Harrod and Heather Chappell for arranging this excellent visit to Farfield Mill near Sedbergh On arrival straight into the café area we were able to book our lunches, have a coffee and then wander freely until it was time for a talk by one of the Preservation’s Trust members. Maureen Lamb, one of the many volunteers who had been involved with the mill for many years and was part of the driving force behind its restoration, gave a most informative talk after which we were free to resume our roaming. Built in 1837 the mill became famous for the production of horse blankets, even supplying the Royal stables for almost 100 years. The Witney Loom is a 300 years old prized possession originally used in Whitney, Oxfordshire for the famous Whitney blankets. In the late 19th century the mill was destroyed by fire, but the business was so prosperous that a new larger mill was operating within a year. Sadly demand for woven woollen goods declined and the mill was scheduled for closure. A Preservation Trust, of which Mrs Lamb was a founder member, was set up in the 1990's. Funding was eventually secured to finance the development, within the mill, of artisan workshops producing a wide variety of quality goods. Opening in 2001, pottery, glassware, jewellery, textiles and a fascinating collection of other handcrafted items are attractively presented on the upper floors. The lower floors house looms and machinery from the Victorian era, still operating for small commissions and also used for tuition workshops. As befits a mill used exclusively for wool, there are also interesting videos featuring the social aspects of life for those who worked in its production, their rigid rules and conditions and of course the sheep, especially the hardy Rough Fell breed. One wonderful exhibit was a “Dream Coat”. Each year the primary and secondary pupils from Dent & Sedbergh collaborate on a project involving a new skill taught at the mill. In 2015 they were taught to weave, each producing a square as beautiful as they could make it. All 500 came together to form “Dream Coat” housed at present in the mill which was on display the day of our visit. Inside the lining of each square is hidden a child’s wish never to be seen – apart from two which fell out. One said “I wish everyone in England had the benefit of living next door to a Gregg’s bakery” and the other “I wish I could see my Dad again We left the mill at 2.15pm for a brief stop in Sedbergh in order to be back in Settle by 4.00pm. Joan Schofield Our May visit will be to Gawthorpe Hall organised by Anne Webster. MARCH 2017 -
MARKENFIELD HALL & RIPON CATHEDRAL We divided into two groups and with very knowledgeable guides explored the various parts of the house learning about the structure and the history dating from an entry in the Domesday Book (1066). Firstly we visited the Undercroft (originally part of the Hall’s kitchen and storage area) and the splendid Medieval vaulting of the most unusual Utility Room on the ground floor before going upstairs via a very handsome barleytwist staircase. This took us to the Great Hall with such a high ceiling, adorned with bookcases and original paintings. We then visited the Chapel and the Four Poster Bedroom. In 1150 the estate belonged to the Le Bret family who adopted the name de Markenfield, though variously spelt through the centuries as Merchefeld, Merchingfeld, Merkingfeld€, Merkenfelt, Markinfeud and Markenfe(i)ld. They took part in the Rising of the North in 1569 after which the Hall was confiscated by the Crown. It descended to the 7th Lord Grantley who began a restoration project in 1980 to convert the hall from a farmhouse into a family home. We then drove on to the CATHEDRAL. Our visit here coincided with a lunchtime cello recital which was well attended and enjoyed. The cathedral has a history dating back to the 7th century with gothic windows dating back to 1220 which look stunning. Again we were divided into two groups for a fascinating tour of the Cathedral and were able to see the Markenfield Tombs and memorial window. They are the remaining tombs of members of the Markenfield family who lived at Markenfield Hall (where coincidentally we had just visited!). We also noticed the far seat looking towards the Altar from the choir stalls, which depicts a griffon chasing a rabbit, with another rabbit hiding down a hole. We were told by the guide that this is believed to have inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice In Wonderland, and that Lewis Carroll's father was a Canon there from 1852 - 1868. The wood carver who carved some of the pews in the cathedral, Robert Thompson, left his mark on the carvings in the form of a little mouse. Sounds familiar? Otherwise known as the ‘Mouseman’. Note to future visit organisers – there are NO public toilets OR
café facilities in the Cathedral - but tea, coffee & sandwiches can
be purchased to eat during these monthly recitals. Thank you both, Lynda and Pat, for March’s very interesting
write-ups. The visit in April, organised by Rosemary Harrod (with
Heather Chappell), will be to Farfield Mill, Nr Sedbergh and the one in
May, organised by Anne Webster, to Gawthorpe Hall. February 2017 SAMLESBURY HALL The LAOB outing to Samlesbury Hall on 23rd February was a great success despite the threat of Hurricane Doris. The hall, built in 1322, was very impressive from its black and white exterior to timbered ceilings and stained glass. Surprisingly, the rear of the hall has brick walls with imposing chimney stacks. Looking at the building now, it's hard to accept that it that it was allowed to deteriorate so much that it came close to being demolished in the 1920's. It's very close to the main road but this in no way detracts from its ambiance but would come as a huge shock to the previous residents if they came back to haunt it. It is now managed by a charitable trust. Entry is free and they rely on donations, sales and the provision of eating places for the upkeep of the hall as well as weddings, conferences and meetings etc. Some of the party had booked the guided tour and we were in for a real treat. The guide, in the persona of a Southworth witch named Janey, was amazing. Remaining in character throughout, she related the history of the previous owners of the hall and the trials and tribulations of being catholic under a protestant regime. From re-enactments, with the assistance of members of our group, we learnt about priest holes, murders and ghosts. Janey was on the lookout for a rich husband from amongst the group and was very hands on in her endeavours. She explained how she associated girth with wealth. She chose my partner John to play the part of the priest who was hidden in a priest hole in the side of the fireplace in the entrance hall. From then on, for the rest of the tour, she called him “Father John”. Being "a priest" probably saved him from being considered husband material by Janey. That, and the fact that he is so thin that she wouldn't think he had enough money to put food on the table. Luckily she didn't asked him to physically get into the hole as I'm sure he would have been too tall. She was impressed by the way he sprang to his feet from a prone position on the rug. Eventually the priest's luck ran out and he was arrested and executed when a servant girl betrayed him When we moved to the chapel, Janey told the story of Lady Dorothy Southworth who had accepted a proposal of marriage from the son of a nearby family but how the young man had been murdered as he wasn't catholic. At this a second member of the group, playing the secret lover, was killed. Lady Dorothy was sent to a convent and died of a broken heart. She is said to be the White Lady who now haunts the hall. The Southworth family eventually got into such debts, due to being fined for
their adherence to the catholic faith, that they lost the hall. Some of them
even lost their lives. January 2017 This month we usually aim to book a visiting speaker for an afternoon talk in
the Victoria Hall to be open to all U3A members & others. Unfortunately the
speaker this year had to cancel so after an appeal to all our members for someone
who might be able to step into her shoes at fairly short notice, we were delighted
to welcome Alan Hemsworth who gave us a most interesting and humorous talk entitled
"Inns - Ancient & Modern" featuring mostly local buildings, many
of which now no longer exist in their former roles! Alan is an experienced and
excellent speaker in his own right, always ably supported by his wife Dorothy.
Together they physically research new material & keep up to date their old
material to ensure they are aware of the changing trends in this interesting field.
We are indeed privileged to have such an entertaining speaker as a member of this
group. 2016go to the top November/December 2016Our November visit was to have been to two working mills near Leeds but this had
to be cancelled because there were not sufficient numbers for the out-of-season
guided tours which both needed a minimum number of subscribers to be viable. October 2016 An extra visit, also in September, was a real action-packed trip to Leeds courtesy
of Saida Simmons. We travelled by train & our first venue was the Leeds Club
established in 1852 as a Gentleman's Club to provide a meeting place for eminent
surgeons and professional business men. Here we were provided with a very nice
complementary finger buffet followed by a conducted tour of the very sympathetically
restored building, with special attention being given to the most impressive Gentlemens
Toilets. Closed in the early 2000s it re-opened to the general public in 2013
as a Conference and Events venue. September/October 2016 We were pleased once again to welcome a number of new members to this large group although the planning meeting in September was not well attended. However from input from those present we have drawn up a rough plan for this seasons visits and have already visited Lawkland Hall & hope to visit Leeds (October), Armley Mills Industrial Museum & Thwaite Mills Putty Mill (November), Kipling Hall (February), Ripon Cathedral/Markenfield Hall (March), Manchester (April), Gawthorpe Hall (May), Acorn Bank/Salkeld Mill (June) and Rochdale (July). We hope to have a talk, either just for the group or open to the U3A in January & we don’t do anything in December because of the U3A Christmas Social Event. September/October 2016
September 2016 This old photo shows a view from the road, Graystoneber Lane, of the
central block. There are two wings either side, the East Wing C17 with
two storeys and the West Wing C16 with three storeys. This contained a
chapel with a chimney flue arranged to accommodate the provision of a
Priest hole which can now be viewed through a tough glass pane in the
doorway over which to walk into the room. It is known that there was at
some time a resident priest. August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 2015go to the topDecember 2015/January 2016 Our final visit of the day was to the Midland Hotel. now
beautifully restored. A feature of the bar was a large mural with a view
of Forster Square as it was in the middle of last century, with trams
and trolley buses, railway vehicles and a horse pulling a cart loaded
with wool, the sacks labelled 'Isaac Holden', one of the mill owners
whose family memorial we had been inspecting earlier in the day. We were
then taken to see two restored ballrooms and two very large and
comfortable bedrooms, leaving the Hotel through the listed 'Victorian
Tunnel', the original entrance to the Hotel from the concourse of
Forster Square Station, now gone. Posted 3/11/2015 Posted 26/10/15 17 members visited the village of Linton in Craven on Thursday 22nd October.
The village is a Medieval settlement but most houses date from the 17th century.
The 'yeoman' farm houses are set around a green on either side of a beck with
5 crossing places - a ford, 3 bridges and some stepping stones. The name is
derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Lin - flax - and Tun - farmstead. The most
striking building is the Grade II* Fountaine's Hospital, ascribed to Sir John
Vanbrugh and/or his associate Nicholas Hawksmoor. The founder was Richard Fountaine,
born in Linton in 1639, who was a timber merchant and made his money after the
Plague and the Great Fire of London. He became an alderman of the City of London,
and left money at his death in 1721 for an almshouse to be built the village
of his birth. A charity was set up which maintains the building and chapel.
Click here for Michael's photos Posted 8/10/15 Thursday 22nd October Debi Burridge 01729 825922, 07763973379, mailto:debi.burridge@gmail.com Posted 26/09/15 It was good to have ideas from different members at our planning meeting on Thursday. We were pleased too to welcome some of our new members and we now have potential visits for the session up until August 2016. Some are visits the group has done in previous years, which some former members may have missed but would like to have another opportunity to enjoy. There is a general feeling that members prefer travel by coach and that if the journey may be more than about an hour away we might take advantage of other venues in the vicinity. An example being a visit to Preston in August when we hope to visit the Harris Museum and the Avenham and Miller Parks. Other venues are Appleby Castle; Bradford Midland Hotel with possibly the Sunbridge underground tunnels due to open shortly or the Undercliffe Cemetery; Bramhope Puritan Chapel plus Adel church; another visit to Manchester where last year the John Rylands Library proved to have far more to offer than we were able accomplish in our visit; talk/tour/walk at the Haworth Bronte Parsonage Museum; Quarry Bank Mill & Styal village; The Lion Salt works at Northwich; Richmond Georgian Theatre; Some of the Lake District's Mills. We look forward to meeting the rest of our new members for what looks to be a great year ahead! Ruth and Elizabeth Posted 2/09/15 Visit to Leighton Hall on Thursday 27th August 2015 Posted 4/08/15 Our 3rd annual 'walk-around' visit organised by Hilary Baker for July was to
Clapham where we had a different experience in that instead of seeing it from
an architectural viewpoint we saw it through the amazingly detailed historical
'eye' of Ken Pearce who kindly stepped in when James Innerdale became unable
to be with us. Ken's knowledge-gained in just around ten years-is phenomenal
& we had an excellent tour. POSTED 12/06/15 Our June visit will be a guided tour/talk at the Folly in Settle. Alison Armstrong,
an authority regarding this building, will be our host. POSTED 30/4/2015 Last week's LAOB visit to Blackwell Arts & Craft House was a lovely experience. Organised most efficiently by John & Linda Lister we were blessed with a glorious sunny day so that we were able to really appreciate the peace and harmony outside as well as the beauty and simplicity in the house. The next visit has been arranged by Sally Edwards and will take us by coach to Manchester on Thursday 28th May where two tours have been arranged: to the John Rylands Library and the Victorian Swimming Baths. We leave the Cricket Club Car Park at 9.20am arriving at the library for 11.05am and then from there at 1.15pm. And we leave for home at 3.30pm to arrive in Settle at approximately 5.15pm. Costs are:
Lunches are available at the library if pre-ordered but there are cafes nearby. All money (max £22.00 for all options & including U3A 50p) is required by May 14th at the Thursday monthly speaker meeting which Sally will be attending. Please contact her for further details, to book a place and to choose your options. POSTED 12/03/15 March Visit – to Heron Corn Mill at Beetham on Thursday 26th March 2015. Built in 1740 this is a Grade 11 listed, working Corn Mill which also has a Turbine driving an electricity generator. Both will be demonstrated. A coach has been booked & the total cost of the visit is £15 which includes coach fare, admission & refreshments. The coach will leave Settle Cricket Club at 10.00am, returning at around 3.00pm. Jim (Woodward-Nutt) would appreciate your payments in advance and can be contacted on 01729 851808 if you require further details. Elizabeth POSTED 29/01/15 Two visits have been arranged for the meeting on Thursday 26th February 2015, the first starting at 2.00pm: 1) Castlebergh Masonic Lodge, Chapel Square, Settle (formerly the Sunday School for the Methodist Chapel) to be shown around by the Grand Master, John Fox. We will then move on to: 2) The Old Court House, Station Road, Settle which is now home to the Settle Amateur Operatic Society, where we will meet the President of the Society, John Reid. (Please note that there are a lot of steps leading up to this building). The total cost will be £5.00 per head (which includes the U3A 50p. charge) to be paid in advance either to myself, to Alan Hemsworth or to Elizabeth Evans. Dorothy Hemsworth (Tel: 01729 823902) POSTED 7/01/2015 The January meeting this month, arranged by Alan Hemsworth, is open to all because there is to be a speaker in the Victoria Hall at 2.00pm. Jean Robinson will tell us all about the recent exciting excavations that have taken place at Raikes Road Burial Ground in Skipton, which is a Victorian Cemetery that has been undisturbed and neglected for many years. This should be a most interesting talk. Please encourage as many as possible to join us. We will be making a charge of £1 for members and non-members alike. Elizabeth 2014go to the top POSTED 19/10/14The arrangements for the visit to Temple Newsam on Thursday 23rd October are now confirmed. The coach will leave Settle Cricket Club Car Park at 11.00am, picking up from Long Preston Maypole Green at 11.15, Hellifield – end of Hammerton Drive at 11.20 & from the exit at Booths car park, Ilkley at 12noon & arriving about 12.30 so allowing time for food & viewing the Grayson Perry exhibition if desired, before the guided tour – “Hidden Temple Newsam” which has been re-arranged for 2.30pm & lasts for ¾ hours. The House, Farm & Grayson Perry exhibition are all self-guided but we are advised that the latter needs viewing before the tour as the light will be too poor afterwards. Any outstanding money will be collected by Elizabeth on the outward journey. Money for the Synagogue visit in November will be collected by Ruth on the return journey. We plan to leave no later than 5.00pm. Those travelling independently (5 people)will need to identify themselves by name at the Reception in the Great Hall of the house to be admitted but there are no actual tickets for the Group although those visiting the Farm (6 people) will need to obtain a ticket for this at the same time as the group is admitted - again from Reception in the Great Hall. There are limited toilets in the house but lots of toilets in the central courtyard area and toilets in the café too. There are lifts in the house but not to the 3rd floor where the Grayson Perry exhibition is, & a stair-climber which goes upwards in the house but not downwards. The café is open until 2.30 for hot food and until 4.30 for drinks, cakes & pre-packed sandwiches. There are still 4 spare places on the coach so please contact me on 01729 825148, 07779 548918 or eevans42@btinternet.com if you would like to join us. Posted 1/10/2014
Our recent planning meeting marked an encouraging start to the new session when future visits to Temple Newsam (currently being organised for 23rd October), a synagogue near Leeds, Raikes Road Burial Ground at Skipton, The Masonic Lodge & Zion Chapel in Settle, Heron Corn Mill at Beetham, Blackwell Arts Centre at Bowness, Manchester Victorian Swimming Baths & Town Hall, a visit around West Burton, Braithwaite Hall in Coverdale(private NT property), Blackpool Tower Ballroom, and Thornton-Cleveleys Windmill were all up for discussion and adopted by various volunteers for investigation for the rest of this year’s programme. It was good to welcome some new U3A members too. Ruth Evans & Elizabeth Evans Posted 12/9/2014 The first meeting is on Thursday 25th September 2014 at 2.00pm in the Victoria Hall. This will be a Planning Meeting to which all members are invited.
For this group to continue, we need people to come to that meeting with ideas of places to visit, even places that may have been visited in the past. We will be looking for people to organise trips which would include advertising it in the newsletter, being the point of contact and making all the arrangements that would be necessary for that trip. The group meets on the fourth Thursday in the month so events should be arranged on those dates if possible – a list of which you will have already received by then.
We look forward to meeting you on 25th September.
Ruth (ruthevansltd@hotmail.com) & Elizabeth (eevans42@btinternet.com) Posted 24/4/2014 The next meeting is on Thursday 22 May, and will consist of a visit to Holgate
Windmill, York, which is one of the few 5-sail working windmills still operating
and producing flour - which can be bought at the mill. The cost of the visit
is £3 and places are limited. Posted 10/2/2014 The meeting on 24th. April will be a guided tour of St Mary's Church, Whalley. The present building, dating from the 13th. cent., replaces the original 6th. cent. church on this site,from which some stonework and ancient crosses remain. We will meet at the church at 2 p.m. Tea/Coffee and biscuits will be available after the tour. There is no parking at the church ( BB7 9SY). There is a large car park a short distance away across the main road. Any queries please contact me on 01729 840 319. Joan Schofield. Update for the Looking at Old Buildings GroupBecause no-one has come forward to act as co-ordinator there will be no meetings
in January and February 2014. If you are interested in any of these, look out for further information in the newsletter, on the website or at the monthly speaker meeting. Or maybe someone will offer to become the co-ordinator! Please will organisers collect 50p from everyone who attends and deliver the total to John Parry, the Treasurer. Debi Burridge (if all else fails you can ring me for information! 01729 825922) Looking at Old Buildings: Thursday 27th March 2014 at 2pm "A boom-time church for a rich city parish" is how St John the Evangelist has been described. We have arranged a guided tour around the Church of St John the Evangelist in Lancaster. Our Guide, Mandy Holten, works for The Churches Conservation Trust and has a wealth of knowledge about Lancaster as well as St John's. There is no set charge but a contribution to the work of CCT would be much appreciated. St John's can be found on the junction of North Road and Chapel Street, LA1 1PA for those with Satnav. It is a very short walk from Cable Street Car Park and about half a mile from the railway station. Wendy and Clive Newby Posted 5/8/2013 Something different this month! A tour of the Undercliffe Cemetery in Bradford. Undercliffe Cemetery is a Grade 11* English Heritage listed site in the Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest category. Undercliffe Cemetery was opened in 1854, contains 23,000 graves and holds a total of 124,000 burials. The Cemetery offers unrivalled opportunities to appreciate the finest examples of Victorian funerary art set within the original design of this 26 acre parkland. Undercliffe offers good vantage points and fine panoramic views across the city of Bradford and out over the Aire Valley. We meet at the Lodge which is on the Undercliffe Lane entrance at 2pm on Thursday 22nd August. The Tour lasts between 1 hour and 1.5 hours and consists of a short historical overview at a central point followed by a guided walk around the cemetery with perhaps 10-12 stopping places each of which has a point of interest. The cost is £3 per person and there is plenty of parking onsite. The paths are fairly level. Sadly there isn't a cafe. Please let me know if you are going (by Monday August 12th), as I need to let the guide know numbers beforehand, and also if you need/can offer a lift. Debi Burridge 825922 Posted 3/7/2013 The July visit is on Thursday 25 July to Smithells Hall, Bolton, entry £2. Posted 4/6/2013 Looking at Old Buildings Thursday 27th June 2013 Posted 13/5/2013
Outline of future visits:- Look out for further details of these nearer the time in the newsletter and on the website. |