Forest History Tours

17/04/2026

17/04/2026

Ripley 1976

01/04/2026

🌲 A lovely piece of Forest history restored 🌲

I just wanted to say how pleased I was to see that Stone 6 of the old Royal Forest of Knaresborough boundary stones has now been reinstated near Kearby Sands by the River Wharfe.

When I previously mapped the boundary stones using what3words, drawing on the late Mike Brough’s excellent research, Stone 6 was one of the stones long believed lost. As Rob Park has said, his family has farmed the land for over 100 years and no one can remember ever seeing it. Mike Brough’s book also suggested that the original stone was probably lost to the river.

A real thank you, and very well done, to Rob Park and all those involved in identifying the spot, remaking the stone, and putting it back in place. Rob explained that he made the replacement stone himself from an old gate post, as closely as he could to the original. These things do not happen by accident — they take care, local knowledge, physical effort, and a real respect for the history of the landscape.

What makes this especially meaningful is that it is not simply about replacing a stone, but about restoring a visible link to the old forest boundary and helping others understand the story of the Forest of Knaresborough as something still present in the land today.

It is a fine example of local people caring for local history in the best possible way. I think Mike Brough would have been delighted to see it.

Very well done to all involved.

Why not enjoy exploring the old Forest boundary this Easter with friends and family? The stones are often easier to look for at this time of year before the vegetation becomes too overgrown.

Stone 6 now: https://what3words.com/flattery.listening.promote

🌿 Exploring the stones this Easter — a quick guide:

Please stick to public footpaths and respect that much of the land is working farmland

Leave gates as you find them and keep dogs under control

Some stones are hidden, weathered, or missing, so take care when searching

Ground may be uneven or muddy, and riverbanks can be slippery

Please do not move or disturb the stones — enjoy them as part of the landscape

Feel free to share any finds or photos with the group

23/03/2026

Some of you may have noticed there haven’t been many posts here for a while.

The simple reason is that a lot of the work behind this page has been moving in a new direction for me. At heart, it has always been about telling stories, and many of the tales, histories, and myths surrounding the Forest of Knaresborough are too fascinating to be left behind or forgotten.

Over time, I’ve come to feel that some of these stories deserve to be told in a way that lasts and reaches people differently. Film is a medium I already have experience in, and it has become a new way for me to explore and share the history, landscape, and memory of this area in a form that can create a deeper emotional impact.

So although I’ve been quieter on here, I haven’t stepped away from these stories — I’ve been working on finding a new way to tell them.

I’ll share a little more soon.

And just to say — this group is still very much open for everyone to share their own stories, memories, and discoveries. That’s always been what makes it special.

22/03/2026

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3gdxgw44eo?fbclid=IwY2xjawQsdPRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBxakRSU3lZVWZ5aDZMQ3lac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqCdWGkwLgTPQCYevga5pSVyin5xVNVUKxao8zjeh4w9OFwlB_NnRxD0fN44_aem_CY7Blttvi2ARaDfA0vV4Iw

A professor's findings claim King Harold's 200-mile march to the Battle of Hastings is a Victorian "invention".

08/03/2026

A few little gems from Ripley Castle. Open all this month for free, a lovely little walk for everyone.

10/02/2026

Ancient medieval manuscript from Fountains Abbey. https://ica.themorgan.org/manuscript/page/29/159535

07/02/2026

Shaw Mills, Nidderdale. Shaw Mills takes its name from a corn mill kept by one Robert Shaw in the 16th century. In 1812 John and George Metcalfe began spinning flax in the Low Mill at Shaw Mills. The High Mill and Low Mill both closed by 1861, but in about 1890 were restarted for silk-spinning. The mills closed soon after the First World War. An industrial settlement developed in the 19th century to serve the mills. Wikki.

05/02/2026

THE VALLEY — community voices (18+)

Nidd Films is creating a short companion film called The Valley: A Keeping — a quiet piece about place, people, work and home, and how a landscape is shaped by everyday lives over time.

In January, many of you shared single words for: Place / People / Memory / Family / Home / Work. Thank you. We’re now shaping those into a short community verse — and the film builds towards a final “chorus” where the valley is heard through shared language.

We’re inviting adults from Nidderdale (18+) to contribute a 30–40 second recording using your own tech — audio or video, whatever feels easiest for you.

You’ll:
• choose one theme (Place / People / Memory / Family / Home / Work)
• speak 1–2 short lines (we’ll send options)
• (optional) add one brief image of the valley — a place name, a sound, a small moment

By sending your words/recording, you give permission for Nidd Films to edit and include them in the film and related exhibition materials.

To take part, DM “VALLEY VOICE” and we’ll send the lines + a simple recording guide.



Link: niddfilms.com/the-valley (put in bio / Linktree)

The Valley: a keeping was created as a companion object to the short film Sweetheart: Angel of the Moor, produced by Nidd Films. The book does not retell the film’s story. It gathers moments, landscapes, and remembered voices that surround it. It is offered as an object of remembrance — somethi...

04/02/2026

18/01/2026

Wapentake — “Weapon-Touch” (Claro Wapentake & Claro Hill)
Adapted from insights shared by an archaeologist.

In the Danelaw, a wapentake was a local administrative district — the Scandinavian counterpart to the Anglo-Saxon “hundred.” The word is often linked to the idea of “weapon-taking” or “weapon-touch,” reflecting assembly traditions where agreement was signalled publicly, in the open air.

Near Marton, in what became known as Claro Wapentake, local tradition and landscape memory centre on Claro Hill near Coneythorpe — long associated with gatherings and decision-making. Hills like this were natural meeting places: visible, communal, and difficult to ignore, where disputes could be settled and authority confirmed in public view.

Historically, Claro was a wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire, later divided into Upper and Lower divisions. Domesday-era naming links the wapentake to its meeting place at Aldborough (recorded as Burghshire), and by the 12th century the name Claro appears, likely taken from Claro Hill, presumed to have served as the meeting site.

Whether remembered through record or tradition, the deeper point remains: in the Danelaw north, law was rooted in landscape. Governance wasn’t just written — it was performed, witnessed, and held in place. Even after the Viking kings of York were gone and power shifted again, the names and structures endured, woven into the region’s identity.

Today, “Claro Wapentake” survives as a historical echo — a reminder that long before modern boundaries, the land itself acted as a kind of court, archive, and memory.