ARRANGEMENTS FOR WINTER 2021/22
Talks to be delivered by Zoom on:-
6th October 2021
17th November2021
12rh January 2022
26th January 2022
The Zoom joining
links will be available 48 hours before each talk
and can be requested by
emailing Karen Bruce-Lockhart at
karenbl@btinternet.com
For any
questions please telephone Karen on 01539634603.
All meetings start at 7.30 pm.
(The programme will be subject to
prevailing Covid advice
Wednesday 6th October 2021
(ZOOM) A.G.M. to be followed by a talk The Spanish Flu pandemic 1918 by
Robert Fox
Wednesday 20th October 2021 Eastern
influences on Cumbria by Rob David.
Wednesday 3rd November 2021
Windermere's Lake Shore Houses An illustrated historical selection of
lake shore houses by Diana Matthews
Wednesday 17th November 2021 (ZOOM)
Housing in North West England c.1850-1940 A Century of change by Jean Turnbull.
Wednesday 1st December 2021 Short
films from NORTHERN FILM ARCHIVE
2022
Wednesday 12th January 2022 (ZOOM) Wives, Widows, Spinsters - Women did
write wills by Anna Watson
Wednesday 26th January 2022 (ZOOM)
Roman Roads (ZOOM) by David Routlege
Wednesday 9th February 2022 Language of the
Landscape by Angus Winchester
Wednesday 16th 2022 Maps Through The Ages
by Bill Shannon
Wednesday 2nd March 2022 A loser look at
Ulverston An illustrated talk showing the architecturalmclues to
its fascinating past by David Fellows
Wednesday 16th March 2022 The Pilgrimage of
Grace by Adrian Braddon
DENT MMORIAL HALL
2020
Wednesday 7th October 2020 – Following a short
AGM our
president Professor Robert Fox will speak on Adam Sedgwick held over from
the last session. Robert will look at the life and achievements of Dent’s
best known son.
Wednesday 4th November 2020 Christopher Donaldson,
lecturer at
Lancaster University.
"Worlds Apart: The Slave Trade and other aspects of Cumbria's Black History"
Wednesday 9th December 2020
Graham Hooley will update on
the findings of the excavation over two summers in the
Lune
Valley of a native British site occupied contemporaneously with the Roman
camp at Low Borrowbridge.
Wednesday 20th
January 2021: The Industries of the Lune Valley
Mike Winstanley will give an illustrated talk
on the various industries that functioned in the Lune Valley including those
in the Sedbergh area.
Wednesday 3rd
February 2021: Tudor Sedbergh – new facts from the National Archives
Kevin Lancaster will give an illustrated talk on new evidence about Sedbergh
in Tudor times, one of the most important periods in the development of the
area.
Wednesday 3rd
March 2021: The Cumbrian Monasteries Harry Hawkins will give an
illustrated talk on the various monasteries that were situated in Cumbria.
Wednesday 17th
March 2021: The Rise and Fall of the Northumbrian Kingdom c600-1000 AD
Fiona Edmonds, Director of the Regional Heritage Centre at Lancaster
University, will give an illustrated talk on the Northumbrian Kingdom.
The date of the 2021
A.G.M. will be decided when the Covid-19 situation becomes clearer.
This is an opportunity for distant members usually not able to attend
lectures in Sedbergh, to join in.
The Zoom joining links will be available 48 hours before each lecture
and can be obtained by e-mailing the secretary Karen Bruce-Lockhart at karenbl@btinternet.com
For any questions please telephone Karen on 015396-34603
SEDBERGH
HISTORIAN 2020
Because of problems caused
by Covid-19, the publication of this year's journal has been delayed. It is
now intended to post it to members along with the Newsletter in September.
Click HERE to see the Summer 2020 Sedbergh Historian
___________________________
PAST PROGRAMMES
Lectures & Outings
from 2005
WEDNESDAY 4th MARCH
2020
Thorns, Ribblehead: anatomy of a deserted settlement
David Johnson:
An illustrated talk on the excavation of Thorns hamlet in Ribblesdale. The
settlement was first recorded in 1189 and finally abandoned in the 1880s.
WEDNESDAY 19th
FEBRUARY 2020 A little of the History of our twin town Zrece in Slovenia
Graham Dalton et al::
An illustrated talk about the history of Zrece by members of the society who
visited it.
WEDNESDAY 5th
FEBRUARY 2020 Markets to supermarkets: 200 years of shopping in the North WestMike Winstanley:
An illustrated
history of the various types of shops, including markets, which have
appeared and disappeared over the last 200 years, illustrated with examples
from the North West.
WEDNESDAY 15th JANUARY 2020
Icehouses and the international trade in ice
Rob David:
An illustrated talk on the icehouses of Cumbria and the international trade
in ice in the nineteenth century. From the seventh century the wealthy had
used ice houses to keep ice from the winter to the summer to preserve food.
In1980 an experiment involving the filling of a Cumbrian icehouse was
carried out and will be illustrated.
WEDNESDAY 11th
DECEMBER 2019
Some areas have stone circles, some like the Howgills do not
Tom Clare:
An illustrated talk on stone circles and their locations.
WEDNESDAY 20th
NOVEMBER 2019
"Viking Longhouses in Cumbria"
Steve Dickingson:
An illustrated talk centring on an excavation and survey project in Kentmere.
WEDNESDAY 6th NOVEMBER
2019
The RAF in Cumbria
Ian Tyler.
WEDNESDAY 16th OCTOBER
2019 CANCELLED Millthrop Bridge closed
Windermere’s Lake Shore Houses
Diana Matthews:
An illustrated historical selection of lake shore houses and the
personalities who lived in them.
WEDNESDAY 2nd OCTOBER
2019
Discovering Lakeland Villages
Andy
Lowe: An
illustrated talk on exploring some villages in the Lake District.
Summer Trips 2019
Wednesday 22nd May Hutton-In-The-Forest
Wednesday 5th June
Staveley Village
Thursday 20th June Dales
Countryside Museum
Friday 12th July Raby
Castle
SATURDAY 23rd MARCH
2019
Annual General Meeting 7pm for 7.30pm
WEDNESDAY 20th MARCH
2019
How water shaped Kendal
Geoff Brambles:
An illustrated talk examining the ways in which the natural behaviour of
water and its human management have influenced the physical growth, urban
morphology and economic development of Kendal.
WEDNESDAY 6th MARCH
2019
His sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts!. The wide-ranging roles of
women
Diane Elphick:
An illustrated talk looking at the varied and changing roles of women. The
experiences of both men and women varied over time, place and according to
class or income. What evidence is there to illustrate how the experiences
of women in the Dales were in line with the national context.
WEDNESDAY 20th
FEBRUARY 2019
Invasion via Garsdale, June 1487
Adrian Braddon:
An illustrated talk about a force of Yorkist royalists, German mercenaries,
Irish levies and the person they had crowned King Edward VI. Their purpose
was regime change and to depose King Henry VII. The talk will seek to put
this event in its wider context and to remind us of the fragility of power
at that period of time
WEDNESDAY 6th FEBRUARY
2019
Cattle droving through Cumbria 1600-1900
Peter Roebuck:
An illustrated talk
describing the origins and impact of cattle droving including its
contribution to industrialisation, its growth during wartime and the adverse
effects of cattle plague. The reasons for its decline and ending are also
covered.
WEDNESDAY 16th JANUARY
2019
The Must Farm Pile-Dwelling: Archaeological investigations of Bronze Age
Fenland settlement
Iona Robinson Zeki:
An illustrated talk on the findings of the excavation of the site
constructed over an ancient river. A fire resulted in the preservation of
extensive architectural remains and a wide assemblage of material culture
providing an exceptional opportunity to explore Bronze Age life.L
WEDNESDAY 5th DECEMBER
2018
Charity, the Poor Law and Workhouse- when all else failed
Mike Winstanley:
An illustrated talk exploring the ways in which people sought to “make ends
meet” and get through hard times including the Poor Law and the increasingly
dreaded workhouse.
WEDNESDAY 21st NOVEMBER
2018
A Railway for Sedbergh
Robert Western:
An illustrated talk on the events leading up to the provision of a railway
link in Sedbergh and the subsequent history including a proposed line to
Hawes.
WEDNESDAY 7th NOVEMBER
2018
The Yards of Kendal
Trevor Hughes:
An illustrated talk on the history of the yards of Kendal, one of the most
characteristic features of the town.
WEDNESDAY 17th OCTOBER
2018
Log boats to Edwardian Steamboats in the Lake District
Diana Matthews:
An illustrated talk showing a range of different craft and some of their
unusual owners over the years.
WEDNESDAY 3rd OCTOBER
2018
The strange decline of the Cumbrian Statesman
Christine Craghill:
An illustrated talk on the decline of the statesmen or yeoman farmers in the
nineteenth century, a phenomenon also observed in Dent by Adam Sedgwick.
FURNESS
ABBEY 16th May 2018

 |

Excellent guided tour of
Furness Abbey
given
by Gill Jepson |
*******************************
SATURDAY 24TH
MARCH 2018
Annual General Meeting 7.30pm.
The AGM will be followed by a buffet meal on a Jacob’s Join basis.
WEDNESDAY 21ST
MARCH 2018 Iron Age track to motorway: two thousand years through the Lune Gorge
Graham Hooley:
This illustrated talk will include reference to the Roman period and recent
archaeological investigations at the Low Borrowbridge fort in addition to
considering the different transport routes up to the building of the M6.
WEDNESDAY 7TH
MARCH 2018 Discovering a landscape of industry
Andrew Lowe:
An illustrated talk looking at the wide range of crafts and industries that
have made the Lake District a working landscape. The industrial heritage is
a vital component of the attractive landscape we see today.
WEDNESDAY 21ST
FEBRUARY 2018 St Helena: a final voyage?
Mike
Beecroft: An illustrated talk outlining the history of the island, its
links to Britain, and the connections between Napoleon and the Doveton
family from Cumbria. The talk will also review recent developments and the
prospects for the future of the “Saints” and their island.
WEDNESDAY 7TH
FEBRUARY 2018 The history of Holme Mill
Geoff Pegg:
An illustrated
talk describing the history of Holme Mill from its first use as a flax mill
in1790, followed by its conversion to a coconut matting factory in 1864,
through to its closure as a mill in
1975.
WEDNESDAY 17TH
JANUARY 2018 How water shaped Kendal
Geoff Brambles:
An illustrated talk examining the ways in which the natural behaviour of
water and its human management have influenced the physical growth, urban
morphology and economic development of Kendal
THIS MEETING CANCELLED DUE
TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS
WEDNESDAY 6TH
DECEMBER 2017 The Highland Clearances
Mike Winstanley:
An illustrated talk which will deal with the Highland Clearances of the late
18th and early 19th centuries. The alleged cruelty and
inhumanity of the landowners have become legendary but how justified is this
opinion? This talk tries to take a dispassionate view of this tumultuous
time.
FRIDAY 24TH
NOVEMBER 2017 The Annual Dinner, 7pm for 7.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 15TH
NOVEMBER 2017 Monasteries and their influence in North Lancashire and South
Cumbria
Alan Crosby:
An illustrated talk on the monastic houses in this area and their
distinctive local characteristics, particularly in the context of their
relationship with the wider community, which might have played a part in the
resilience of Catholicism after the Reformation.
WEDNESDAY 1TH
NOVEMBER 2017 Boskin, Skelbuse and Foddergang: traditional farm
buildings in the Yorkshire Dales
Jim Brightman:
An illustrated talk drawing on new research into historical farming in the
Yorkshire Dales and an overview of the past, present and possible future
uses of the traditional farm buildings.
WEDNESDAY 18TH
OCTOBER 2017 Liverpool Cowkeepers – a family history
Dave Joy:
An illustrated talk looking at the lives and times of the Liverpool
Cowkeepers many of whom came from our area. The speaker’s own ancestors from
Upper Wharfedale were cowkeepers.
WEDNESDAY 4TH
OCTOBER 2017 The
Shap Stones
Jean Scott-Smith:
An illustrated talk on the once important Shap Stones showing how the
ancient sites were linked and what can be seen of them today.
“Taking the northern waters .... with Dr Garnett"
Professor Robert Fox:
An illustrated talk exploring the vogue for spa waters in
eighteenth century England where in the north Harrogate reigned supreme. It
was there that Thomas Garnett (1766-1802), a former pupil of John Dawson in
Sedbergh, made his reputation as a spa doctor before going on to national
fame as a scientific lecturer.
WEDNESDAY 1ST MARCH 2017
The Home Front, Sedbergh 1914-1918
Diane Elphick:
An illustrated talk showing how the war affected the people of Sedbergh
including the role of children, fundraising events, working parties,
regulations and the demands on farmers.
WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2017
Dickens, charity and
Cowgill
Jean
Briggs: An illustrated talk concerning a plea in 1853 to Charles
Dickens for charitable help from Mrs Matthews, wife of the Curate of St
John’s Cowgill. The talk also covers the history of Mrs Matthews and her
Brazilian father who was an agent of the British Government during the
period of the South American Revolution.
WEDNESDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2017
The enclosure of
Bluecaster: why Sedbergh hated the Stricklands
Kevin Lancaster: An
illustrated talk describing how Sedbergh people successfully opposed the
attempt of the Strickland family to enclose Bluecaster.
WEDNESDAY 18TH JANUARY 2017
The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma, 1942 (Part 2)
Mike Leigh:
Almost half a million civilians escaped from Burma in 1942 in the space of
six months. This illustrated talk offers glimpses into episodes from the
evacuation and is a continuation from his previous talk.
FRIDAY 25TH
NOVEMBER 2016
The
Annual Dinner, 7pm for 7.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 16TH
NOVEMBER 2016
Westfield War Memorial
Village: a story of survival
Martin Purdy: An
illustrated talk on the village in Lancaster and its unique and ongoing
story of survival – incorporating original anecdotes and material about and
from the philanthropists, militarists and residents who have been central to
its existence.
WEDNESDAY 2TH
NOVEMBER 2016
The geology of the
Dent marble industry
William Fraser:
An illustrated talk covering the geology of the area, the location of known
quarries that supplied the industry and their methods of working and
transporting the stone and what remains of the factory site.
WEDNESDAY 19TH
OCTOBER 2016
Making a grand
entrance
Andrew Lowe: An
illustrated talk looking at the range of historic doorways in the Lake
District, in order to help people understand the architectural detailing and
dating of buildings over the last few hundred years.
WEDNESDAY 5TH
OCTOBER 2016
The
archaeology of the A66: Greta Bridge to Scotch Corner
John Zant: An
illustrated talk presenting the results of a series of archaeological
investigations undertaken in 2006/7 by Oxford Archaeology North on the route
of the A66.
WEDNESDAY 7TH DECEMBER 2016
North Craven in the early mediaeval period:
an archaeological perspective
David Johnson: An
illustrated talk which will summarise the newly-dated post Roman and pre
Norman conquest sites in North Craven. It will also consider the wider
implications of the excavation results and present a new hypothesis.
DALEMAIN MANSION AND
HISTORIC GARDENS
Tuesday 12th
July 2-30pm
Members will enjoy four
centuries of house architecture and five acres of award winning gardens.
Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 1pm or in Dalemain Car Park at 2-20.
CONSTABLE BURTON HALL AND GARDENS
Tuesday 21st June 2016 2-30pm
A
conducted tour of the handsome Palladian villa, the extensive woodland and
formal gardens. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 12-30am or at 2-20pm in the
car park at the Hall,
LITTLE SALKELD FLOUR MILL
Wednesday 8th June 2016 12pm
On
arrival we will have a light lunch in the café which is renowned for its
delicious baking. Then we will be shown the processes involved in milling
stoneground flours. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 10-30am or outside the
mill at 12pm
KENDAL MUSEUM
Wednesday 25th May 2016 2pm
An
introduction to the galleries which house extensive collections relating to
Lake District natural history, world wildlife and the history of the Kendal
region. Afterwards we will adjourn to a Kendal restaurant for an early
evening meal. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park for shared transport at 1pm or
outside the Museum on Station Road Kendal at 2 pm.
SATURDAY 19TH MARCH 2016
Annual General Meeting 7pm for 7.30pm.
The
AGM will be followed by a buffet meal on a Jacob’s Join basis.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 16TH MARCH 2016
The Highland Clearances
Dr Mike Winstanley:
This illustrated talk is an exploration and reassessment of the social,
economic and environmental changes occurring in the Scottish Highlands from
the late 18th to the mid 19th century, culminating in
the potato famine of the 1840s.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
Due to illness the above
lecture was replaced by
Photos of Old Dent -
Graham Dalton
WEDNESDAY
2ND MARCH 2016 Telling it Like it Was
Anthea Boulton:
Memories of Dent, Sedbergh and Garsdale from the Dent & Sedbergh Oral
History Society archive.
DENT MEMORIAL HALL
WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2016
Waiter, Miner, Butcher, Spy: Germans and Austrians in Cumbria during the
First World War
Dr Rob David:
This illustrated talk describes what happens to Germans and Austrians who
were in Britain when the war broke out. Some were naturalised British
citizens whilst others were merely working here. The talk describes what
happened to them and their families.
SEDBERGH PEOPLES HALL
WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2016
Sedbergh Area in the Past
Richard Cann:
An illustrated talk showing how Sedbergh and its area have changed over the
past one hundred and fifty years.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY 2016
The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma, 1942
Dr
Mike Leigh:
Almost half a million civilians escaped from Burma in 1942 in the space of
six months. This illustrated talk offers glimpses into episodes from the
evacuation.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 2ND
DECEMBER 2015
Manorial Courts and Common Land in Northern England
Professor Angus
Winchester: An illustrated talk exploring how local communities managed
the conflicting interests on the common land. The records of manor courts,
that made the byelaws and punished those who broke the rules, provide
insights into the use of common land in the late medieval and early modern
centuries.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 18TH
NOVEMBER 2015
North Craven in the Early Medieval Period, An Archaeological
Perspective
Dr David Johnson:
An illustrated talk on recent work by the Ingleborough Archaeological Group
into sites of early medieval date, and the issues arising from the
excavation results.
DENT MEMORIAL HALL
CANCELLED
DUE TO HEAVY RAIN AND LOCAL FLOODING
FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
2015
The Annual Dinner, 7pm for 7.30pm.
THORNS HALL
WEDNESDAY 4TH
NOVEMBER 2015
The Great Wall of China
Dr Raynor Shaw:
An illustrated talk giving an overview of the Chinese Dynasties, reviewing
the major periods of wall building and describing the characteristics of the
Great Wall at ten localities along its length of over 13,000 miles.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 21ST
OCTOBER 2015
War, Warriors and the War Hospital
Isobel Stirk: A
talk which features the writers and poets who were writing at the time of
WW1. It includes the story of the Northern General War Hospital in Leeds
and describes different attitudes to the conflict and the bravery carried
out and the sacrifices made by so many whilst doing what they thought was
their duty.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY 7TH
OCTOBER 2015
The Men Who Built Carlisle Cathedral
Thirlie Grundy:
An illustrated talk giving the nationalities of the cathedral’s builders,
who they were and what happened to them whilst working in Carlisle.
SETTLEBECK SCHOOL
Friday 17th July 2015 2pm
BARNARD CASTLE
As they guide us round the town, Caroline Hardie-Hammond
and Cliff Brown will explain something of its rich heritage. Meet at Loftus
Hill Car Park at 12pm or park at Morrisons in Barnard Castle, 23, Galgate.
Meet at the Post Office, 2, Galgate
Tuesday 23rd June 2015 2pm
QUEEN STREET MILL BURNLEY
A conducted visit to ‘the world’s only working steam powered weaving
mill’. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 12pm or outside the mill at 2pm.
entrance £4.50. sat. nav. BB10 2HX. Travel via M6 and M65.
Contact Julie Leigh for directions through Burnley
Wednesday 10th June 2015 7pm
DISCOVERING KIRKBY LONSDALE
Mike Kingsbury will introduce
members to the history of the town. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park for shared
transport at 6.30 or at 7pm in Kirkby Lonsdale Market Square .
Saturday 23rd May 2015 2pm
FROSTROW FELLS
Barbara Hartley will lead a walk on the Fells and
identify some interesting archaeological remains. Park at Low Branthwaite
(by kind permission of Karen Bruce-Lockhart) and meet at High Branthwaite at
2pm.
Contact Julie Leigh for a lift or directions. 01539620726
Saturday 21st March
2015 Annual General Meeting 7pm for 7.30pm
Wednesday 18th March
2015 King Richard111: Lord of the North & the search for his grave
Dr Sandra Pendlington This illustrated talk will show how this Lord
of the North (as Duke of Gloucester) dealt with Border security in the North
West, the Battle of Bosworth and his subsequent burial and the search for
his grave at Greyfriars Friary in Leicester.
Wednesday 4th March
2015
Westfield War Memorial Village
Peter Donnelly This illustrated talk will inform us about the vision
of the famous garden designer Thomas Mawson to create a memorial village
built by soldiers returning from the war.
Wednesday 18th February
2015 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Admiral Sir John Kerr This
illustrated talk will give an overview of the Commission, its
responsibilities, the scale of the task and challenges it faces today.
Wednesday 4th
February 2015 Mills, Mines and more
Kevin Lancaster
This illustrated talk will give an overview of the industrial heritage of
Sedbergh, Garsdale and Dent , followed by a discussion of its relationship
with the local economy as a whole.
Venue *MEMORIAL HALL, DENT
Wednesday 21st January 2015 Crime and Punishment
in 19th
century
Westmorland and Cumberland
Julie Leigh. Based on research, the talk will focus on local policing
and the changes over time.
Wednesday 3rd
December 2014 Objection Overruled
David Bolton This talk is
taken from David Bolton’s book ‘Objection Overruled’
Described by The Observer as ‘the classic account of conscientious
objection’.
Friday November 28th
2014
Annual Dinner at Farfield Mill 7pm for 7.30p
Wednesday 19th November
2014 Sizergh and the recent excavations
Jamie Quartermaine
This illustrated talk will show how Levens Local History group and the
National Trust joined forces, under a professional team from Oxford
Archaeology North, to excavate a prehistoric burnt mound, an earthwork
suspected as being medieval and The Great Barn in the grounds of Sizergh
Castle.
Wednesday 5th November
2014
Heritage of the Hills
Judy Dunford An illustrated
talk about hill farming in the Howgills during World War 2, taken from the
photographs and memories of Peggy Postlethwaite who was a hill farmer during
that time.
Wednesday 15th October 2014 The History of Folksong
Shelia Fletcher…A
brief history of the development of folksong in England, illustrated with
songs and rhymes.
Wednesday 1st October 2014 The Bronte Family
Isobel Stirk An illustrated
talk telling the story of the Bronte family from Patrick, the father’s
humble beginnings in Ireland, to his death eighty four years later in
Haworth-with all the joys and sorrows he had to endure as he became the sole
survivor of his large family.
Saturday 22nd
March 2014 Annual General Meeting 7pm for 7.30pm
Wednesday 19th March 2014
Mike Kingsbury
‘High Bank House, Barbon’
Eight years of research has gone into this illustrated talk. It shows the
history of this yeoman farmer’s house site and occupants from the 16th
century to the present day.
Wednesday 5th March 2014
Jean Scott-Smith ‘Over Shap Fell by Track, Road and Rail’
Ancient tribes, Roman
legions, stage-coach ways and inns, shanty towns, the building of the
railways and the M6 Motorway all used the narrow Tebay Gap. This illustrated
talk will give us a broad perspective of this special routeway.
Wednesday
19th February 2014
Anthea Boulton ‘Treasure Trove of Memories’
A dip into the oral history archives for Dent,
Sedbergh and Garsdale
Wednesday 5th February
2014
Andrew Lowe
‘Lakeland Architecture through the Centuries’
This illustrated talk
looks at the wide range of historic buildings in the Lake District, from
Medieval times to the 20th century
Wednesday 15th January 2014
Jeff Cowton ‘Wordsworth
in Cumbria’
An illustrated talk
looking at the many connections between Wordsworth and the history,
landscape and people of Cumbria
Wednesday
20th November
2013
Bill Kitchen
‘From Engine Cleaner to
Main Line Fireman’
This talk will bring to
the audience the incidents, humour and some of the characters associated
with those halcyon days of steam and British Railways..
Friday November 29th 2013 Annual Dinner at Farfield Mill 7pm for 7.30p
Wednesday
2nd October 2013
Eric Matthews
‘By the Sword Divided’
An illustrated talk about deadly political
rivalry in Late Medieval Mallerstang. It will trace the development of
Lammerside from the early 14th century to its role in the Wars of
the Roses.
(The talk will be
followed by a short AGM due to the postponement of the original one in
March)
Wednesday 16th
October 2013
Raymond Whittaker
‘Sarah Losh and Wreay Church’
An illustrated talk about
this unique, extraordinary little church, full of exquisite mythological and
early religious carvings and of its creator, Sarah Losh, a woman of
exceptional imagination and energy.
Wednesday 6th
November 2013
Dr Raynor Shaw
‘The Angkor Temple
Complex’
This illustrated talk will give an over view
of the construction and history of this monumental pre-industrial site in
Cambodia between 802AD to its abandonment in 1431AD
Wednesday 26th June 2013 - Killington
Maureen Lamb will show some of Killington's historic buildings and has
kindly invited us to her house for a cup of tea
Wednesday 10th July 2013 - Ingleton
John Bentley will introduce us to the history of Ingleton, focusing on the
industrial heritage of the village
Wednesday 6th
March 2013
Jennifer Holt The Diary of Thomas Fenwick Esq.
This important and
previously unknown late eighteenth- century diary, has recently been edited
by our speaker, Jennifer Holt. Thomas Fenwick (neeWilson ) 1729-94 , MP for
Westmorland, travelled widely and wrote extensively of his journeys through
England including Sedbergh and area.
Wednesday 20th March 2013
Dr Tony Stephens The Cattledroving Birtwhistles of Craven
and Galloway
This illustrated talk will take us through the records of three generations
of a family, providing interesting insights into the droving business in the
second half of the eighteenth century.
Wednesday 16th January 2013
Judith Robinson To Kosovo Journeys in time
A glimpse of the history
and culture of the Kosovo Albanians through the experiences of the late Neil
Robinson during a 1956 expedition and those of his widow and daughters in
2011, when they went to Kosovo to open an exhibition of Neil’s unique
photographs.
Wednesday 6th February 2013
Dr Elizabeth Roberts
Schools,
Children and Work
The talk will explore, through oral evidence,
why in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the
world of work was more important to the general public than a formal
education.
Wednesday 20th February, 2013
Maureen Lamb Killington through the Ages
A thumbnail history of England in the tiny
village of Killington. From Vikings to plague sermons to Prince Charlie’s
buried treasure, the landscape of Killington still bears the footprint of
England’s history if you dig deep enough
Wednesday 3rd
October 2012
Dr Sam Riches St. George & that dragon
An illustrated talk
about St. George as a Patron Saint in late Medieval England covering him as
hero, martyr and myth.
Wednesday 17th
October 2012
Sheena Gemmel Kingdom of Northumbria
An illustrated talk
exploring the rise of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, the golden age of
this kingdom and how it related in the distant past to present day Cumbria.
Wednesday 7th
November 2012
Janet Niepokozycka Packhorse Ways
& Days
An illustrated talk
looking at the days when four hooves ruled the roads and fell tracks by this
well known author and traveller.
Wednesday 21st November 2012
Annie Hamilton-Gibney Recent Excavations
An illustrated report of
the exciting recent excavations at the Roman Fort of Low Borrowbridge by
Lunesdale Archaeological Society.
Friday 23rd November 2012
Annual Dinner 7 for 7.30pm THORNS HALL
Wednesday 5th December 2012
Katy Iliffe The History of your House
We will be shown how
to research the history of our own house or another of interest, using
various documents and computer programmes as resources. We will also have
guidance as to where documents from the past may be stored.
Wednesday 5th October 2012
Anthony Fitzherbert O.B.E
- Afghanistan
Wednesday
19th October 2012
Graham Dalton - Slides of the Dentdale in times past
A journey
through the dale using slides and old photographs
Wednesday
18th January
2012
Tom Clare - Stone Circles and Burial Mounds
A review
of current knowledge and a look at some theories
Wednesday
1st February
Ian Murray - Railway Navvies of Mallerstang
An
illustrated talk about the myths and legends of the navvy period in the dale
and their historical basis
Wednesday
22nd February
Janet Niepokozyeka - Packhorse ways, Packhorse Days
An
illustrated talk looking at the days when four hooves ruled the roads and
fell tracks
Wednesday
7th March
Trevor Hughes - Curiosities of Cumbrian Churches
An
illustrated guided tour of the unusual, often hidden aspects in some of our
Cumbrian Churches.
Wednesday
21st March
Sheena Gemmell - The Ancient Kingdom of Northumbria
This
illustrated talk will cover the rise of Northumbria, its golden age, tribal
areas, trade and cultural diversity
Saturday
24th March
Annual General Meeting
Followed by a presentation and Jacob’s Join
SUMMER
2011
Wednesday 11th May 2.30pm
HOLME THROUGH HISTORY
A
conducted tour of the village. Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 1-30pm or at
the Lime Street Stores in
Holme, (opposite the church), where there is parking.
Thursday 2rd June
SKIPTON CASTLE and the LEEDS - LIVERPOOL
CANAL
Meet outside the Castle at 2pm or in Loftus Hill Car Park at 12-30am. A
guided visit to the castle will be followed by a canal trip.
Wednesday 15th June
AN INTRODUCTION TO TEARNSIDE
On a walk through Tearnside Mike Kinsbury will talk about aspects of its
history, geology, transport, farming, archaeology and architecture. Meet in
Loftus Hill Car Park at 6-15pm or at the Tearnside lay-by, just off the A65
between Kirkby Lonsdale and the M6, at 7pm.
Wednesday 6th July
6pm
BENTHAM
David Johnson will introduce members to interesting sites in High and Low
Bentham. The tour will end at the
church in Low Bentham which is next door
to the pub! Meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 5pm or at the Grasmere Drive Car
Park in High Bentham at 6pm. It is signposted on the left hand side of
Main Street as you approach from Low Bentham.
WINTER 2011
Wednesday 19th January Trevor Avery
From Auschwitz to Ambleside
The story of 300 children who survived the Holocaust and
who were flown to the Lake District from Prague in 1945.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 2nd February Ian
Tyler
Gunpowder Mills of Cumbria
An insight into the gunpowder industry of South Lakeland
- its highlights and its inevitable toll; a forgotten industry of the Lake
District.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 16th February June
Hall
Every Home is a Museum
Social history from objects, family heirlooms, everyday items,
souvenirs and what they reveal, their stories and conservation.
DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL
Wednesday 2nd March
Peter Higginbotham
Three Centuries of the Workhouse
An illustrated history of the workhouse, especially focusing on
North Yorkshire and Westmorland.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 16th March Dr Trevor Piearce
Victorian Naturalists and the heyday of
natural history
Why natural history was so popular in
Victorian times, who the Victorian Naturalists were and how they
pursued their
interest and their legacy.
A joint talk with CWT
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Saturday
19th March Annual General Meeting followed by a photographic
presentation
The District in Times Past by Richard Cann and Diane Elphick
and a Jacob’s Join
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
For
further information please contact the Winter Programme Secretary
Dilys
Evans, 5, Palmer Hill, Sedbergh, LA10 5DD; telephone: (015396) 22505
________________________________________
Past
Lectures & Outing
WINTER
2010
Wednesday 6th October
Professor Mike Huggins Sedbergh:
Sport
and Local
Identity
c1870 - 2000.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 20th October
Andrew Lowe Wrestlers, Crucks and Mullions
The illustrated talk looks at the variety of vernacular features
which contribute to the distinctive character of Lake District Traditional
Buildings.
DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL
Wednesday 3rd November
Sydney Richardson Conscription in the
First World War
The social and economic impact of World War I conscription
(1916-1918) with numerous examples from the Kirkby Stephen area.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 17th November
Richard Cann
Slides of Old Sedbergh and area.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
Friday 26th November - Dinner
7.00pm for 7.30pm
THORNS HALL
Wednesday 1st December
Anthony Fitzherbert
Afghanistan - An Historical Gallop
- through 170 years of British (and
other) involvement
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
WINTER 2010
Wednesday 6th January Richard Cann
Slides of Old Sedbergh and area
Wednesday 20th January The
Revd. Tim Widdess, George Handley and David Bracken
The History of Local Methodism
A history
of the Methodist Church in Sedbergh and the Dales.
Wednesday 3rd
February Professor Alison Findlay, Dr Hilary Hinds and Professor
Emeritus Meg Twycross
The Journeys of George Fox
An introduction to the Lancaster University Early Quaker
Project and website.
AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL:
Wednesday 17th
February Dr Michael Winstanley
The Edwardian Domesday: A Unique
Source for Local History
The ‘new domesday’ of 1910-1914 was a detailed
survey of every property in the country. This talk will explain the nature
of the source and how it can be accessed. It will also explain what can be
done with it.
Wednesday 3rd March Margaret
Gowling
Women in a Man’s World: 17th Century Villagers in the Eden
Valley
How did ordinary women cope in the villages of the Upper Eden in the 17thCentury?
The sources used are all original, unpublished documents
Saturday 20th March
Annual General Meeting and a Jacob's Join
followed by a talk by John Mounsey on
Robert Foster, a Man of Parts
WINTER
2009
Wednesday 7th October Katy
Iliffe Researching Family History
Lecture on using local, national and on-line resources to research
family history
AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL:
Wednesday 21st October
Allan King
The Lost Village
of Calgarth and the
Short Brothers’ Factory at
White Cross Bay
The story of Sunderland Flying Boats.
Wednesday 4th November
Harry Wilson The North Eastern Railway -
a Benevolent Monopoly
Outline history of the North Eastern Railway 1854-1922, the nature of its
business and its impact on the North East and on the United Kingdom.
Wednesday 18th
November June Hall Lady Anne Clifford
The Life of Lady Anne Clifford and her journey from
Skipton, where she was born, to Brougham, where she died.
Friday 27th November Annual
dinner Sedbergh Golf Club 7.00 for 7.30 pm.
Wednesday 2nd December
Ivan Day Traditional Food of the
Lake Counties and North Yorkshire
Wednesday 7th January Members’
talks:
Mike Beecroft St
Helena, Napoleon and the
Westmorland connection
Susan Garnett Facts
and phantoms of
Upper Eden
Wednesday 21st
January Mrs Susan Oliver The Registration Service since 1837
A brief
history followed by time for questions and answers and a chance to see some
old registers.
Wednesday
4th February Trevor Hughes Old Kendal ‘Now and Then’
Part 2
Wednesday
18th February
Maureen
Lamb is going to talk about the Local Textile Industry at the
Peoples' Hall Sedbergh
AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL
HALL
Wednesday 4th March Dr
Kate Sharpe Motifs, monuments, and mountains:
the carved stones of prehistoric
Cumbria
A review of the current knowledge
of prehistoric rock art in Cumbria, setting it in a wider British and
European context and suggesting some possible interpretations based on
recent research.
Wednesday
18th March Don McLellan The buildings of the
Yorkshire Dales National
Park
Saturday 21st
March Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Professor Robert
Fox, President of SDHS, and a
Jacob’s Join
SUMMER 2009
Wednesday 27th May 2-30pm
THORNTON IN LONSDALE
Brian Parker,
Churchwarden of St Oswald's will take us round the church and talk to us
about the area. A cup of tea at Country Harvest afterwards. Meet in the pub
car park (opposite the church) at 2-30pm or in Loftus Hill Car Park at
l-45pm.
Saturday 6th June 2-30pm
RYDAL HALL GARDEN
Tom Attwood will
lead a visit to this beautiful Mawson garden. Park and assemble in the
grounds at 2-30 or meet in Loftus Hill Car Park at 1-30.
Wednesday 24th June 2pm
DENT FAULT WALK
Dennis Sanderson
will conduct members on a walk to Heletsgale Barn. Meet at Blind Beck Bridge
in Barbondale at 2pm or in Loftus Hill Car Park at 1-15.
Wednesday 8th July 2pm
EXPLORING RAVENSTONEDALE
Caroline Morris
will introduce us to some of the interesting features in this attractive
village. A cup of tea at the Black Swan afterwards. Park and meet on the
Triangle by the village school at 2pm or at 1-30 in Loftus Hill Car Park.
2008
Joyce Scobie: Cow keepers from the Yorkshire Dales
Wednesday 16th January 2008 Martha Bates: Harriet MarHneau,
Political Journalist
Bom in 1862 in Norwich of Huguenot descent, she was deaf from childhood yet
became a political columnist of considerable influence in England and a
prolific writer of articles and novels. She had the Knoll in Ambleside built
for her retirement.
Wednesday 30th January 2008 Vickv Aspin & Steve Smith: Howgill to
Himalaya: the Sedbergh-Tibet Connection
The historical background of several Old Sedberghians who went to Tibet, one
of whom was George Sherriff diplomat and plant hunter, and an account of
some of his botanical discoveries. With CWLT
AT THE HERITAGE CENTRE. SEDBERGH SCHOOL
Wednesday 6th February 2008 Trevor Hughes: Old Kendal
History of Kendal with slides and old photographs of the 1890s.
Wednesday 20th February 2008 Tom Clare: King Arthur and the Lost
Kingdom of Rheged
Wednesday 5th March Professor David Shotter Rome's Northern
Frontier in Britain
A review of the Roman conquest ofNorth-West England to the point where it
was found necessary to create frontiers in northern England; he will examine
the nature and purpose of the Stanegate frontier and Hadrian's Wall
Saturday 15th March 2008 Annual General Meeting at 7.30 pm, followed
by Jacob's Join refreshments
Wednesday 19th March 2008 Peter Fleming: Coniston Coppermines
A brief history of recent exploration of the underground workings.
Wednesday 1st October Dr
Eleanor Straughton Common land in
England and Wales: historical perspectives
A general introduction to common land and
its history, with reference to case study areas in Cumbria, Yorkshire and
Wales.
AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL
HALL
Wednesday 15th October
Martin Gibson The eighteenth century excise service with
particular emphasis on the career of Richard Brunskill of Sedbergh
A general history of the excise service, its famous literary
officers, its structure, pay, conditions and reputation, with particular
reference to the career of Richard Brunskill, Officer of the Excise,
1794-1829.
Wednesday 5th November Jack
Manning Ancient Fish Traps
An account of the fish traps exposed during channel movements and
which proved to be very old.
Wednesday 19th
November Dr Andrew White Kendal Carriers
A review of the carrying trade from Kendal to the rest of England and
abroad from the 17th Century, first with packhorses, then with
wagons and carts.
Friday 28th November Annual
dinner Sedbergh Golf Club 7.00 for 7.30 pm.
Wednesday 3rd
December David Boulton Cromwell’s representative in
Sedbergh and Dent
The life and times of Gervaise Benson who
complained that 17th Century Sedbergh had no fewer than 14
alehouses and that the Vicar was a frequenter of them all.
SUMMER OUTINGS 2008
Wednesday 30th April
2pm
KENDAL TOWN HALL
A visit to the Mayor's Parlour at Kendal
Town Hall. Gwen Murfin, the present Mayor and an ex-resident of Sedbergh
hopes to be present. Meet at 1-15pm in Loftus Hill Car Park or outside the
Town Hall at 2pm.
Wednesday 28th May
2pm
WHITEHAVEN
A walk around this ancient port led by
Ralph Lewthwaite. Meet at Loftus Hill Car Park at 12-OOpm or the South Shore
Car Park in Whitehaven at 2pm.
Wednesday 18th June
6pm
KENDAL RECORD OFFICE
An introduction to the range of archives
held by the Office, and an update on recent acquisitions. Meet at 5-15pm at
Loftus Hill Car Park or outside County Hall at 6pm
Wednesday 9th July
2pm
MIDDLETON HALL. KILLINGTON CHURCH
A guided tour of the remains ofMiddleton Hall
(by kind permission of Mr and Mrs D.Watson) followed by a visit to
Killington Church. Meet at Middleton Hall at 2pm or ring One of the
Programme Secretaries for a lift. Members only on this occasion.
2007
Wednesday 3rd October 2007
Bette Kissack: The Life of Thomas Mawson, Landscape
Gardener and Architect
Biography including during the First World War with pictures of many of his
landscape work in gardens of the Lake District.
Wednesday 17th October 2007
David Matthews Wilberforce: Westmorland and Yorkshire
Describes Wilberforce's journey through Yorkshire and the Lake District
as a young man and his great campaign for the abolition of slavery and
reform of society. AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL
Wednesday 7th November 2007 Kevin
Lancaster: Garsdale Mills
Explores the documentation of water corn mills in Garsdale.
Wednesday 21st November 2007 Dr Malcolm
Petyt: Dialect in 'Wuthering Heights'
What features of dialect does Emily record? Are these attempts to portray
one particular dialect? If so, how accurate is this, and how can we tell?
Friday 30th November 2007 Annual dinner at
Thorns Hall, 7.00 for 7.30 pm
Wednesday 5th December 2007 Members'
talks:
Judith Robinson: Researching John Atkinson 's Book
2006
Wednesday 4th January 2006
Adrian Rogan 'Andrew de Harcia and the
Scottish Wars of Independence'
The story of his amazing career: border warfare in the early
fourteenth century
Wednesday 18th January 2006
Dr Simon Smith 'Robert Lowther, Governor
of Barbados (1711-20): Saint or Sinner?'
Examines the two terms served by Robert Lowther (of Maulds Meaburn) as
Governor; contemporary histories strongly criticise his governorship
as being tyrannical and corrupt but there are two sides to every
story.
Wednesday 1st February 2006 Members' talks:
Roger Underwood 'From Bristol to Sedbergh and Back Again - a Journey
of Fifty Years'
Kevin Lancaster 'Inventories'
Wednesday 15th February 2006
Mrs Judith Robinson 'A Year at
Killington Hall'
Aspects of local life in the late nineteenth century as revealed by
the 1876 diary of Agnes Ann Kendal of Killington Hall.
Wednesday 1st March 2006
David Boulton 'Adam in Paradise' - a Film. AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL
A showing of the Granada Television film about Dent's History, first
broadcast in 1985, featuring Dent Choir and Dent characters.
Wednesday 15th March 2006
Professor Robert Fox 'The Scientists and
Schools of Sedgwick's North Country'
In the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the schools of
North Lancashire, Westmorland,
Cumberland and the Yorkshire Dales produced an unusually large number
of young men who went on
to distinguished careers in science. The speaker examines the context
from which they emerged.
Saturday 25th March 2006
Annual General Meeting at
7.30 pm, followed by Jacob's Join refreshments
Wednesday 3rd May 2006
2.45pm Leighton Hall
Guided visit to the hall and gardens. Assemble at Leighton Hall
car park at 2.45 pm (gr 494745) or Loftus Hill car park at 2 pm.
Wednesday 24th May 2006
2.15pm Braithwaite Hall and Middleham
Castle
Short conducted tour of the Hall followed by a visit to me castle
ruins. Meet at Braithwaite Hall at 2 15 pm (gr 117858) or Loftus Hill
car park at 12.30pm
Saturday 17th June 2006
2.30pm Judges' Lodgings and Maritime
Museum Lancaster
Conducted tour of the Judges' Lodgings, followed by a walk round
me museum. Meet outside the Judges' Lodgings at 2 30 pm or Loftus Hill
car park at 1 30 pm. Parking in Lancaster at the multi-storey car park
halfway between the Judges' Lodgings and the Maritime Museum on the
lefthand side of the road by Mitre House.
Wednesday 19th July 2006
2.00pm Kendal Walk
A conducted walk in south Kendal. Assemble at the Canal Head Kendal at
2.00pm or Loftus Hill car park at 1 30pm.
2005
Wednesday 5th October 2005
Dr Peter
McCue 'Ghostly Armies: an Examination of some British Cases'
Apparitions and theories of apparitions; some examples of phantom army
cases, including Edgehill, Souter Fell, Loch
Ashie and Dent.
Wednesday 19th October 2005
lan Lewis 'Memorialisation of the Great
War 1914-1925'
The community politics of the establishment of war memorials in the
South Lakes area, and the iconography and
language of memorials.
Saturday 22nd October 2005
Twenty-fifth Anniversary Dinner at the
Queen's Hall, Sedbergh School. 7.00pm for 7.30 pm.
Wednesday 2nd November 2005
Mrs Margaret Gowling '652 Horseshoes and
Some Old Clouts: Kirkby
Stephen in the 17th Century'
The development of the economy of a Westmorland market centre as seen
through the wills and inventories of its
inhabitants.
Wednesday 16th November 2005
The Revd Canon David Peacock 'Ruskin's
Legacy'
Ruskin's wide-ranging ideas and the way in which these have come to
influence our modern-day lives.
Wednesday 7th December 2005
Dr Rob David 'Slate Quarries and
Quarrymen in the North Eastern Lake District'
An illustrated lecture examining the landscape, documentary and
pictorial evidence for slate quarrying, and some of
the successes and difficulties involved in recording the lives of the
quarrymen themselves.
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