MEETINGS              

Please make a note of these events in your diary and support the Society as much as possible. If you would like a lift to any event, please ring a member of the Committee. All events will be held in the Main Hall at Settlebeck High School, Sedbergh, starting at 7.30 pm, unless stated otherwise. Refreshments are served.

There will be an Admission Charge of £1.00 for members and £2.00 for non- members, to cover expenses incurred by the Society.

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PROGRAMME

2011

Wednesday 5^th October
Anthony Fitzherbert O.B.E  -  Afghanistan  

An illustrated talk of 180 years of British and other foreign involvement providing a somewhat different glimpse of that country. 
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL

Wednesday 19^th October
Graham Dalton  - Slides of the Dentdale in times past

A journey through the dale using slides and old photographs 
DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL                             

Wednesday 2nd  November
David Shackleton   - Cemeteries of the Western Front

An illustrated talk about The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.,its care of graves and memorials, and some soldiers remembered  
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL

Wednesday 16th November 
Susan Dench   - Cumbrians on the Move
 
This talk illustrates how Cumbrians moved around northern Britain and the World                
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL

Friday 25th November 
Dinner 7 for 7.30pm THE BULL HOTEL   

Wednesday 30th November
Andrew Mercer - Lowther Castle and Gardens

An illustrated talk about the recent restoration of one of Cumbria’s most stunning ruins and gardens 
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL  

2012

Wednesday 18th January 
Tom Clare  - Stone Circles and Burial Mounds 

A review of current knowledge and a look at some theories 
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL.

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  
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL

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 
DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL

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. 
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
 

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 
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL

Saturday 24th March 
Annual General Meeting
Followed by a presentation and Jacob’s Join
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL 7 P.M

For further information please contact the Winter Programme Secretary
Dilys Evans, 5, Palmer Hill, Sedbergh, LA10 5DD; telephone: (015396) 22505

PAST LECTURES

SUMMER 2011

Wednesday 11^th 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 2^rd 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 15^th 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

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Past Lectures & Outing
 

WINTER 2010
 

Wednesday 6^th October
Professor Mike Huggins  Sedbergh: Sport and Local Identity c1870 - 2000.
SETTLEBECK HIGH SCHOOL
 

Wednesday 20^th 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 6^th January  Richard Cann    Slides of Old Sedbergh and area
                                                                                                           

Wednesday 20^th 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 3^rd 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 17^th 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 3^rd March Margaret Gowling 
Women in a Man’s World: 17^th Century Villagers in the Eden Valley           
How did ordinary women cope in the villages of the Upper Eden in the 17^thCentury? The sources used are all original, unpublished documents

Saturday 20^th 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 7^th October  Katy Iliffe  Researching Family History
Lecture on using local, national and on-line resources to research family history

AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL:
Wednesday 21^st October  Allan King 
The Lost Village of Calgarth and the  Short Brothers’ Factory at White Cross Bay
The story of Sunderland Flying Boats.

Wednesday 4^th 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 18^th 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 27^th November  Annual dinner   Sedbergh Golf Club 7.00 for 7.30 pm.

Wednesday 2^nd 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 21^st 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 4^th February Trevor Hughes Old Kendal ‘Now and Then’ Part 2

Wednesday 18^th February 
Maureen Lamb is going to talk about the Local Textile Industry at the Peoples' Hall Sedbergh

AT DENTDALE MEMORIAL HALL
Wednesday 4^th 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 18^th March Don McLellan  The buildings of the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Saturday 21^st 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 1^st 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 15^th 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 5^th November   Jack Manning Ancient Fish Traps
An account of the fish traps exposed during channel movements and which proved to be very old.

Wednesday 19^th November  Dr Andrew White Kendal Carriers 
A review of the carrying trade from Kendal to the rest of England and abroad from the 17^th Century, first with packhorses, then with wagons and carts.

Friday 28^th November  Annual dinner Sedbergh Golf Club 7.00 for 7.30 pm.

Wednesday 3^rd December  David Boulton  Cromwell’s representative in Sedbergh and Dent
The life and times of Gervaise Benson who complained that 17^th 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