History & Culture
With Malham Tarn as an attractor of wildlife, the moor was a hunting ground from earliest times, with a number of Middle Stoneage (study program) & early Neolithic settlements, megalithic and later bronze and iron age peoples. Place names indicate that the uplands were settled by people of Norse origin arriving from the West whereas Angles colonised up the river valleys from the East. This middle ground became the land of the Brigantes so, apart from their marching camp on Mastiles Lane, the Romans have left little trace. In monastic days the moor became rich sheep country and this legacy that has formed much of the landscape we see today. After the Dissolution, new owners established much of the present pattern of settlement. Later the drovers brought great flocks and herds to be sold at Great Close, on their way to feed the towns of the Industrial revolution. Industry came to the uplands also, primarily mining for lead, coal and minerals, smelting and lime burning.
The last great railway to be constructed between Scotland and England was the Settle-Carlisle line. This was saved from closure 25 years ago and is now a thriving link for goods, for locals and for tourists, especially those wanting to make excursions by bike or on foot and return by train.
One effect of this pattern of land use has been the stripping away of the ancient tree cover and these days we are accustomed to the bald grassy uplands, criss-crossed by dry stone walls and the pattern of farmsteads and field barns (now redundant) between sheltered villages. All the features of the landscape tell their stories to those who can read them - right through from pre-history to the latest decline in agricultural fortunes. One of the delights of walking in this area is that, with a little preparation, one can learn to explore not only the present but also much of the past, adding a rich dimension of time to the dimensions of space.
The culture was until recently dominated by the needs of agriculture - of isolated communities and small villages at walking distance from one another and their market towns at key points. Modern mobility and communications have shattered much of this old pattern, driving away many young people and attracting 'offcumdens', pushing up the price of housing and creating new socio-economic problems. Life is change and these are aspects of the living landscape and the changing place we humans have within it.
CD of new bells of St Michael, the Archangel, Kirby Malham available here - sample
