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All posts Winter 2025/26 Newsletter
In the News
World Ploughing Champion
In September, James Witty from East Lutton in the Wolds won the Conventional Ploughing Championship in Prague, becoming only the third person to have won the title as well as the Reversible Ploughing Championship, back in 2003. Both his father and brother have been champion ploughmen in the past, and this year James came from behind, having some mechanical problems to deal with before securing success over 48 other competitors. He explained that the competition involves a lot of technical skill, practice and determination.
This is a great achievement for a local family who will have gained much satisfaction from their success. Congratulations to them.
Wolds Village Wins King’s Award For Voluntary Service
Sancton is a typical Wolds edge village, long established where a reliable water supply was available and steeped in history with Iron Age and Saxon burial sites, Celtic terraces, a Roman road, an abandoned medieval village, outlines of former pre-enclosure great fields running up onto the Wolds, and even an ancient oak where the local Royalist hid from his Parliamentarian pursuers before making his escape to France.
From an almost derelict shell 25 years ago the village hall trustees and volunteers have created a thriving centre for their community and the surrounding area, hosting hoop and dance, pilates and yoga classes, live theatre, a writers’ circle, coffee mornings, quizzes, film nights, table tennis, crafting and more.
Now the dedication of the energetic group running the village hall has been recognised by The King’s Award for voluntary service. This is the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary organisations. Four have been awarded in the East Riding of Yorkshire this year (three in Hull and this one for Sancton).
It is an amazing achievement for a small community and to quote the Chairman of the Village Hall Committee ‘is a message of the King’s recognition of all the unsung work that people do all around the country to look after each other in their communities’.
A glass trophy and a certificate signed by the King will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant in the spring.
Autumn Fruits
Anyone on even the briefest of country walks last autumn will have been amazed at the abundance of hedgerow berries. The sloe gin experts will have noticed that the fruits were distinctly smaller than previous years, but if brave enough to try one, much sweeter - edible directly off the blackthorn bushes without the usual mouth-drying sourness. Apples in the garden fruited well but also smaller and wild crabs were an amazing show and stayed hanging on the branches until very late to provide natural Christmas decorations and then deep carpets of firm fruit on the ground for wild animals.
Is a good berry year an indicator of a very hard winter to come?
When a local fruit tree expert was consulted, his explanation was that the long dry summer had caused tree-fruiting species to go into drought stress mode. With plenty of sunshine to make sugar but not enough rainfall to swell the fruits, they had the choice of either reduced production and save their efforts for next year or smaller sweeter fruits. Most seem to have preferred the latter. So the answer to the question about a bad winter? Just an old wives’ tale. Perhaps we’ll know whether there’s any truth in it in a month or two.
A Very Pleasant Surprise
A dull autumn Tuesday afternoon’s shopping in Beverley and no great desire to return home straight away led to a spur of the moment decision that Rod and June Mill were not to regret.
You may have been on one of John Killingbeck’s botanical walks, and it was John who first told us about Thwaite Gardens in Cottingham and sowed the seeds of an idea for a guided tour for the YWHT.
The gardens are not generally open to the public, but on Tuesdays and Fridays volunteers go there to be allotted gardening tasks. We arrived at the same time as one of them, and the mention of John’s name was enough for us to be taken to meet some of the organisers, who were delighted that we had called in, spent time explaining all about the gardens and invited us to have a good wander round.
In 1812 The Botanic Garden Company created a five acre garden off Anlaby road to provide medicinal and other plants important in foreign trade for students and merchants. In 1880 urban encroachment led to a new site off Spring Bank with 35 acres of labelled and catalogued exotic plants, lawns, a lake, a tropical palm house and temperate glass, a lecture hall, museum and library.
Unfortunately after only eight years the company was in serious financial trouble and sold the site to Hull Corporation. Following a bequest from Rev Dr Hymers the site was allocated to Hymers College. After a long gap, the University developed a third botanic garden in the kitchen garden of Thwaite Hall, already equipped with greenhouses and a potting shed. It was extended over time, and more glasshouses and brick frames were built.
Sadly, funding cutbacks resulted in the loss of staff at the university and the gradual decline of the gardens, and eventually in proposals to sell off the remaining gardens to developers. A successful campaign was organised by the local Civic Society and ‘The Friends of Thwaite Gardens’ was inaugurated. Some of the remaining University-owned property has been sold, however, resulting in the site shrinking to its present 2.25 acres. However, there is renewed interest in the educational facilities it can provide, and it benefits from enormous goodwill and enthusiasm, with almost 300 members and 29 regular volunteers.
We were very lucky to turn up on a working day and to be well looked after by the volunteers. We have a choice of events to return to: their main Open Day in May, one of Cottingham’s Open Gardens weekends in May/June, or the East Riding Heritage Days in September - or a special YWHT guided tour can also be arranged. What do you think?
Information from the volunteers and the Silver Anniversary booklet produced by John Killingbeck, Annie Burton Card and the Friends of Thwaite Gardens
Local Authority Planning
Governments and councils of whatever hue are aware of the need for more housing, resulting in new estates springing up on the edges of towns and villages around the country. One voice of concern is the obvious loss of farmland not only to housing, but also to other land-hungry developments such as solar farms, infrastructure and re-wilding, giving rise to the real concern that we are not giving enough priority to sustainable local food production. The other concern is that there is a lack of ‘localism’ about the new houses being built. On entering a new estate, however nicely it has been executed, one could be in Driffield, Leamington Spa or Tunbridge Wells.
The New East Riding Design Code
To try and get over this universal style of development the Planning Department has recently published its new ‘Whole Authority Design Code’ to be used as a material consideration for new developments.
There are two important changes that we should be aware of as they could affect our reactions to proposals, either personally (where we live) or to the more general Wolds area.
- A classification of ‘place type’ with checklists
- ‘Identity and context documents’ will be developed for every town and village in the county to record typical materials, features, history and contextual factors.
The checklist and an identity and context report will have to be submitted with each development application.
Two worked examples have been provided to help explain the procedure. It is an opportunity for local input. If, say Pocklington, were to work on theirs, a strong feature would be its position as a spring line community at the base of the Wold escarp-ment. It already has developments creeping up the scarp slope to the detriment of views that suggest a town set naturally protected by the rising land to its back. Clearly this is an important contextual factor in any consideration of proposals. Beverley, by contrast, is already nicely protected from any Wold incursion by the Westwood Pastures.
The East Riding Chairman’s Award
The Chairman’s Award for Built Heritage celebrates private homes, new builds or business premises that have been sympathetically renovated and/or restored. The built heritage award has 2 categories - Single New Dwellings, Conversions and Minor Works Category and Commercial Developments and Major Schemes Category.
Former winners (in The Wolds) have included:
- St James’s Church, Warter
- Barn Conversion, Walkington
- Kilnwick Percy Golf Club
- The Rowans, Skidby
- The Mill House, Goodmanham
- Hebblethwaite House, Bridlington
The Chairman’s Awards are open for nominations until 31 January 2026. Online entries and criteria are available here: Chairman’s Awards
Autumn Farming Commentary
A look back at the last few months, kindly contributed by Paul Heywood of Cold Harbour Farm, Bishop Burton.
As ever the fortunes of many farming enterprises are strongly influenced by the weather. Mitigating its effects is one of the skills required by farmers/land managers.
The dry spring, followed by the dry summer, was particularly detrimental to the spring sown crops e.g. peas & beans. Yields from autumn sown crops varied with land quality and soil depth on the Wolds. However, grain quality exceeded expectation and yields though below average were also reasonable on the Wolds.
Winter Oilseed Rape, after several poor years and declining area, produced high yields. This can be attributed to elevated level of UV (sunshine) and good rooting after establishing well the previous autumn with reduced pest pressure. For grazing animals pastures turned yellow and grass growth declined. There was no shortage of good haymaking weather, but crops were light. It always surprises me how content animals are in a dry summer with little food (there are limits!) A vet has confirmed in a dry season cows are likely to produce large calves, in a wet season calves are smaller. Food is of high quality and less is needed for maintenance.
Despite some people forecasting a wet harvest it did not materialise, for many it was a record early finish with the bonus of little or no grain drying required.
Sufficient rain fell early in September to provide adequate moisture to establish autumn sown crops in particularly good conditions and promote strong grass growth.
Wildlife have thrived with birds producing multiple broods. Hedgerows are full of berries where they are managed sympathetically.
You may have observed different “crops” on the Wolds. There has been an increase in use of cover crops which are planted to improve the soil, minimise soil erosion through the winter, trap nutrients and help biodiversity. They are a component of the Regenerative Farming principles with minimum or no tillage. Their use has been promoted as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive together with other environmentally sympathetic options. Regretfully, the scheme was closed in March with a new edition promised later in 2026. This is not helpful in planning for the future which is essential in successful land use.
At the time of writing the Wolds look magnificent. There has been a brief spell of colder weather. Rainfall has been high (119mm so far) in November which is needed to balance the deficit. Grass fields are soft; most cattle will be housed soon.
Trust Churches Tour 2025
For most summers during the Trust’s existence our events organiser (formerly Margaret Cowell, now Sue Stephenson) has put together an afternoon tour of nearby Wold churches. The tours are always well attended and last summer’s was no exception: it was the turn of four Great Wold Valley neighbours: Kirby Grindalythe, West and East Lutton, and Helperthorpe.
The small communities, their Vicar and the Diocese church advisor could not have been more welcoming and informative. Members and guests went away buzzing with pleasure and amazement, especially at the full height glass mosaic in St Andrew’s, Kirby Grindalythe - surely a wonder of the Wolds. For anyone who missed the visit or some of the very knowledgeable commentary, or requiring a bit more background information about the mosaic and its architect, here you are:
The chancel of St Andrew’s was reconstructed and a new nave built in 1872-5 by G.E. Street for Sir Tatton Sykes II, including covering the whole of the west wall of the nave with a startling mosaic by the Venice and Murano Glass & Mosaic Co. depicting the Ascension. It is speculated that the mosaic was originally destined to be installed at Sledmere House for Sir Tatton’s Catholic wife, but there was no wall high enough.
George Edmund Street (1824-81) was a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Though mainly an ecclesiastical architect, he is perhaps best known as the designer of the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London. He also worked for five years as an ‘improver’ with George Gilbert Scott in London - the practice responsible for St Pancras Railway Station and red telephone boxes.
The Wold Rangers’ Way
Background
Historically wages for full time farm labourers were generally low, and their families often depended on the labourer’s wife for additional income from her spinning, sewing and craftwork which were lost to the factories in the towns as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace. Industrialisation on farms also contributed to a great reduction in full time labourers, with the use of casual labour for peak time jobs such as harvest, leading to a dramatic increase of vagrants. The 19th century saw the first arrival of the Wold Rangers, men (and some women) who roamed the region living and working in a nomadic way.
The onset of war in 1914 saw the Wold Rangers melt away. Many of the younger ones joined up, but in the years immediately after 1918 the Wold Rangers multiplied again: old soldiers, gentlemen, or women fallen on hard times, many were good workers – even entrepreneurs - facing life’s challenges as best they could; while others were thieving ruffians. They fell out and fought (especially after heavy drinking) but also watched out for each other and would leave secret signs near farm gates with such messages as ‘bad house’, ‘work to be had’, ‘dog bites’ or ‘good for a touch’.
So many and pitiful were they that a tradition started amongst farmers never to refuse some help to those who asked for it. The Wolds farm custom of leaving one barn door open at night time was adopted. It was rare any Ranger was sent away without some food and the open barns, horse boxes and ruined cottages at their disposal show how they were accepted.
Sir Tatton Sykes was renowned for his generosity and became known as the “Wold Rangers’ friend”. He hung a bell over the back door at Sledmere House and ordained that anyone who rung it would be given on demand a meat sandwich and mug of tea. (The custom remained in use until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.)
For some the way of life may have been born of necessity, but to many it seems the free life was a choice. There was no welfare state – they were paid by results and their fallbacks were the workhouse or prison. Most poached for the pot only, not selling the game.
Disused chalk pits made excellent camping grounds, with some privacy provided by the hawthorn and sloe bushes that grew in their shelter.
The Wold Rangers have a special place in the folklore of rural East Yorkshire and in the hearts of many, especially the older farming generation, who still recall the Rangers visiting their farms.
The Wold Rangers Way Trail
The Yorkshire Wolds is increasingly becoming a favourite destination for outdoor activities such as nature tourism, cycling, running and walking. The Wold Rangers Way Charity has developed this quite challenging circular trail which winds its way 44-miles over the Yorkshire Wolds through amazing chalk landscapes with dry valleys and stunning wildlife alongside vibrant market towns and ancient Wolds villages. It also captures the unique history of the Wold Rangers and ensures that their names and stories live on.
The Charity also offers several shorter ‘Trods’ ranging from 3 to 22 miles. Each of these is named after a Wold Ranger who would walk the lanes and footpaths seeking work on Wolds farms. Characters such as Croom Mabel, Horsehair Jack and Dog Geordie are immortalised by the walks.
The trails will appeal to local residents and visitors alike. It will bring into the area people who want to walk the Wolds and stay locally, or those who just want to explore the area for a day.
For a gentle afternoon stroll or a challenging hike, we’re confident the Wold Rangers Way won’t fail to delight.
Mark Blakeston kindly supplied the above information as an introduction to his presentation about the Wold Rangers and the development of the trail at our meeting on April 1st. As well as being a former Town Mayor of Driffield, Mark is involved in many local voluntary organisations.
Proposed Calendar of Events for 2026
23rd March
Beverley Minster guided tour of the ground floor and AGM
1st April
The Wolds Rangers Way with Mark Blakeston at Cass Hall, Driffield
May
Visit Malton racing stable (to be confirmed)
25th June
Vineyard tour and wine tasting, Ryedale Vineyard, Westow
21st July
Talk on The Climmers of Bempton with Prof. Timothy Birkland followed by lunch at Sledmere House
3rd September
Guided tour of Hawleys Auction House and a preview of selected sale items with Caroline Hawley
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Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and may not necessarily exactly reflect the Trust’s consensus views. Readers’ comments will be gratefully accepted and considered for future inclusion.
