Dales Life Early Summer 2014

FREE Early Summer 2014

ANTIQUES

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FOOD

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INTERIORS |

Gone to Pot GARDENING FOR SMALL SPACES

Hay Life

WILDLIFE

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GARDENING

Small Wonders BRITAIN’S TINIEST BIRDS

SAVING OUR WILDFLOWER MEADOWS

Setting Stone THE ART OF THE STONE WALL

Petal Power

COOKING WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS

You’ll want to spend all day in a County Kitchen Exquisite new range of handmade kitchens now in stock.

PLEASE ASK FOR OUR COMPLIMENTARY BROCHURE TELEPHONE: 01969 624274 Visit our website: www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk Open: Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 10am-1pm

COUNTY KITCHENS (Leyburn) Ltd

Showroom: Belle Vue Offices, Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5AW 2

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featured kitchen by

FROM THE EDITOR

WELCOME

N

“add a touch of sophistication with cool, white blooms”

ow that the swallows are back and we’ve had a decent handful of gorgeous sunny days, I think it’s safe to say summer has arrived – and it goes without saying there’s no better time of year to get out and about!

Nowadays more and more people are discovering the joy of growing their own fruit and vegetables, and you don’t need masses of space to do it. Even a small yard or balcony can give great results – Adam Appleyard shares some tips on p.30.

Less can be more in the flower garden too. Instead of a riot of colours, why not add a touch of sophistication with some cool, white blooms? Turn to p.24 to be inspired by some of Elena Greenway’s favourites.

Of course the ultimate in this year’s outdoor events, the Tour de France, will be bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Dales at the start of July. It promises to be a terrific spectacle – and a fantastic boost for local businesses – but be sure to check for road closures before you set out on any urgent journeys. roadwise.co.uk has all the information you’ll need.

We will be back again in late July. Until then, let’s hope we have lots more fine weather in which to enjoy everything the Dales can offer!

Sue Gillman Editor GUARANTEED DELIVERY Take out a subscription and never miss another issue! For further details visit www.daleslife. com or call 01904 629295.

SHORT AND TWEET The Dales Life Twitter following is growing!

For the latest news and views follow @Dales_Life

MORE THAN JUST A MAGAZINE Read our latest issue — and enjoy lots of exclusive extras — online at www.daleslife.com.

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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We have just introduced a fantastic new range of limestone and distressed oak flooring to complement our hand built kitchens.

Contact us on 01748 821500 for further details.

The Period House Store, Unit 3-7 Simpson Buildings, Borough Road, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4SX www.periodhousestore.co.uk BESPOKE DOORS • CAST IRON RADIATORS • OAK FLOORING • LIMESTONE FLOORING PERIOD FIREPLACES • HANDMADE KITCHENS • WOOD STOVES | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014 4

Contents Early Summer 2014

24

58 9 9

IFE STYLE Inspiring ideas for L your home.

18 WILD ANGLE Photographers celebrate the beauty of the natural world.

COVER IMAGE Š GAP Photos

21 GARDEN NOTES Handy tips for managing your garden.

24 THE WHITE WAY Transform your garden with a cool white colour scheme, says Elena Greenway.

Dales Life 8A Tower Street York, YO1 9SA www.daleslife.com

30 DIG IT Short of space? You can still grow fabulous fruit and vegetables says Adam Appleyard.

39 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF We talk to conservationist Tanya St. Pierre.

21 42 SMALL WONDERS Professor Chris Baines looks at two of our tiniest birds.

49 FOOD NOTES Foods news, products and events.

52 T HE DISCERNING DINER Claudia Blake visits The Black Lion in Thirsk.

58 T ABLE FOR TWO Spend some time in the kitchen with your partner and cook up some tasty treats.

64 S IMPLY GOOD TASTE Make the most of your home-grown produce with this exciting collection of recipes.

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Contents Early Summer 2014

84

94 Editor Deputy Editor Production Advertising

Art Editor Art Director Proprietor

Sue Gillman Brian Pike Claudia Blake Sue Gillman Liz Hanson Stef Suchomski Annabel Eager Sue Gillman

Contributors Prof. Chris Baines, Paul Miguel, Brian Pike, Ian Henry, Elena Greenway, Claudia Blake, Adam Appleyard, Heather Dixon at Feature Services Ltd. t. 01904 629295 / 235156 m. 07970 739 119 e. sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com Dales Life 8A Tower Street York YO1 9SA.

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86 76 IN SEASON Fresh crisp British garden peas make a succulent early summer treat.

81 PRIZE LOT This month’s auction room highlights.

84 MAKING IT Continuing our series showcasing regional talent. This month, The Harrogate Candle Company.

86 D ALES LIFE LOVES Gorgeous goodies for summer.

100 89 SETTING STONE We meet Tracey Blackwell, one of the few female dry stone wallers in the UK. 94 TRAVEL Sue Gillman visits the Mayr Clinic in Austria.

100 DALES DIARY A guide to local events, compiled by Liz Hanson.

128 TO DINE FOR Great places to eat in the Yorkshire Dales.

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The finest handmade curtains, soft furnishings & re-upholstery We have been passionate about our work for almost 50 years.

Our curtains are hand sewn using traditional methods, for a superior finish.

Sofas and chairs are lovingly crafted with exceptional attention to detail.

We stock one of the largest collections of designer fabrics and wallpapers in North Yorkshire.

Plan how to transform your home into something special with a free consultation.

Joanna Marco Interiors 4 Anchorage Lane, Northallerton 01609 776260 Peter’s mobile: 07973 433482 www.joannamarco.com

Joanna Marco

INTERIORS

Your home, your floor, your way Searching for that stunning wood floor look? nh flooring have it covered! We offer a home sampling service, free advice and quotations and are proud to offer a n.i.c.f approved fitting service.

nh flooring Unit 6 Borough Court, Borough Rd, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond, DL10 4SX Telephone Nick Hodges to make an appointment

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We also offer a fantastic range of carpets, vinyls and more. With something for every budget, why not call us today with your enquiry?

Image courtesy of Kersaint Cobb

t 01748 822834 m 07789 996526 e nhflooring@btinternet.com w www.nhflooring.co.uk

Cheerful handprinted Capercaillie cushion by Georgia Wilkinson. georgiawilkinson.co.uk

Life Style Inspiring ideas for your home

Sackville Street Tweed Wallpaper from a range by Little Greene Paint & Paper.

Available at The Period House Store, Richmond, 01748 821500

Decorative ceramic Emily duck egg holder, available from Fairmont & Main, fairmont.co.uk

Stylish hand-crafted slate tray, available at Westwoods Country Store, West Tanfield, 01677 470769

Fine bone china mug, part of the game bird collection by Sophie Allport, available at Serendipity Interiors, Leyburn, 01969 622112

Flowers and snails floral lampshade

by Lush Designs, available at Hornseys Gallery, Ripon, 01765 602878

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Westwoods

Country Living Be inspired by our new collections At Westwoods Country Store you’ll find a vast selection to brighten up your home this summer.

Browse our unique range of beautiful home accessories, from colourful cushions, pottery and ceramics, clocks, candles and kitchenware to quirky soft furnishings and much more.

The tea room is the perfect place to relax and unwind for a morning coffee, light lunch or afternoon tea.

Village Farm, Main Street, West Tanfield, HG4 5JJ 01677 470769 • Please call for opening times for the tea room

To book space in the Summer issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

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Powder blue apron decorated with chickens, available from Fodder, Harrogate, 01423 546111

Classic fabric from Colefax and Fowler, available at Milners of Leyburn, 01969 622208

Life Style Inspiring ideas for your home Stylish wicker picnic basket available in a range of colours from Westwoods Country Living, West Tanfield, 01677 470769

Hand-painted chopping board from a range by K.Art at www.artforthekitchen.co.uk

Hand-printed running hare greeting card available from www.louiseslater.com

Practical oilcloth tote designed and handmade in the Dales, see the range at Berry’s Farm Shop, Swinithwaite, 01969 663377 EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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MAKERS OF BESPOKE KITCHENS AND BEDROOM FURNITURE

T 01609 775383 W WWW.DEANSBURYKITCHENS.CO.UK E INFO@DEANSBURYKITCHENS.CO.UK

B E A R C OT TAG E I N T E R I O R S Period & Contemporary Country Design Bespoke design service ranging from a single cushion cover to a complete home design package

Curtains & Blinds, Fabric, Furniture, Lamps, Mirrors, Gifts.

The Cattle Market, Market Place, Hawes, DL8 3RD Tel 01969 666077

www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk

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Beautifully illustrated mug from a collection by Magpie. Available at Jamesons’ Country Store, Masham, 01765 680215

Exciting new fabric from Sanderson’s Voyage of Discovery collection, available at Milners of Leyburn, 01969 622208

Life Style Inspiring ideas for your home

Albany three-drawer leather and wood chest, available at Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes, 01969 666077 Unique hand-painted china bluebell jug by Gabriella Shaw, available at gabriellashawceramics.com

Retro peacock egg cup from a range by Hannah Turner. Available at hannahturner.co.uk

Limited edition bee print double oven glove, available at Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464

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Mellow Yellow Pure and bright, yellow is clear, energising and uplifting.

Use yellow to add warmth, and to create a soft inviting look.

We have made it easier than ever to find your perfect colour. We stock the Dulux Tailor Made Collection which offers over 1200 colours that can be mixed in any finish you want.

Finishes available in Flat Matt, Matt, Soft Sheen, Silk, Eggshell, Satinwood and Gloss

SANDERSON & CO

INTERIOR DECORATING SUPPLIERS High Street, Leyburn | Tel: 01969 623143

DOVETAIL INTERIORS FURNITURE HOME ACCESSORIES GIFTS

17 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1ED 01677 426464 www.dovetailinteriors.com

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Clay retro-style bread bin, available at Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464

Striking Toile de Jouy fabric and wallpaper from a new collection by Manuel Canovas, available at Joanna Marco Interiors, Northallerton, 01609 776260

Life Style Inspiring ideas for your home

Hare notebook designed by British artist Tom Frost for Magpie, available at the Woodland Trust, woodlandtrustshop.com

Handmade ceramic bee slim jug,

by Fenella Smith, available at Fodder, Harrogate, 01423 546111

Colourful biscuit tin from Magpie’s Birdy Range, available at the Woodland Trust, woodlandtrustshop.com

Thomas Kent stunning high gloss clock in Putney Polka Dot Apple, available at Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, 01677 426464

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summer

sale

Everything

Reduced

It’s Sale time at Oliviers in Barnard Castle and Richmond.

You’ll find savings in every department, including Stunning new ranges of upholstery, contemporary and traditional dining furniture, plus the latest styles of beds and bedroom furniture.

www.peterolivier.com E&OE

28 GALGATE, BARNARD CASTLE, 2 FIRBY ROAD, GALLOWFIELDS TRAD EST, DL12 8BH. TEL 01833 631555 RICHMOND, DL10 4ST. TEL: 01748 823100

Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm Sunday 11am-4pm

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am-4pm Sunday Closed

Made-to-measure

BLINDS SALE UP TO

50% OFF

To book space in the Summer issue contact Sue Gillman ROLLERS • VENETIANS • VERTICALS • ROMANS • CURTAINS SHUTTERS • AWNINGS • CONSERVATORY BLINDS MEASURING & FITTING INCLUDED

TO BOOK A FREE APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR LOCAL ADVISOR CALL 0800 587 6476 OR VISIT HILLARYS.CO.UK

T’s & C’s apply.

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Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

Sophisticated Style

Bespoke upholstery service Let us bring your old suite back to life. If your sofa or chairs are showing signs of wear, then why not consider reupholstery?

We offer a complete bespoke service tailored to your exact requirements.

We can simply cover with the latest fabrics and replace the fillings, making your suite as good as new.

Choose from an extensive selection of fabrics and our craftsmen will refurbish your cushions to the highest of standards. To discuss your requirements in time for summer, contact Colin Blanchard.

– 01748 811773 or 07764 279815 www.canefurniturenorthyorkshire.co.uk

‘Always the best for price and advice’

10% OFF

✔ Preferred Retailer 5 Bridge Street, Bedale, N.Yorks DL8 2AD

New range of Relyon beds with this advertisement

T 01677 423127 www.bedshopyorkshire.co.uk EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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WILD ANGLE Photographers celebrate the beauty of the natural world

the merlin

by Paul Miguel

T

he merlin is Britain’s smallest bird of prey. It is most often seen on moorland, coastal dunes and marshes, although in winter merlins can sometimes be found in open lowland countryside.

Merlin numbers fell to disastrously low levels in the 1950s because

of loss of habitat and overuse of pesticides. Fortunately populations are now recovering, but merlins are still relatively scarce, and the species remains on the RSPB’s Amber List.

A reliable place to see merlins locally is The Stang, between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale – just park your car and watch from inside with a pair of binoculars at the ready. Male merlins are easy to identify, thanks to their distinctive slaty blue plumage. Females and juveniles are dark brown in colour, and potentially confused with kestrels. Kestrels, however, have longer wings and tails and a hovering flight pattern, whereas merlins have a distinctive fast, low, darting flight.

Merlins feed mainly on small birds, including blackbirds, larks, pipits and waders, along with dragonflies, moths and small mammals. Unlike their continental cousins, who tend to nest in trees adjoining open countryside, British merlins usually nest in shallow moorland scrapes, laying up to five eggs between mid-May and mid-June. The female guards the nest while the male keeps her and her brood supplied with food. The young often leave the nest after about three weeks, but don’t become fully independent until several weeks later.

Yorkshire-based Paul Miguel has been fascinated by birds since an early age. It was his interest in ornithology that first led him to pick up a camera – and, later, to complete a degree in zoology. His dedication to his craft has brought him widespread acclaim, and he is one of just a handful of photographers contracted

by Natural England to supply them with images. To enjoy more of Paul’s beautiful wildlife portraits and Yorkshire landscape studies, visit paulmiguel.co.uk

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MILNERS of Leyburn Serving The Dales for over 130 years Style for you and your home

Introducing the new Emma Bridgewater collection of prints and wallpapers by Sanderson Carpets | Rugs | Curtains | Blinds | Upholstery | Bedding Ladies & Mens Fashion and Accessories

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6 Market Place, Leyburn DL8 5BJ | 01969 622208 sales@milnersofleyburn.co.uk | www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk

| Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

garden notes

The Bug Issue

BLACK BEAUTY Here’s a tomato that’s truly extraordinary – and not just for its unique indigoblack skin. As well as tasting gorgeous, ‘Indigo Rose’ also contains high levels of anthocyanins, the same nutrients found in ‘super foods’ like blueberries. It’s easy to grow, and a heavy cropper to boot. Buy it as plug or pot plants from suttons.co.uk.

BEE GENEROUS Creating a carpet of wild flowers to provide vital nectar for bees and butterflies couldn’t be easier.

Just find a spot in your garden for the pre-seeded BeeMat and water it – you’ll soon have your own delightful patch of flower meadow. The mat biodegrades, and the flowers will come again next year. From Fodder, Harrogate, fodder.co.uk, 01423 546111.

This smart Bee and Bug House from The Eden Project Shop will give much-needed shelter to ladybirds, solitary bees, lacewings and other beneficial insects – and they will return the favour by helping keep aphids and other nasties in check. Also included is a packet of wildflower seeds and a bee identification guide. Find out more at edenproject.com.

It’s a Wrap!

Bonny Bin

What a lovely idea: gift-wrapping paper that you plant in the garden instead of throwing away! Embedded in the colourful layers of paper are seeds that will germinate in a week or two to give a tasty crop of vegetables or a cheery show of flowers. There are lots of seeds to choose from, including sunflowers, carrots, broccoli and salad leaves. Explore the whole range at edenspaper.com.

Most people keep their vegetable peelings and used teabags hidden away in a plastic tub under the sink before taking them out to the compost heap, but here’s a compost bin that’s smart and stylish enough to make a feature of! Made in sage green powdered steel, it comes complete with liners – compostable, of course. You can find it at burgonandball.com.

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garden notes

Loving It SELF-RAISING FLOWERS Why pay a fortune for shop-bought cut flowers when you can grow your own? Louise Curley’s handsomely illustrated book The Cut Flower Patch tells you all you need to know, from how and when to sow your seeds through to picking, conditioning and arranging your bumper blooms. Published in hardback by Frances Lincoln and available from all good booksellers, RRP £20.

CAN DO! This cleverly designed watering can from Sophie Conran has to be one of the most elegant we’ve ever seen. It’s nicely balanced too, and with its long, streamlined spout you can deliver water to precisely the point that it’s needed with minimum effort. It holds 1.7 litres and is available in duck-egg blue or soft grey from burgonandball.com.

Worth the Candle This luxurious limited edition ‘Blackberry and Bay’ fragranced candle from Jo Malone is a treat for the eye as well as the nose. It comes in a specially designed wrap from designer Michael Angove, which combines beautifully painted red-thorned bramble with the fresh green tips of bay leaves. You can find it, along with the rest of the range, at jomalone.co.uk.

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If you’re reading this, the chances are that you love being in your garden – so why not say so with this charming little wooden plaque? Alternatively, if you can bear to part with it, it would make an ideal gift for a garden-crazy friend or relative.

From Dovetail Interiors, Bedale, dovetailinteriors.co.uk, 01677 426464.

BOWLED OVER For a barbecue with bags of style you’ll find it hard to beat one of these recycled Kadai fire bowls.

Made from oil drums, and riveted for strength and durability, they are crafted in India using traditional metalworking techniques. Thanks to their wide, shallow shape you can cook lots of different foods at the same time.

Find out more at kadai.co.uk.

GROVE HOUSE

Bespoke Kitchens & Interiors E S TA B L I S H E D

1 9 7 7

Turning your dreams into reality Specialists in the creation of high quality and truly bespoke solid wood and hand painted kitchens, dressing rooms and home offices for 37 years.

As we make all our own cabinets we can create and design any layout with limitless choice of style and finish. Using only the finest materials our small friendly team of creative designers, time served cabinets makers, polishers and painters, along with considerate installers will ensure you receive the highest standard of service, leading to a unique bespoke kitchen that fits seamlessly into your home, causing minimum disruption and maximum effect.

SE E HOU GROV riors te In & ns Kitche Bespoke

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THE WHITE WAY Transform your garden with a cool white colour scheme, says Elena Greenway.

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ow is the time of year when plant sales peak, and garden centres and nurseries are a riot of colour. But with a whole spectrum of beguiling blooms on offer it’s important not to get carried away.

Each individual plant may look gorgeous, but how well will it fit in with what you already have in your garden?

With garden design, less can be more. One of the most stylish gardens I’ve seen locally was also one of the most restrained. It consisted exclusively of white-flowered plants – along with a white dovecote and a flock of white doves for good measure.

Although an all-white garden might be too austere for most people’s tastes, it’s a useful reminder that sticking to a restricted palette – even if only for individual sections of your garden – can achieve a more impressive effect than throwing together a random selection of colours.

And white is, I would suggest, the ideal colour to add a touch of refinement to your garden. Not only do white flowers look good against any kind of background foliage, from deepest blue-green to lightest lime-yellow, but their high contrast gives your garden maximum visual impact during those magical moments of dawn and dusk. Add to that the fact that white won’t clash with any other colour you choose to introduce, and it’s clear that white is a winner.

Images © RHS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Astrantia Major Subsp. Involucrata ‘Moira Reid’; Cercis Siliquastrum ‘Alba’; Erythronium Californicum ‘White Beauty’; Holboellia Latifolia.

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ERYTHRONIUM CALIFORNICUM ‘WHITE BEAUTY’ Also known as the Fawn Lily, Erythronium californicum is a charming little perennial with attractively mottled leaves. It grows to around 30cm tall, and in spring and early summer produces up to three nodding flowers whose petals soon curve back elegantly, like the roof of a tiny pagoda.

Erythronium is a woodland plant and appreciates moist, rich soil in partial shade, making it ideal for underplanting shrubs or small trees. Plant bulbs 10cm deep and propagate by dividing after flowering. It needs little by way of attention other than stopping other plants crowding it out.

HOLBOELLIA LATIFOLIA Holboellia latifolia is a glossy-leaved evergreen climber hailing from the Himalayas, and if you have four or five metres of wall or fence space to fill, it’s vigorous enough to do the job. In spring Holboellia bears clusters of fragrant, bell-like flowers, tinged purple in bud and opening to white. Occasionally it goes on to form purplish, sausage-shaped fruit, hence its alternative name of Sausage Vine.

Holboellia is happy in most soils, but here in the North it needs to be grown in a sheltered, sunny spot and protected with horticultural fleece during spells of exceptionally cold temperatures.

CERCIS SILIQUASTRUM ‘ALBA’ If you’ve got plenty of space and fancy a long-term investment, you might be interested in the Judas Tree, also known as the Love Tree. Cercis siliquastrum is a small, bushy deciduous tree from Southern Europe.

In spring it decks itself with huge masses of loose clusters of flowers, usually pink, but white in the case of the cultivar ‘Alba’. The heart-shaped leaves emerge shortly after the flowers.

Cercis siliquastrum isn’t fussy about soil or aspect, so your main concern should be with whether you have room for it – in a decade or two it could well span 10 metres or more.

ASTRANTIA MAJOR SUBSP. INVOLUCRATA ‘MOIRA REID’ With its round clumps of tiny flowers, each fringed with pointy-tipped bracts, each head of Astrantia looks for all the world like a cartoon sun. It makes a cheerful showing in the flower border all through summer, forming dense clumps around 75cm high.

Astrantia is a hardy plant, tolerant of a wide variety of soil types and aspects, and it won’t ask much of you other than the occasional deadheading.

Some people claim it makes an excellent cut flower, but in my opinion it smells distinctly unpleasant, and I wouldn’t dream of bringing it into the house.

NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS

CLEMATIS FLORIDA VAR. NORMALIS ‘PISTACHIO’

If you want to jolly up your borders, the Tobacco Plant certainly takes a lot of beating. With its metrehigh stems bearing elegantly elongated and superbly fragrant clusters of flowers, Nicotiana sylvestris makes an especially eye-catching statement when positioned against a wall or a mass of dark foliage.

Buy as a bedding plant or sow seeds in late spring and you can expect a display of flowers from midsummer through until early autumn. Keep it well watered, and if it sets seed then collect them to sow next year. In theory it’s a biennial, but it’s unlikely to survive the average Yorkshire winter.

No garden is complete without a clematis, and Clematis florida is a great choice for bringing a touch of floral flair to a sunny fence or wall. It will be equally happy planted direct into the ground – providing you have moist, well-drained soil – or in a container.

Clematis florida will bear generous quantities of showy flowers until late summer, and these give way to attractive fluffy, silvery seed-heads that continue the spectacle through into autumn. Feed and water generously throughout the growing season and prune back to 30cm above soil level in spring to stop it getting leggy.

LEFT: Clematis Florida Var. Normalis ‘Pistachio’

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CYMBIDIUM SARAH JEAN ‘ICE CASCADE’ Fast-growing Cymbidium is one of the easiest orchids to grow, and the spectacular results make it well worth the effort. You’ll need to keep it in a greenhouse or cool conservatory over winter at around 10-15°C, but from June to September it will relish being outside, so long as you protect it from scorching midday sunshine.

Plant your Cymbidium in orchid compost, and don’t pot up too frequently as it flowers best when pot-bound. Water moderately in spring and summer, but only sparingly during winter. Cascading varieties of Cymbidium are perfect for hanging baskets or pots on pedestals.

RAISE YOUR GAME WITH THE RHS Whatever your plans for the garden, you’ll find plenty of helpful information on the Royal Horticultural Society website, www.rhs.org.uk. Use the RHS Plant Selector to decide which plant will thrive where, and the Plant Finder to find out who can supply the plants you want.

Of course nothing beats seeing plants growing in context, and here in North Yorkshire we’re lucky to have the magnificent RHS garden at Harlow Carr in Harrogate on our doorsteps. With environments ranging from formal borders to wildflower meadows and dappled woodland it’s an unbeatable source of ideas — and it’s open every day of the year except Christmas Day. For full details, visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr.

TOP: Cymbidium Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade’ BELOW: Nicotiana Sylvestris

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BRINGING BATHROOMS TO LIFE

At Bathrooms Direct we bring you exceptional bathrooms at incredible savings. Our bathrooms are elegant, practical and designed to last a lifetime.

We are a family-run business with over 30 years‘ experience and excellent personal service.

Call us now to arrange a free design and estimate.

BATHROOMS

DIRECT 01677 425788 sales@bathrooms-direct.net www.bathrooms-direct.net John H Gills Yard, 1 Leeming Lane, Leeming Bar DL7 9AB EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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DIG IT Short of space? You can still grow a fabulous crop of fruit, vegetables and herbs, says Adam Appleyard.

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H

ere in the Dales, towns and villages tend to be very compact, and many of us have little more outside our back doors than a modest yard. Fortunately that’s no reason to miss out on the grow-your-own revolution, because you can harvest a surprising amount of tasty, fresh produce from the smallest of spaces. Even a balcony can provide you with a decent crop, providing it gets an hour or two of summer sun.

Nowadays most food plants are available in dwarf varieties, and you can grow almost as many kinds of fruit and veg in containers as you could in an allotment. If you are new to container growing, though, here are three guaranteed successes to get you started.

Fresh herbs My advice to new vegetable gardeners is always this: if you plant anything at all, make it herbs. Weight for weight, herbs are probably the most expensive fresh vegetable you can buy in a supermarket, and for the price of a small pack of wilting basil leaves you could buy seed enough to last you for a year.

What’s more, most herbs are remarkably easy to grow. The biggest pitfall with container gardening is not watering your pots regularly enough. Many herbs, however, hail from the Mediterranean and can cope with inadvertent dry spells – brief ones, at least – better than most vegetable crops.

Of the Mediterranean herbs, basil, coriander and dill are annuals that can be grown equally well outdoors or on a sunny windowsill. Basil needs high ambient temperatures and plenty of sunshine, so don’t risk putting it outside until early to mid-June.

Thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary and chives are hardy perennials that can survive the harshest Dales winter – just make sure they don’t get waterlogged, or they may rot.

OPPOSITE: Fragaria x ananassa ‘Cambridge Vigour’ THIS PAGE TOP: Harvesting salad potatoes RIGHT: Chives Allium schoenoprasum

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Parsley is a biennial, and requires a touch more moisture. Mint is another herb that’s good to have on hand, and it needs less sunshine than the Mediterranean herbs so it’s useful for a shady corner.

Most mints grow so vigorously that gardeners actually prefer to confine them to containers to stop them running amok. Spearmint varieties are milder than the peppermints, and the best choice for the kitchen.

Potatoes Nothing beats the taste of fresh new potatoes, and with very little effort you can fit a fine crop of your own into even the tiniest yard.

Potatoes need a lot of vertical space, though, and whilst you could plant them in any deep container – an old dustbin, for example – most home-growers opt for special potato bags. These are widely available from garden centres, and you can re-use them year after year.

There are dozens of varieties of potato, and your choice will to some extent be determined by what your local garden supplier has on hand. They fall into two main categories: early and maincrop. Early potatoes produce small ‘new’ potatoes for immediate use, whereas maincrop potato varieties produce larger tubers suitable for storing. Both can be planted until the end of July. You can also plant early potatoes in August, which will give you new potatoes in time for your Christmas dinner!

Early potatoes – and to some extent maincrops – benefit from ‘chitting’, that’s to say encouraging them to sprout prior to planting. Your seed potatoes will have ‘eyes’ in one end, and all you need to do is stand them with the eye-end upright (old egg boxes are handy for this), give them plenty of light, and let the shoots grow to approximately 2cm long.

Maximise the yield from your potato bags by planting in layers. Fill the bags one-third full with multipurpose compost and place two or three seed potatoes on top. Add another similar layer of compost and a couple more potatoes. Fill the remainder of the bag with compost, water well, and

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put your bags in a sunny spot. Water regularly and feed every fortnight.

When your potato plants begin to flower it’s time to check whether early potatoes are big enough to eat. For maincrop varieties postpone harvesting until a couple of weeks after the plants have died back.

Strawberries Freshly picked strawberries are one of the highlights of an English summer, and they are simplicity itself to grow in containers.

You can buy special pots and towers for growing strawberries – they have planting pockets in the sides – but pretty much any container will do, including hanging baskets. Personally I prefer to use terracotta pots rather than plastic ones. Strawberries don’t like being overwatered, and porous terracotta will help keep them healthier.

Like potatoes, strawberries come in a dizzying range of varieties. Most crop for just two or three weeks, but you can plant a mix of early, mid- and

THIS PAGE: Strawberrries in a wall basket ©GAP OPPOSITE: Thyme and Rosa ‘Little Flirt’ EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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late-cropping varieties to ensure a longer supply.

There are also so-called ‘perpetual’ strawberries, which have a longer cropping season but usually produce smaller fruit.

Thieving birds can devastate your crop, but I’ve found that they tend to ignore yellow varieties of strawberry (‘Yellow Wonder’, for example) in favour of your neighbours’ red ones. For a really radical rethink of the strawberry, try a ‘pineberry’ cultivar – ‘pineberries’ are virtually pure white, and have a sharper, pineappley taste.

Water your strawberry plants well while they are establishing themselves, but don’t overdo it. Dosing them every week or so with liquid tomato feed will aid fruit production. After cropping, your strawberry plants shouldn’t have any problem surviving the winter, but they will soon tire and you’ll need to replace them every two or three years.

Adam’s Top Tips for Small-Space Gardening Square or rectangular containers will make better use of your space than round ones.

Choose nice deep pots to give your plants maximum root-room.

Containers can dry out in no time in summer sunshine, so mix compost with water-retaining granules.

Check the moisture level in your pots at least once a day, and two or three times in hot weather.

Maximise your yield by having new seedlings ready to plant out as soon as your first crop is harvested.

Nutrients in pots soon get used up, so feed your crops regularly.

Support tall plants with a tripod of bamboo canes inserted round the edge of the pot and tied at the top.

TOP: White Strawberry ‘Pineberry’ ©Sutton Seeds LEFT: Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Gorizia’ All photographs © RHS unless credited otherwise 34

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Lowmill Landscapes PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING SPECIALISTS Part of Chris Beardshaw’s gold medal winning team at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show

Lowmill Landscapes are hard landscaping contractors that specialise in all aspects of landscape work, including walling, paving, driveways, water features, fencing & groundwork’s.

Our small team of qualified, experienced craftsmen provides an efficient and excellent service throughout the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding areas.

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Now open Saturday 8am - 4pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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Now Open

FOR THE BEST IN COUNTRY, LEISURE AND SHOOTING WEAR

Wilfords of Leyburn offers a wide selection of outdoor attire, including country, leisure and shooting wear, from a large range of top of the line outdoor clothing brands.

One of only a very few appointed UK stockists of the Holland Cooper luxury tweed clothing range, Wilfords offer clothing to suit all budgets.

14 MARKET PLACE, LEYBURN DL8 5BG • 01969 622213 • INFO@WILFORDSOFLEYBURN.COM WWW.WILFORDSOFLEYBURN.COM

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

The

Conservationist Tanya St Pierre works for the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) helping local landowners to restore and revive traditional Dales hay meadows. These flower-rich fields support a huge diversity of wildlife, including Tanya’s specialist interest: bumblebees. Tanya lives in Wensleydale and looks after a small hay meadow of her own.

When is your busiest time of year?

It’s very definitely June and July, when I spend every minute I’ve got out and about, looking at as many meadows as I can! I monitor meadows that we worked on during the previous year, to find out to what extent our treatment has improved them. I also survey new meadows to assess whether or not they can be restored.

Some, unfortunately, simply can’t.

What signs are you looking for?

There are certain plant species that are indicators of a good-quality hay meadow: yellow rattle, great burnet and eyebright, for example. Equally there are certain species that we don’t want to see, such as docks. I also test the soil for phosphorus to see how much fertiliser has been added in the past. Too much fertiliser is actually a bad thing for the kinds of plant communities found in traditional meadows.

How can a traditional hay meadow be restored?

We have a variety of different treatments, depending on the circumstances. For example, if there are just one or two species missing then we gather suitable seed from a local meadow – if there’s a good, species-rich one nearby – using hand-held vacuums. Alternatively we can take a small amount of green hay from a good meadow and spread it onto the target field. It’s always best to use seed with a local provenance, because local plants will be adapted to the particular soil and climatic conditions in that area.

What else does your job involve?

Apart from report-writing and fund-raising – at YDMT we rely entirely on donations – I spend a lot of time on education work. Recently, for example, I worked with award-winning garden designer and TV presenter Chris Myers to help pupils at Bainbridge Primary School create a pocket wildflower garden for Harrogate Spring Flower Show. More than a thousand children from schools across Yorkshire have taken part in our hay-meadow-related activities over the last four years, visiting local sites and learning about the wildlife they support.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

What else is on the agenda this year?

Since 2009 YDMT has been coordinating a Flowers of the Dales Festival, and this year’s Festival encompasses over a hundred different events and activities. It runs through until October – you can download a free programme from our website – and includes guided walks, identification courses, art exhibitions, talks, children’s craft activities and concerts. And, of course, I’ll be sharing my enthusiasm for bumblebees!

Why the interest in bumblebees?

As a child I lived in the South of England, but my mother studied geology and frequently mapped in the Dales, so I spent a lot of time outdoors here. I soon became fascinated by wild flowers, and that led on to an interest in bumblebees.

How many bumblebee species do we have in the Dales?

Of the UK’s 24 species – some of which are rare and isolated populations – we have a dozen or so. Much of the Dales landscape is close-cropped pasture with few flower species, so hay meadows are a vital element in the network of corridors of flora that enables bumblebees to survive.

Are bumblebees easy to tell apart?

Bumblebees can have some quite distinctive markings, and a beginner can quickly learn to identify the main species. In fact at YDMT we’re currently looking for volunteers who would like to learn how to identify and record bumblebee species, so they can help us carry out monthly surveys to monitor bees – and the wildflowers they visit in different meadows – across the Dales.

Which bumblebee is your favourite?

Definitely the mountain bumblebee, Bombus monticola, also known as the bilberry bumblebee. It’s a nice colourful little bee, with a bright red-orange rear, and it lives mainly on heather moorland. Even though it’s fairly scarce, you might well catch a glimpse of it in your garden if you happen to live within flying distance of the moors, because in spring it quite often comes down to collect nectar from garden plants like cotoneaster.

Are UK bumblebees still under threat?

Very much so, and their decline is a serious matter. It’s said that one in three mouthfuls of food we eat owes its existence to a plant being pollinated, and bumblebees are one of our best pollinators. The problem is that a million bumblebees are imported every year to pollinate our 40

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greenhouse crops and soft fruit, and they bring with them diseases that infect our native species.

We need tighter controls and stricter monitoring of imported bees. DEFRA is currently working on a much-needed national pollinator strategy – let’s hope it’s not too late!

To find out more about YDMT and this year’s Flowers of the Dales Festival visit ydmt.org or call 015242 51002.

A Grass Rope to Catch a Unicorn A BEAUTIFUL NEW BOOK BY WENSLEYDALE ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR JANET RAWLINS Well known for her Dales landscapes in fabric collage and watercolour, Janet Rawlins has produced this breathtaking collection of Wensleydale wild flowers and other illustrations.

£20 FROM WWW.YPDBOOKS.COM OR CALL 01904 431213 A £3 DONATION FROM EACH SALE WILL GO TO THE YORKSHIRE DALES MILLENNIUM TRUST TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY’S HAY TIME PROJECT

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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SMALL WONDERS

Professor Chris Baines looks at two of our tiniest birds: the wren and the goldcrest.

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T

he wren is a bird that punches well above its weight – which is about the same as a one-pound coin. Despite its diminutive size, the cock wren has a song that is loud and shrill enough to cut through all but the noisiest traffic, and he uses it to attract a mate and warn off the competition.

Wrens are the commonest of our breeding birds, with an estimated seven or eight million pairs across the British Isles. Numbers can crash in a harsh winter because wrens are so tiny and suffer badly in the cold. However, it is normal for them to lay two clutches of eggs, and population numbers soon bounce back.

Wrens are intriguing birds, and have always attracted attention. In one ancient folk tale the wren is named king of the birds: in a competition to see who can fly highest, the eagle is expected to win easily, but the clever wren beats him by hitching a ride on his back. In the nursery rhyme Who Killed Cock Robin? the sparrow’s little arrow was a misplaced shot in defence of Robin’s bride, Jenny Wren. There are also several folk songs describing the annual tradition of Hunting the Wren, a sport with its origins lost in the mists of time, but traditionally pursued on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day).

Wrens are birds of the woodland edge and the hedgerow, so they thrive in our gardens as well as in wooded countryside. In my own inner city garden I can often hear three separate male wrens, all singing their hearts out and staking claim to individual territories. The wren’s call lasts about five seconds, and usually ends with a trill, but in April and May the song is endlessly repeated from the beginning of the dawn chorus right through until dusk. Once you learn to recognise it, it is unmistakeable.

Safety in Numbers In spring each male wren builds several separate nests. Occasionally wrens will use nesting boxes, but they tend to prefer cavities in banks or low walls. Over the years I have had wrens’ nests in a dry-stone retaining wall, an ivy-covered fence, an

open-fronted nesting box, an abandoned blackbird’s nest and even in a space under the eaves. At the height of his courtship the male wren sings with such vigour that his whole body vibrates. He hops around in various prominent positions with his short tail erect. With this behaviour – and his impressive real-estate offer – he hopes to make himself irresistible.

When a female succumbs she will select a preferred nest, or she may well demand that he builds an entirely new one. The male weaves his fist-sized domed shelter from grasses and leaves, and once it is complete the female adds a soft lining of feathers. The eggs are shiny white with reddish spots, and there are usually about half a dozen in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for a little over two weeks. Once the young have hatched, both parents feed them until they fledge between two and three weeks later. In most years a pair of wrens will manage to produce one family in April and a second in May. Wrens spend all the daylight hours hunting for food. They depend mainly on spiders and small insects (there’s a charming image of a wren about to catch a spider in a stained glass window in York Minster), but they will also peck at soft cheese on my bird feeder when the weather is very cold or dry.

In winter they often gather together in tight groups for warmth, and there are records of dozens of individuals huddled together overnight. This is a good reason to clean out nest boxes in the autumn, leaving them in place as suitable wren shelters.

Wrens tend to fly relatively short distances, but some are known to travel well over a hundred miles to seek out warmer wintering grounds beside the sea. For the most part, though, they behave more like small mammals than birds. They scuttle and hop amongst low shrubs and undergrowth in their constant search for food. This intensive darting behaviour makes them easy to spot, though you may mistake a fast-moving wren for a wood mouse.

Because they spend so much time at ground level they are particularly vulnerable to predatory cats.

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Miniature Migrants Wrens are small, but goldcrests are even smaller. These tiny birds only weigh the equivalent of a twenty pence piece, and, following a series of extremely cold winters in the 1920s, they were almost wiped out in Britain. Now they are becoming much more familiar, but they never fail to thrill me.

Goldcrests are much quieter and more discreet than wrens, and rather more colourful. The clue to their identification is in the name. Each bird is pale olive green in colour, but with bold black and gold stripes on its head. Goldcrests are members of the warbler family, but unlike the wren their song is a quiet, constantly repeated tweet.

There are an estimated half million breeding pairs of goldcrests in Britain. They build their tiny, three-layered nests at the tips of leafy twigs, and they feed on the tiniest of morsels such as moths’ eggs and spiderlings. As we have planted the countryside with spruce and fir trees, and lined our garden boundaries with Leyland cypress, the goldcrest has been one species that has really benefited. Its sharp beak is ideally suited to seeking out food from the tight spaces between pine needles.

In the autumn, goldcrest numbers grow dramatically as hundreds of thousands of them fly across the North Sea from Scandinavia to seek food and shelter in our more forgiving forests and suburban gardens. In spring, the great majority fly back north – an almost miraculous achievement for such very tiny birds.

THIS PAGE AND PAGE 43: Goldcrest PAGES 42 AND 44: Wren © Photographs courtesy of David Tipling, davidtipling.com

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escaping the everyday Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal

© National Trust Images/John Millar. Registered Charity Number 205846.

Discover the spirit of a great abbey and enjoy summer days in the water garden at this World Heritage Site. On weekends follow music to the Banqueting House to be transported to a bygone era.

Members and under 5s go free.

01765 608888 nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey

Visit our inspiring garden in 2014 • 20 acres of beautiful walks, lakes and plant nursery • Sculpture exhibition by renowned artists • Open until Sunday 8th June and then again from Sat 25th October - Sun 2nd November inclusive, everyday 10am - 4pm (closed Mondays except Bank hols) • Admission £6.50 Children under 12 FREE We can supply the rarer and more unusual varieties of Species and Hybrid Rhododendrons as well as Azaleas, Magnolias, Cornus and other Himalayan plants.

Mail order plants are available to order all year round.

Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. Refreshments available from our tearoom. With apologies but there is limited wheelchair access.

A special weekday entrance price of only £3.00 per adult is available to anyone making a return visit to the gardens during the Spring 2014 opening season (offer not available from May 12th – May 30th)

www.himalayangarden.com

www.himalayangarden.com The Hutts, Grewelthorpe, Ripon, HG4 3DA P: 01765 658009, E: info@himalayangarden.com EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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TOUR DE FRANCE

STAY

DINE

Tour de France – French vs Yorkshire BBQ – 5th July 2014 Yorebridge House is situated in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales with stunning backdrops of rolling hills and rivers. We are rising to the occasion of the Tour de France coming to Bainbridge by having a special Yorkshire vs France BBQ for people to come and celebrate Le Grand Départ. The BBQ is being sponsored by Laurent Perrier, as well as our own famous local Yorkshire Dales Ale and brewery.

Drinks will be served all day outside with the BBQ

starting at 4pm until 7pm, with entertainment on hand from Mutton Chops and a fireworks display in the evening. Why not come and join the millions of fans on their way to the Yorkshire Dales to help cheer on the champions of the sport and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and afterwards the relaxing atmosphere of Yorebridge House a minute’s walk from the race. Please contact reception for prices and further details.

Yorebridge House - Bainbridge - Leyburn - Wensleydale - North Yorkshire - DL8 3EE. - UK Telephone: 01969 652 060 - Facsimile: 01969 650 258 Email: enquiries@yorebridgehouse.co.uk - Web: www.yorebridgehouse.co.uk

Deli, Bakery and Tea Room.

Fresh bread cakes, pies and pasties baked to eat in or take away.

Heart of the Yorkshire Dales • Farm Fun • Farm Cafe • • Farm Shop and Deli • • Farm Butchers • Swinithwaite, Leyburn, DL8 4UH 01969 663377 • www.berrysfarmshop.com OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND 48

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Delicious bistro meals to take home.

Gifts, cards postcards. ∙ Market Place, Askrigg ∙ ∙ www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk ∙ ∙ 01969 650076 ∙

Food notes

CHEF’S STABLE Tupgill Park near Leyburn, home to the Forbidden Corner, is now the setting for an exciting new restaurant.

Located in a historic stable block, The Stable Door features four different dining areas and an award-winning wine cellar.

Head Chef and Professional MasterChef finalist Tom Morrell is at the helm, putting some innovative twists on traditional favourites. Browse the mouthwatering menus at thesaddleroom.co.uk.

ON COURSE

Dairy Made A generation or two ago everyone made butters, creams, yogurts and soft cheeses at home. Now you can rediscover those age-old arts with Jenny Lindford’s The Creamery Kitchen. It has clear step-by-step instructions, and includes plenty of recipe ideas for using your freshly made dairy products.

Published in hardback by Ryland Peters & Small and available from all good booksellers, RRP £16.99.

Want to wow your friends with fabulous food this summer? Stephen Bulmer, Swinton Park’s charismatic Head Chef, runs a series of four Seasonal Dinner Party courses during the year, each of which will teach you how to make the most of delicious local produce of the moment.

For further details of these and other courses at Swinton, go to swintonpark.com.

Top Taste DELICIOUS DAY OUT Northallerton’s Homegrown Food Festival, now in its third year, is a free event celebrating local food and the people who produce it. An ideal opportunity to meet your food heroes, take part in cookery workshops, watch top chefs at work, learn how to grow fruit and vegetables, and much more.

Sunday 29th June – visit homegrownfoodfest.co.uk for full details.

Looking for some truly luscious lamb?

The key to producing meat with terrific taste and texture is letting the animals mature slowly, grazing on natural pasture. And that’s exactly what happens at Monk Fryston Organics, a small, traditionally managed, family-run organic farm in the Vale of York. Order by email or phone – see monkfrystonorganics.co.uk for details.

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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Food notes

Cracking Chorizo!

Green Zingers Cordon Bleu chef Alison Dodd couldn’t find the top-quality fresh herbs she needed, so she started growing her own.

Seventeen years on and her business, Herbs Unlimited, supplies many of the UK’s most discerning restaurants, hotels and food businesses with fabulous fresh-cut herbs and baby salads from its fields in Sandhutton, near Thirsk. Find out more at herbsunlimited.co.uk.

BAKE A DIFFERENCE Olivia’s Artisan Bakery & Café in Northallerton, Thirsk and Stokesley doesn’t just offer luscious breads, cakes, pastries and delicatessen items, it’s a dynamic local charity supporting vulnerable adults in the community. Also part of the same forward-looking enterprise is The Clervaux Artisan Bakery in Darlington, which runs a range of very popular breadmaking courses. Dates and details at oliviasbakeryandcafe.co.uk.

Jam-Packed In their kitchen near Northallerton, Just The Ticket Preserves conjure up a mouthwatering range of delicious artisan products that range from luscious marmalades to fruity jams and jellies, tangy chutneys and liqueur conserves. All are made from seasonal fruit and vegetables, and guaranteed free from artificial colours or preservatives. Find them at local markets or buy online from justtheticketpreserves.co.uk.

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Deep, smoky, full-flavoured chorizo is a staple of Spanish and Latin American cuisine – and now it’s made right here in Yorkshire! The Yorkshire Chorizo Company near Skipton takes best British pork and turns it into delicious, fully-cured chorizo sausages, gluten and dairy free. For plenty of tempting chorizo recipes and more information, visit yorkshirechorizo.co.uk.

PICK OF THE CROP Summer means strawberries, and for freshness and taste you can’t beat local fruit. Spilman Farming of Sessay, near Thirsk, have been growing gorgeous, top quality soft fruit – including strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries – for nearly half a century, all in a traditional fashion, open to the elements.

Buy from their farm shop or pick your own. Opening times and contact details at spilmanfarming.co.uk.

The Grill Ro om Now Open Now in addition to our fabulous award-winning seafood restaurant we’ve sourced the finest, most succulent meat in the Dales, marinating it in our secret recipe and cooking it to perfection on our charcoal grill.

From Rosé Veal T-bone to sirloin, organic free-range poussin to Chateaubriand, we’re offering a sizzling range of choice cuts, served up with our special melted butters, trio of sauces and our famous triple-hand-cooked fat chips.

With something to suit everyone, The Grill Room is the ultimate steak experience!

The Wensleydale Heifer Boutique Hotel & Restaurant West Witton, North Yorkshire, DL8 4LS

01969 622322 | wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

Alfresco Lunches & Dinners

AT S W I N TO N PA R K

Collect your copy of Dales Life from:

Campbells of Leyburn Serendipity of Leyburn The Co-Op Masham The Black Sheep Masham CB Furnishings Northallerton The Station Richmond The Mulberry Bush Hawes New Jersey Bedale

Relaxed lunches, dinners and BBQ courses at the Deerhouse, overlooking the castle and lake.

From £25 per person Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, HG4 4JH 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com enquiries@swintonpark.com EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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THE DISCERNING DINER

| RESTAURANT REVIEW

THE DISCERNING DINER CLAUDIA BLAKE VISITS THE BLACK LION IN THIRSK

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THE DISCERNING DINER

O

n a warm evening in late spring, Thirsk’s spacious and elegant marketplace can have a surprisingly continental feel about it.

Recently this impression has been heightened considerably by one of the town’s newest eateries, The Black Lion Bar & Bistro.

There seems to be an unwritten law that if you call a place a bistro then you are obliged to kit it out with wobbly daubs of the Eiffel Tower, old French wine crates, advertisements for absinthe and suchlike.

And, of course, it is vital to put a pot of toothpicks on every not-quite-matching table – just to add that authentic Gallic touch.

The management of The Black Lion seems to have decided not to risk straying too far from tradition, because a good proportion of the décor has that kind of bistro-by-numbers feel that regular UK bistro-goers will be familiar with. Underneath all the shabby chic, though, The Black Lion still retains the relaxed, cosy appeal of the timehonoured town pub.

After a coffee cup’s worth of complementary tomato and basil soup we tucked into our starters. In Piers’ case this was breast of wood pigeon with beetroot and red onion. It was a dish presented with panache, an artistic scattering of delicate maroon microherbs perfectly complementing the rich reds of the beetroot and onion.

The pigeon breasts were succulent, gamey and nicely charred. With just a hint more sharpness and seasoning in the accompaniments I would have

“I could have happily downed an entire plate of the stuff ”

voted it a five-star plateful. I imagine this is the kind of dish that won The Black Lion their first AA rosette earlier in the year.

My choice of starter was smoked salmon mousse with melba toasts, dill and cucumber, and this too was stylishly arranged. The mousse was somewhat more leaden than the joyful, ethereal concoction I had been hoping for, but the herby flavours were pleasant enough.

Both of us opted for a meaty main, lamb in my case, and pork belly for Piers. In both instances the meat – of local provenance, like the pigeon – was lovely. The pork belly was accompanied by a nugget of braised pig’s cheek, which in point of taste and texture was quite heavenly. I could have happily downed an entire plate of the stuff.

What I found slightly baffling, though, was that along with the two kinds of pork came a roast scallop. As far as I’m concerned this served merely to confuse the issue. The pork would have been quite happy without it.

My lamb was served with some attractive and judiciously cooked root vegetables and a dash of carrot purée.

Carrot, of course, can be somewhat sweet, as was much of the rest of the roast veg, and I would have liked something on hand with a touch of sharpness to balance the rich fattiness of the meat.

On to desserts, and the dish I had been eagerly awaiting since I first picked up the menu, namely ‘Deconstructed Strawberry Eton Mess’. In fact I had spent most of the meal speculating on exactly how you might go about deconstructing a mess. By making it even messier, perhaps? Or, conversely, by tidying it up? An enigma indeed.

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THE DISCERNING DINER

What to expect Urban bistro with an AA rosette and high aspirations.

Ambience Town tavern overlaid with a delicate froth of Frenchified fitments.

Service Generally brisk, cheery, informative and efficient.

The bottom line We paid a very reasonable £27 or so per person for The answer came on a rectangle of slate (which in these parts I imagine they call a ‘Deconstructed Cumbrian Quarry’). Standing out boldly against this dark, stony backdrop was a delightfully colourful constellation of dots and squiggles. These included vibrant dabs of pink fruit mousse, diamonds of dark fruity gel, tiny sunbursts of meringue, a blob of whipped cream, an elegant sugar shard and a bright splash or two of coulis. And it didn’t just look gorgeous, it tasted thoroughly gorgeous too. Definitely the highlight of the meal.

By contrast with this showstopper, Piers’ sticky toffee pudding should by rights have paled into insignificance. As it turned out, though, it managed to hold its own surprisingly well, with a fragrantly spicy, finely textured sponge set off nicely by rich vanilla ice cream and a perkily salted caramel sauce. Ah, sticky toffee pudding – a true British classic! Yes, the French may still call the shots when it comes to decorating bistros, but they can’t hold a candle to our good oldfashioned British puds.

three courses. There’s a decent choice of wines by the bottle or glass, all sensibly priced.

High points Worth the trip for the Deconstructed Eton Mess alone.

Ideal for A romantic tête-à-tête or a night out en famille.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE BLACK LION BAR & BISTRO CALL 01845 574302 OR VISIT BLACKLIONTHIRSK.CO.UK.

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NOW OPEN

We are now open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner We won’t start without you…

Contact us on 01748 822 602 or visit www.richmondgrillandbrasserie.co.uk Trinity Square, Market Place, Richmond DL10 4HY

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STEP INTO SWALEDALE, STAY, RELAX, EXPLORE

‘Le Burgoyne Hotel accueille Le Tour 2014 de Swaledale’ From Spring Bank Holiday 2014 enjoy our ‘Garden Cafe’ with wonderful south views over Grinton and Harkerside moors.

Open 10-00am - 4-00pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout Summer.

The Burgoyne Hotel, On The Green, Reeth www.theburgoyne.co.uk enquiries@theburgoyne.co.uk Tel 01748 884292

The White Bear Wellgarth, Masham, North Yorkshire HG4 4EN The White Bear is a 5 star inn situated in the pretty market town of Masham. We serve delicious breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas, and dinners, all prepared using the finest local produce. Stay in one of our delightful rooms and experience a real taste of the Dales.

01765 689319 | info@ thewhitebearhotel.co.uk | thewhitebearhotel.co.uk EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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table for two

Why not spend some quality time with your partner in the kitchen cooking up some tasty treats? Here are three recipes from The Couple’s Kitchen to get you started.

CREAMY TOMATO & BREAD SOUP WITH BASIL OIL 1.5 litres vegetable, chicken or meat stock 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, peeled and chopped 1.2kg very ripe, soft tomatoes, chopped 300g stale white bread, crusts removed and thinly sliced or made into breadcrumbs 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 125g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve sea salt and freshly ground black pepper BASIL AND ROCKET OIL 150ml extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rocket/arugula SERVES 6

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This Italian soup is only as good as its ingredients – great tomatoes, good bread and wonderful, green olive oil. This is a great recipe for using up leftover bread – here it thickens the creamy tomato soup, which is in turn enriched with a generous amount of Parmesan. Learning to make your own herb oils is fun too.

Heat the stock slowly in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and tomatoes, and fry over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until soft. Push the mixture through a food mill, mouli or sieve, and stir into the stock. Add the bread and garlic.

Cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes until thick and creamy, giving a good whisk every now and then to break up the bread. Watch out, as this soup can catch on the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, to make the basil and rocket/arugula oil, process the olive oil, basil and rocket/arugula in a blender until completely smooth and pour through a fine strainer, if necessary.

Stir the Parmesan into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and trickle with 2 tablespoons basil and rocket/arugula oil and serve hot, warm or cold (but never chilled).

Serve extra Parmesan separately.

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HAM HOCK, BEAN & MINT SALAD WITH A CREAMY MUSTARD DRESSING 750g Jersey Royal new potatoes, washed and left whole 750g fresh broad beans 750g fresh peas 500g mangetout or snow peas, trimmed 1 bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 180g cooked ham hock meat, shredded 70g handfuls of pea shoots, to garnish (optional) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper CREAMY MUSTARD DRESSING 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar a good pinch of sea salt 1 generous teaspoon French wholegrain mustard 1 teaspoon crème fraîche 1 banana shallot (or two small shallots), very finely diced SERVES 4–6

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Ham hock, broad beans, mint and mustard are a marriage made in flavour heaven and this salad is summer served on a plate. Keep the ham hock, herbs and pea shoots separate from the dressing until just before serving as the herbs and shoots tend to wilt.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the new potatoes and boil for 15–20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from heat, drain and leave to cool.

Add more water to the pan, bring to the boil again, then add the broad beans and after 1 minute add the peas and mangetout/snow peas. Boil for a further 1 minute before draining, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to refresh. Drain all the peas and beans, and put to one side.

For the dressing, put the olive oil and white wine vinegar into a large mixing bowl with a good pinch of salt, and beat with a fork to dissolve the salt in the vinegar. Add the mustard, crème fraîche and shallot, and mix well again. Pop the mixed peas and beans and the new potatoes into the bowl with the dressing and mix well.

Just before serving, add the parsley, mint and ham hock to the dressed peas and beans, and toss together. Season to taste with sea salt and ground black pepper, then sprinkle the pea shoots on top, to garnish, if using.

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ROCKY ROAD CHEESECAKE CRUMB CASE 300g Oreo cookies 150g butter, melted FILLING 6 sheets leaf gelatine 320g chocolate cream cheese 250g mascarpone cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 100g caster sugar 400ml double cream 100g mini fudge pieces TOPPING 80g honey-roasted cashews 100g glacé cherries, halved 40g mini marshmallows 100g chocolate-coated honeycomb balls (such as Maltesers) 100g dark chocolate

A 23cm round springform cake pan, greased and lined SERVES 12

This decadent cheesecake is the ultimate chocoholic’s indulgence. It has a classic rocky road topping with marshmallows, nuts and cherries, all nestling on a creamy chocolate filling, studded with fudge pieces. This cheesecake is rich so is best served in thin slices!

To make the crumb case, crush the Oreo cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor, or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the buttery crumbs into the base and sides of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon. You need the crumbs to be about 3–4cm high on the side of the pan so that they make a case for the filling.

For the filling, soak the gelatine leaves in water until they are soft.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chocolate cream cheese, mascarpone, vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Put the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and warm gently. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the cream until the gelatine has dissolved. Pass the cream through a sieve to remove any undissolved gelatine pieces, then add to the cheese mixture. Beat until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick, then stir in the fudge pieces. Pour the mixture over the crumb case and chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours or overnight until set.

When set, sprinkle the cashews, glacé cherries, marshmallows and chocolate honeycomb balls over the top of the cheesecake. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and drizzle it over the rocky road topping. Chill in the refrigerator to set before serving.

DALES LIFE READER OFFER Recipes and photographs are from The Couple’s Kitchen: A Newlyweds Cookbook published by Ryland Peters & Small and available from all good booksellers, RRP £19.99.

The Couple’s Kitchen is available to Dales Life readers for the special price of £13.99 including postage & packaging.

Telephone Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quote reference GLR 9MZ.

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simply good

TASTE

How do you make the best of your home-grown fruit, vegetables and herbs? Here is a collection of recipes from a new cookbook that’s packed with exciting ideas from top chefs.

MIXED GARDEN ARTICHOKE & NANNY CHEDDAR SALAD 4 baby globe artichokes juice of 2 lemons 2 generous sprigs of rosemary 2 garlic cloves 250g Jerusalem artichokes rapeseed oil, for drizzling salt and pepper DRESSING 500ml sweet New Forest cider 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp cider vinegar 100ml rapeseed oil TO SERVE borage flowers, to garnish 50g goats’ cheddar shavings, to garnish bunch of flowering mizuna, to garnish SERVES 2

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Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4. Cook the globe artichokes in a saucepan of boiling water seasoned with the lemon juice, a sprig of rosemary and a garlic clove. Cook until tender, then allow to cool. Halve the Jerusalem artichokes and put on a baking sheet, drizzle with rapeseed oil and sprinkle with the remaining rosemary sprig and remaining garlic clove, chopped.

Season and roast for 20 minutes.

FOR THE DRESSING, reduce the cider by three-quarters by boiling hard. Once the cider has cooled it should resemble golden syrup (if not add 1 tsp caster sugar and reboil until ready). Put the mustard, vinegar and 1 tsp reduced cider liquor into a food processor. Slowly add the oil until it comes together; if the dressing is too thick, slowly add some warm water.

TO SERVE, dress the plate and layer all the ingredients together to look attractive. Garnish with fresh borage flowers, the cheese shavings and the flowering mizuna.

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FLAKY CRAB & CUCUMBER, MALLOW & YOUNG SQUID 1 live medium crab salt 4 baby squids 1/4 cucumber MALLOW SOUP 150g onion, sliced 100g cucumber, sliced 350g mallow leaves 750ml boiling vegetable stock 140ml whipping cream 1 tsp ascorbic acid salt and pepper SQUID CROUTONS 50g dried yeast 250ml water 500g T55 bread flour 1 tbsp salt 100ml olive oil 100ml white wine vinegar 250ml squid ink 30g clarified butter TO GARNISH baby cucumbers with their flowers chrysanthemum shoots mallow flowers rapeseed oil sea salt SERVES 4

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Boil the crab in salted water for 7 minutes. Chill in a blast chiller or ice water. When chilled, crack the crab and separate the brown and white meat from the shell. Season the white meat with some of the brown, then add salt to taste. Clean each squid by removing its head followed by the pen (the feather-shaped internal structure that supports the squid’s mantle) and guts. Rinse, then remove the fine skin and sinew. Dry and freeze, then cut into 1cm squares and thaw. Peel, deseed and cut the cucumber into 1cm cubes. If you have a vacuum packer, vacuum the cucumber to compress before you dice it.

FOR THE MALLOW SOUP, sweat the onion until soft; add the cucumber and mallow leaves. Cook for 2 minutes. Add boiling stock, cream and ascorbic acid. Blend until smooth, pass through a sieve, season and chill over ice.

FOR THE SQUID CROUTONS, preheat the oven at 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4. Mix the yeast with the water and ferment at 42˚C/107˚F for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining ingredients with the fermented yeast and knead for 15 minutes. Prove in a warm place until the dough trebles in size. Knead for a further 2 minutes, divide into four and shape into four loaf tins. Cover and prove in a warm place until each dough piece trebles again. Bake for 25–30 minutes. When cool, break into little rough croutons and fry in a little clarified butter with salt until crispy.

TO SERVE, mound some crabmeat in the centre of a plate. Spoon some seasoned raw squid on top and then place over some cucumber cubes. Spoon around some of the mallow soup, arranging the squid croutons, baby cucumbers, chrysanthemum shoots and mallow flowers on top. Finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

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CHARCOAL-COOKED LAMB RACK WITH SAVOURY POTATOES 2 racks of lamb (6 bones in each) salt and pepper 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil edible flowers, to garnish (optional) RED WINE JUS 750ml chicken stock 375ml red wine sprig of mint small sprig of rosemary SAVOURY POTATOES 120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for coating ovenproof dish 1.2kg potatoes, ‘Desirée’ or ‘King Edward’, peeled and thinly sliced 250g onions, thinly sliced 4 sprigs of winter savory salt and pepper 500g cherry tomatoes ROASTED VINE TOMATOES 6–7 cherry tomatoes, on the vine 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil sprig of winter savory SERVES 4

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Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6. Heat 3 pieces of wood charcoal, each 4cm long, over a gas flame until they glow red. Create a cup shape from a square of tinfoil and leave on one side. Season the lamb racks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a sturdy, cast-iron casserole and seal the lamb, fat-side down. Drain off any excess oil. Put the tinfoil cup into the casserole alongside the racks, and, using tongs, carefully place the glowing charcoal pieces in it. Put the lid on the casserole and place in the oven for 20 minutes. The juices of the lamb should run pink when pierced with a skewer. Leave to rest for about 20 minutes before carving into cutlets. Discard the charcoal and skim any fat from the surface of any juices left in the pan.

FOR THE RED WINE JUS, simmer the stock with the red wine and herbs until syrupy and thickened. Add any charcoal-infused juices from the lamb to the jus. Strain and discard the herbs.

FOR THE SAVOURY POTATOES, preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/ gas mark 4. Brush the bottom and sides of a shallow ovenproof glass dish or small roasting tin with olive oil. Arrange some potatoes in a single overlapping layer in a concentric circle over the base of the dish or tin. Scatter with one-third of the onions and a sprinkling of winter savory leaves, season with salt and pepper, add one-third of the cherry tomatoes and generously drizzle with 40ml olive oil. Repeat this process three times, finishing with the onions, savory and tomatoes on top. Season and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the tomato skins have darkened and the potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven; leave to cool for a few minutes.

FOR THE ROASTED VINE TOMATOES, turn the oven up to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6. Put the tomato vine in a small roasting tin, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with winter savory leaves.

Roast for about 10 minutes, until the skins have blistered and the tomatoes softened.

TO SERVE, place the roasted vine tomatoes over the savoury potatoes before serving with the lamb and red wine jus. Garnish with edible flowers.

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BAKED GOOSEBERRIES WITH LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM & FLAPJACK vanilla pod 500ml milk 100g granulated sugar 4 egg yolks 10 fresh lemon verbena leaves – finger length 500ml double cream, chilled FLAPJACK 375g unsalted butter 100g light brown soft sugar 300ml golden syrup 500g jumbo oats BAKED GOOSEBERRIES 75g unsalted butter 100g soft brown sugar 500ml gooseberries lemon juice, to taste dry sherry or marsala, to taste TO SERVE small fresh lemon verbena leaves, to decorate

MAKES ABOUT 1.25 LITRES SERVES 6

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FOR THE LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM, split the vanilla pod in

half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Combine the milk, vanilla seeds and pod and half the sugar in a large saucepan, and bring to just below boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave for at least 15 minutes to allow the vanilla flavour to develop.

Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, beat the egg yolks into the remaining sugar until the mixture is thick and pale. Bring the milk back to boiling point, then pour it onto the egg yolks and sugar, whisking steadily. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and, using a wooden spoon, stir the custard until it thickens; this takes 5–30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon verbena leaves and plunge the base into a few centimetres of cold water. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture feels as if it has never been heated. Transfer the custard to a jug, leaving the vanilla bean in. Cover and chill.

When ready, strain the custard. Pour the custard and chilled cream into the ice cream machine and churn until it is the consistency of softly whipped cream. Scrape into freezer boxes, level, and cover with greaseproof paper and a lid. Freeze overnight.

Allow 15–20 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

FOR THE FLAPJACK, preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4.

Line a baking sheet of 25 x 38cm (10 x 15in) with greaseproof paper. In a heavy-based saucepan, add the butter, sugar and syrup and bring to the boil. Add the oats and mix thoroughly. Pour into the tray and spread the mixture evenly. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before tipping out, peeling off the paper and cutting into the desired size.

FOR THE BAKED GOOSEBERRIES, heat the butter in a non-stick saucepan. When it is bubbling, add the sugar and gooseberries, turn up the heat and cook for 2 minutes until the butter and sugar have turned golden. Turn the heat down, add the lemon juice and sherry and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

TO SERVE, spoon the gooseberries into a small dish. Dollop ice cream in a glass and decorate with freshly picked, small lemon verbena leaves. Serve the flapjack, cut into fingers, on the side.

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ROSE GERANIUM PANNA COTTA & BLACKCURRANT SORBET PANNA COTTA 6–8 rose geranium leaves 200ml milk 500ml double cream 60g caster sugar enough leaf gelatine to set 500ml of liquid 300ml plain, whole-milk yogurt SORBET 175g granulated sugar 225ml water sprig of thyme 500ml blackcurrants, topped and tailed TO SERVE rose geranium sugar, to decorate SERVES 6–8

FOR THE PANNA COTTA, roughly tear the geranium leaves into a

saucepan. Add the milk, cream and sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar and help infuse the cream. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, calculate how many gelatine leaves you need to set 500ml liquid. Put them in a bowl of cold water to soak for about 5 minutes, to soften. Squeeze out excess water, then add the soaked gelatine to the hot infused cream and stir gently until dissolved. When the mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the yogurt.

Pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean jug. Pour the panna cotta mix into the dariole moulds (cylindrical cooking moulds) and put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, to set.

FOR THE SORBET, put the sugar in a saucepan with the water and the thyme. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then add the blackcurrants and bring just to a simmer. Cook gently for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the blackcurrants are soft. Pass the fruit and liquid through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, pressing the fruit in the sieve with the back of a spoon, to extract a maximum amount of juice. Chill the mixture. When it is cold, churn it in an ice cream machine until you have a vivid purple, soft-set sorbet. Then transfer the mixture to a freezer container and freeze until firm.

TO SERVE, take the sorbet out of the freezer 20 minutes before you plan to eat it. To serve the panna cotta, dip the moulds in hot water very briefly to loosen. Carefully turn out each panna cotta onto a plate. Serve with a spoonful of sorbet and, if you like, a scattering of rose geranium sugar, for crunch.

Recipes and photographs are from Kitchen Garden Experts by Cinead McTernan, with photographs by Jason Ingram, published in hardback by Frances Lincoln and available from all good booksellers, RRP £20.

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Newly refurbished –

The Black Lion has undergone a major refurbishment. We will be offering a new mouthwatering menu using locally sourced produce for Bistro style dishes.

We have Real Ales and a carefully selected wine menu to complement the food.

All this combined with our friendly front of house staff will only add to your enjoyable experience.

The Black Lion

8 Market Place, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 1LB Telephone 01845 574302 info@blacklionthirsk.co.uk www.blacklionthirsk.co.uk

Enjoy Roux Scholar Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn. Modern British food using only the finest local ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented.

Fine wines, real ales and friendly service.

Accommodation available.

Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire Tel 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk

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THE QUEEN’S HEAD FINGHALL

ROOMS ç RESTAURANT ç BAR WEDDINGS ç PRIVATE PARTIES ç SPECIAL OCCASIONS Located in the picturesque village of Finghall and surrounded by spectacular countryside, The Queen’s Head is the perfect location to explore the beauty of the Dales.

The Queen’s Head, Fingall 01677 450259 | enquiries@queensfinghall.co.uk | www.queensfinghall.co.uk

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In Season Fresh, crisp British garden peas make a succulent early summer treat.

Garden Peas Eating fresh peas straight from the pod is one of many gardeners’ guilty pleasures. Home-grown peas are in season from early June onwards. With judicious planting – plus some decent autumn weather – you can harvest your own crop right through into October and beyond, even here in the Dales.

Thanks to modern dwarf cultivars you can grow peas even in a fairly restricted space. All but the smallest plants will need support, traditionally 76

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provided by ‘pea sticks’ (twiggy trimmings from trees and shrubs), trellis, netting or twine strung on bamboo canes.

Sow in a sunny spot once the soil has warmed up, or germinate indoors and plant out before your seedlings grow too leggy. Keep sowing small rows (or half rows) every week or two to ensure a continuous supply of this lovely summer vegetable.

Water well, especially when the pods develop, and mulch well to lock moisture into the soil.

Pea and Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Tart Serves 6

For the shortcrust pastry 100g Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese, grated 100g chilled Wensleydale Creamery Dales Butter, diced 250g plain flour sea salt and freshly ground pepper iced water 1 egg, beaten

For the filling 200g garden peas 2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced into 1cm rings 100g Wensleydale Creamery Dales Butter 200ml full fat crème fraîche 2 large eggs plus 1 extra yolk 250g Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese, roughly cubed cayenne, sea salt and ground black pepper

METHOD To make the shortcrust pastry, combine the cheese, butter, flour and seasonings in a food processor or by hand. Add iced water slowly until the mixture just holds together. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

Roll out pastry and line a 25cm flan case with it. Preheat oven to 2000C (gas mark 6). Bake blind for 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush lightly with the beaten egg.

To make the filling, sweat the leek in the butter until soft but not brown. Remove from the heat.

Add the peas and turn to coat them in the butter.

Beat together the crème fraîche, eggs, cayenne and seasonings. Stir in the leek and pea mixture, reserving some liquid if it is too wet.

Pour the mixture into the prepared flan case.

Scatter the cheese on top. Bake at 1800C (gas mark 4) for 20–25 minutes or until just set.

ABOUT THE WENSLEYDALE CREAMERY The Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes is famous the world over as the home of genuine Wensleydale cheese, continuing a tradition of cheese-making

in Wensleydale that dates back nearly a thousand years. Their luscious cheeses are hand made, using milk from cows that graze the dale’s flower-

rich pastures. For more information about The Wensleydale Creamery – and more inspirational cheese recipes – visit wensleydale.co.uk.

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Stone House Hotel

LOBSTER FESTIVAL July 9th, 10th,11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th

Relax and unwind in our classic country house overlooking Wensleydale Open daily for:

Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea, Light Lunches & Dinner Perfect for:

Special occasions. Small meetings.

Quiet escapes!

Relax – Explore – Discover www.stonehousehotel.co.uk Stone House Hotel. Sedbusk. Hawes. N.Yorks.

DL8 3PT Tel (01969) 667571

Tomato Consommé

S

Parma ham, Yorkshire pea mousse, pea shoots, white truffle

S

1 shell-less lobster thermidor

S

Dessert or Cheese

S

£45

7 Silver Street, Masham, N Yorks, HG4 4DX Telephone: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

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Good Pub Guide Inn of the Year 2014 Set price dinner menu now available 2 courses £23.50 or 3 courses £28.50 Please contact us for menu details.

Fixed price lunch £15.50 and £18.50 also available Monday – Saturday

Tel: 01969 624273 www.thebluelion.co.uk

Cookery Bootcamp for Teenagers AT S W I N TO N PA R K

Off to Uni soon? Or a Gap Year?

Get your cooking up to scratch with a twoday immersion in cookery skills, taught by Michelin-trained chef Stephen Bulmer.

7-8th July 2014, 10am – 3.30pm £220 per person (Bunk barn accommodation for over 18’s at Swinton Bivouac www.swintonbivouac.co.uk)

the perfect place for your celebrations

Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, HG4 4JH 01765 680969 www.swintonpark.com cookeryschool@swintonpark.com

Corks & Cases Worldwide Wines

@

Independently Yours Where it’s always wine O’clock Call into our independent wine shop and choose from over 300 individually selected wines, buy a bottle, a case or a pallet we don’t mind…

View our excellent wines and wine gifts on our newly developed web site and buy on line!!

Also take a look at what else we do such as wedding wines – hire our wine marquee for your event – order a gift, add a message and we will send it anywhere in the UK for you…

We don’t like wine …

We love it!

Corks and Cases, 17 Silver Street Masham, HG4 4DX. Tel: 01765 688810 corksandcases.com

Tucked away on the banks of Bishopdale Beck and surrounded by rolling countryside, Hendersons is the perfect retreat for weddings, christenings, private parties, corporate events and celebrations.

The restaurant and bar have recently been refurbished, and the splendid lodges are luxurious and finished to the highest standards.

Whatever you have in mind, we can make your event a memorable experience.

Contact paul.dixon@westholme-estate.co.uk For bookings and enquiries tel. (01969) 663268 Hendersons Bar and Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth, North Yorkshire DL8 3SP www.westholme-estate.co.uk EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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Danny Piper Creative Metal Work

Gates, Railings, Staircases, Furniture & Lighting www.creativeironwork.co.uk dannypiper@live.co.uk | 01765 635085

From Yorkshire to New York for $35,000 Bonhams Leeds offers direct access to the international auction market from right on your doorstep. Regular valuations days offering free, no obligation auction appraisals are held in the Leeds Office and around the North of England. Home visits can also be arranged where necessary.

0113 234 5755 alison.hayes@bonhams.com Bonhams 30 Park Square West Leeds, LS1 2PF Jacques Raymond Brascassat (French, 1804-1867) Odette, a Maltese Consigned locally and sold in our New York Dogs in Show and Field Sale for $35,000 International Auctioneers and Valuers - bonhams.com/leeds Prices shown include buyer’s premium. Details can be found at bonhams.com

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To book space in the Summer issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com

AUCTION ROOM HIGHLIGHTS

Prize Lot Item

T

hese silver candlesticks may be small and slight, but their hefty auction estimate is proof of just how highly silver collectors rate the name of Georg Jensen.

Their value lies not in the liberal use of precious materials, but in Design the exquisite period design – plus the fact that Jensen candlesticks Oscar Gundlach-Pedersen from this period tend to be relatively rare.

Jensen set up his silversmith’s shop in Copenhagen in 1904, and Date within just a few years he had made Danish silverware world-famous. around 1930 His business spawned many Scandinavian imitators, but none of them ever quite matched Jensen’s flair for combining style and simplicity.

Size One of Jensen’s particular strengths was his eye for promising 16.5cm high up-and-coming designers, and hiring Oscar Gundlach-Pedersen, who joined the firm in 1927, was one of his astutest moves. GundlachAuction estimate Pedersen trained as an architect, and his silverware designs – like the £3,000 to £5,000 Modernist buildings of the 1920s and 1930s – are characterised by clean lines and bold, geometrical shapes.

For sale at A particular model may, of course, be replicated for decades, but Tennants Auctioneers, purist collectors of Jensen, like collectors of Lalique glass, prefer to buy Leyburn examples from within a few years of the date of the first design. These Summer Fine Art Sale, candelabra fit the bill perfectly – another reason why Tennants valuer 25th to 26th July 2014 Diane Sinnott has put such a robust valuation on this elegant little lot.

A pair of Georg Jensen silver candelabra

Contact tennants.co.uk 01969 623780

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May and June special offers for Dales Life readers Hot Wax Special New to the salon a luxurious new hot wax of exceptional quality. Perron Rigot removes hair gently and minimises ingrown hairs.

10% off until 14th June

Special for May & June 30 - 32 Malpas Road Northallerton, N. Yorkshire DL7 8TB

01609 779390 www.blinkbeauty.co.uk

Roses for Violet

Be polished to perfection.

Shellac fingers and toes and a luxurious spray tan for the special price of ÂŁ45.00

Gatsby’s hairdressing

01677 426943

Emma Patrick The Charity Cookery Book that tells the story of a Chiari Malformation sufferer

Includes over 50 recipes and over 60 photographs.

Jams, Preserves, Pickles and Sauces, Soups Light Meals And Salads, Main Dishes, Cakes And Treats To Go With Afternoon Tea, Puddings, For Children Of All Ages , Sizzle With A Tipple All profits from this book will be donated to The Goa Anglican Centre

Available from Amazon or www.emma-lueforgac.com 82

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Summer Offer 20% discount for new clients.

9a Market Place, Bedale

FRIMBLE Stylish women’s fashions, designed, woven and made in Great Britain.

Currently stocking a new range of coats, jackets, skirts and waistcoats made using the highest-quality Tweed.

Visit the website or make an appointment to meet Sophie at her studio.

07813 652970 www.frimble.com

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MAKING IT SHOWCASING REGIONAL TALENT

The Harrogate Candle Company LUXURIOUS AROMATHERAPY CANDLES

W

hen two Harrogate friends, Deborah Wilson and Fiona Carr, discussed their mutual enthusiasm for beautifully fragranced candles over the dinner table one night, the idea for the Harrogate Candle Company was born. Deborah had already been making her own scented candles on a small scale, but now the pair decided it was time to take things to the next level.

Deborah and Fiona agreed from the start that they would be aiming for the highest possible standards. “We decided we would use only natural essential oils,” says Deborah.

“Essential oils are far more expensive than synthetic fragrances – up to seven times the price – which is why even some of the big-name luxury candle makers use synthetics. But for us, quality is crucial.”

“To get the maximum benefit from our essential oils we make our candles using a natural soy wax blend. Many candles are made from paraffin wax, but a natural soy wax blend burns more cleanly and evenly – and is arguably that bit more environmentally friendly.”

The pair spent several months perfecting their own exquisite blends of fragrances and testing them out on friends and family, working through twenty or thirty different versions of each until they were satisfied. Each of their candles can contain up to eight different oils, carefully mixed to achieve the perfect balance.

And with their unique ‘WoW’ range, Deborah and Fiona have added an exciting

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new twist to the sensory experience that scented candles can provide. ‘WoW’ stands for ‘wax on wax’, and the ‘wow’ factor comes from fact that two different blends of essential oils are carefully layered into the one candle. After around 20 hours of burning there will be a sublime moment when the fragrance of the top layer starts gently melting into the fragrance of the base layer, heralding a further 20 hours of a different, but complementary, experience.

Deborah and Fiona’s beautiful scents cover a wide range of moods, from the zingy, invigorating Lime and Black Pepper to the soft, relaxing Vanilla Musk and Lavender and the warm and sensual Dark Amber and Sandalwood. Each candle is hand-poured and beautifully packaged.

Their candles may be attracting national recognition, but Deborah and Fiona certainly haven’t lost touch with their roots. “We’re both Yorkshire girls,” says Deborah, “and we’re proud of the fact that almost all aspects of our manufacturing are done here in Yorkshire, and that we use Yorkshire companies for pretty much everything from packaging through to PR.” As for the future, orders are steadily increasing, and The Harrogate Candle Company has also started producing own-label candles for major retailers.

Deborah and Fiona have just launched their own line of luxury essential oil reed diffusers too, so the sweet smell of success is still very definitely in the air!

“For us, quality is crucial”

For more information on The Harrogate Candle Company visit theharrogatecandlecompany.com EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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Pearly Panache

Hot Lips

This striking contemporary pendant

by Drew Perridge will add a touch of sophistication to any outfit. Available from Emma Sedman Jewellery, Leyburn, 01969 368006.

Statement lips give a lift to any look, and this pure bold coral delivers long-lasting, intense colour. From Estée Lauder counters nationwide.

Truffle Triumph

Angel Delight Angel’s new limited edition for 2014.

Presented in the original iconic star bottle, this light, sparkling fragrance is perfect for summer.

Find it at Clarins counters nationwide.

A luxurious eye treatment that melts into the skin to tighten and tone, giving you that ‘I’ve just had an eye-lift’ feeling!

Buy it at templespa.com.

Lacquer that Lasts Guerlain’s iconic Nahema nail lacquer delivers long-lasting colour and a gorgeous highgloss shine that last for days. From Guerlain counters nationwide.

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Dream Cream The Cheek of It Tom Ford’s first-ever eye and cheek colour compact – and just in time for summer! It’s a limited edition, so snap it up from Harvey Nichols in Leeds while you can.

A lovely creamy foundation that gives your skin a healthy sun-kissed radiance in seconds. Available at Guerlain counters nationwide.

Summer Shimmer An indulgent, shimmering gold pearl body oil that glides onto the skin, leaving it silky soft with a subtle shimmer.

From Estée Lauder counters nationwide.

Dare to be Different Whether it’s poolside or party, these fiesta-inspired handmade earrings will add a dash of carnival flair to your outfit. From sweetlimeuk.com.

Undie Statement

Ford Fiesta

A gorgeous set of lace lingerie from the Elle Macpherson Intimates range in this season’s hottest colour, available from Victorias, Leyburn 01969 622102.

Tom Ford’s new lip shimmer is packed with exotic ingredients – sweep it over bare lips for a sensational sultry effect. Available in Moonlight and Solar Gold from Harvey Nichols, Leeds.

Hang Loose Shimmering strands of textured silver dipped in gold, these elegant earrings are handmade by Melanie Ankers. See the whole range at Emma Sedman Jewellery, Leyburn, 01969 368006.

Perfect Pastels Desa’s new pastel Tipsy bags are made from gorgeous, butter-soft leather in subtle shades of mint green, belle blue and palest pink. See them all at desa.uk.com.

Instant Sunshine Get a gorgeous sun-kissed glow even on the dullest days – just dust this over your cheekbones for instant radiance. From Clarins stockists nationwide.

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New Jersey, for everyone who loves to knit.

Visit our beautiful shop in Bedale.

38 Market Place, Bedale, DL8 1EQ. 01677 427746 www.newjerseywools.co.uk

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The best of British and International contemporary designer jewellery Enameller, jeweller and goldsmith Bespoke design service and commissions Jewellery gallery and in-house workshop Contemporary textiles and accessories Newsteads • High Street • Leyburn North Yorkshire • DL8 5AQ Opening hours, Mon 10.00am - 4.30pm, Thurs, Fri & Sat 10.00am - 5.00pm.

T: 01969 368006 • info@emmasedman.co.uk emmasedman.co.uk

RURAL BUSINESS

Setting Stone TRACEY BLACKWELL DRY STONE WALLER

T

he thousands of miles of dry stone walls that divide the Dales into an intricate patchwork of fields are such an intimate part of the landscape that they are easily taken for granted. Examine one in detail, though – or better still, watch a dry stone waller at work – and you’ll begin to appreciate what complex, precisely crafted structures they are.

Dry stone walling is traditionally a male preserve, but women are increasingly being attracted into the profession, and Otley-based Tracey Blackwell is one of those pioneers. Currently only one woman is accredited as a Master Craftsman by the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, but Tracey – who recently passed the first part of her Master Craftsman’s examination – is well on her way to becoming the second.

Tracey was in her late thirties when she first became curious about dry stone walling. Five years later she had given up her gardening business and become a full-time self-employed dry stone waller, setting up her own business – ATA Dry Stone – with fellow waller Andy Hudson. Although ATA work almost exclusively in Yorkshire, Tracey’s enthusiasm for walling has seen her practising her trade considerably further afield – not just on the Queen’s Balmoral estate, but in the South of France, Spain, Italy and even Canada.

Mastering the art So what is it about dry stone walling that Tracey finds so compelling? Well for one thing there’s the technical, puzzle-solving aspect.

Seen in cross-section, a traditional dry stone wall consists of two separate outer walls leaning slightly

inwards, with a filling of smaller stones between them. The two outer walls are connected and stabilised by ‘through stones’ every metre or so, and tied together with a topping of cope stones. For this elaborate structure to hold together without mortar, each stone must fit in perfectly with its neighbours.

“Every time you pick up a stone it presents a fresh challenge,” says Tracey. “You have to find the best place for it to do its job. You need a keen eye and a well-developed sense of spatial awareness.”

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Another attraction for Tracey is the satisfaction gained from leaving a lasting mark on the landscape.

“A properly constructed wall consolidates after you have built it, as it settles into place under its own weight. Because it is flexible it adjusts itself to the ground it is built on, which means it has far more structural integrity than a mortared wall. It’s nice to know that, all being well, your work will last anything up to 200 years, maybe more. And a well-made wall is a really beautiful thing, it’s genuinely aesthetically pleasing.”

A wall is clearly a very personal thing to its maker. “Wall styles vary quite a lot up and down the Dales, even within quite a small area,” says Tracey. “Needless to say, we will rebuild to match the indigenous style, reflecting what we see around us. Even so, every waller has their own individual style, and a professional waller would be able to look at a section of wall and recognise it as being mine.”

Rock of Ages “As well as spatial awareness, you need plenty of stamina for dry stone walling. In every yard of field wall there’s around a ton of stone, so if you were to take down and rebuild three yards of field wall in a day then you would effectively be moving six tons of stone. Women can wall just as well as men, but as a woman you don’t rely on brute strength – you need to wall intelligently to avoid needless strain to your wrists, elbows and back.

“Obviously, you need not to mind roughing it when it’s cold and wet – although these days I’m so used to working in all conditions that I take it in my stride. There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. On a good day, of course, it’s an absolute joy to be working outdoors.”

And then there are those odd, unexpected moments that can lend a touch of enchantment to Tracey’s day. “It may sound strange,” she says, “but sometimes, maybe just once a month, you’ll split a stone and catch a hint of a smell. If it’s a certain kind of sandstone that you split then it will be the smell of the seaside. If it’s limestone then it will be a sulphurous kind of odour.

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I find it rather magical to think that it has been locked up in that stone for 340 million years, and that I’ve been the person to experience it – just for a second – before it vanishes forever.”

For more information about Tracey, and about dry stone walling, visit atadrystone.co.uk.

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Discover The Forbidden Corner

A unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four-acre garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. This was the brainchild of Mr C.R. Armstrong CMG 0BE, and was originally built as a private folly but due to popular demand was subsequently opened to the public. Visit this enchanting environment or take a break in one of our four self catering accommodations. Ideal for families & groups of visitors, they are situated in beautiful Coverdale with a free day pass with all stays.

Open every day from 1 April - 2nd November & then Sundays until Christmas Mon - Sat 12 noon until 6pm Sundays & Bank Holidays 10am until 6pm

Admission is by pre-booked tickets only. To reserve your ticket telephone 01969 640638 or visit www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk Tupgill Park Estate, Coverham, Middleham, Leyburn DL8 4TJ

Th e We n s l eyd a l e

1 0 0 th A g r i c u l t u r a l S h o w Saturday 23rd August

www.wensleydaleshow.org.uk call: 01969 623750

Car Parking: Free, Entrance: Adults £8, Children £4, Under 5s Free.

Family Ticket £20 (2 adults and up to 3 children) Many attractions including Bolddog Lings,

www.wensleydaleshow.org.uk

ction u r t s n i e t a v i r P r and guiding fo

s, hillwalking skill paddle sport and nordic walking Come and explore

with us!

Enjoy a day out in and around the beautiful Yorkshire Dales & Moors. From guided walks, navigation classes and canoe training to our paddle & picnic.

It’s a great day out for the whole family 92

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www.rivermountainexperience.com Tel: 01677 426112

A GLORIOUS FAMILY DAY OUT GRACEFUL COUNTRY HOUSE, MINIATURE RAILWAY, CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

Special events throughout the year including: Sun 25th & Mon 26th May YorkshireGameFair Early June – 28th September Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition

Sat 7th & Sun 8th June Yorkshire Vintage Association’s Tractor Fest Sun 15th June Standard Distance Triathlon

OPEN: 1st Apr – 28th Sept 2014, Tue to Sun, plus bank holidays.

Open seven days in July & Aug. 11am - 5.30pm (House opens 12 noon for tours only)

www.newbyhall.com INFORMATION HOTLINE: 0845 4504068 RIPON, NORTH YORKSHIRE, HG4 5AE

Kiplin Hall

Newby Hall & Gardens

JACOBEAN HOUSE Country Seat of Founder of Maryland, USA

“One of the best stately homes we have seen – ever” Gardens and Tea Room

Exhibition:

Sunday-Wednesday, 10am - 5pm

Kiplin Hall in Times of War from Civil War to Second World War

Hall

• Jacobean Hall now furnished as a comfortable, Victorian home • Crowded with centuries of family possessions including scientific instruments, paintings, portraits, Arts and Crafts • Delightful gardens, woodland and lakeside walks • Home baking and lunches in the Tea Room

Sunday - Wednesday 2pm- 5pm Full programme of events including theatre by the lake - Blame it on Bartle and Romeo and Juliet

Kiplin Hall, nr. Scorton, Richmond, DL10 6AT Tel: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life |

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TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

MIND over MATTER Sue Gillman sticks to the straight and narrow when she visits the Viva Mayr Clinic

F

or years now, a visit to the Viva Mayr clinic has been top of my wish list. So when the chance came – albeit with just three days notice – I had my flight to Austria booked within the hour.

The clinic is currently being extensively renovated, and until next year it has temporarily relocated to the 5-star Lake’s Hotel on the opposite side of Lake Wörth to its usual site. My suite was spacious and contemporary, with a huge bathroom and dressing area. Most of the rooms have spectacular views of the southern Alps and the Wörthersee.

First on my agenda was a consultation with the firm but amiable Dr Christine Stossier – she and her husband, Dr Harald Stossier, run the clinic. Make no mistake, Viva Mayr definitely isn’t some fashionable ‘retreat’ where you get pampered with massages and beauty treatments as a compensation for missing out on a few thousand calories. This is a very serious, focused establishment, where the emphasis is on tackling clients’ health problems – everything from stress and diabetes through to fertility problems and post-operative recuperation. My issue was to do with sluggish digestion, and fortunately digestion is a problem that Viva Mayr excels at.

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TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

Chews Carefully My initial dietary regime, as prescribed by Dr Stossier, was distinctly draconian: three days of broth, bread and yogurt, with Epsom salts every morning and magnesium four times a day. I can’t in all honesty say that I enjoyed it, but needs must. I noticed one or two other residents cheating on their regimes in a local coffee shop, but I really can’t see the point. A stay at the Viva Mayr will cost you a pretty penny, so if you’re not prepared to put in the effort then don’t waste your money.

Dr Stossier also instructs me to chew every mouthful fifty times, and not to speak to anyone. I’m not quite sure about the vow-of-silence thing, but I can’t deny that from time to time we all need reminding to slow down and stop bolting our food.

Over the course of the first couple of days I spend time on the power plate and try out nasal therapy (which I won’t be repeating).

I have a this-may-hurt-but-it’s-for-yourown-good kind of massage to tackle my neck problems, soak in a herbal jacuzzi and take a supposedly toxin-reducing footbath. I also had my first colonic irrigation, one result of

which was a miraculously flat tummy.

On day three it’s applied kinesiology with Dr Stossier, who puts a variety of different salts on my tongue and eventually diagnoses me as gluten and dairy intolerant. Hooray, I’m officially off the broth and can indulge in some fish and vegetables for lunch! I am told that my liver is tired and needs an infusion.

I am also prescribed minerals and vitamins.

I really ought to go for the infusion but I’m feeling faint.

Proof, without the Pudding Applied kinesiology certainly isn’t scientific orthodoxy – in fact it’s quite frowned on in some medical circles. However I must admit that I have been avoiding gluten and dairy religiously since Dr Stossier’s diagnosis, and I’m undeniably feeling a lot better and my digestive system is running like clockwork.

On top of that I have a much trimmer waist to boot.

All in all, it wasn’t easy. But then why should it be? The Mayr is very much a state-ofthe art medical institution run with military precision, and not some jolly healthy jamboree.

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TRAVEL Providing you go along with realistic expectations – and you are prepared to knuckle down to the treatment recommended – then you will benefit. It’s not the kind of place that gives you a massage or two and sends you on your way. There’s no doubting the team’s sincerity, or their commitment to identifying your health problems and doing their efficient best to help you sort them out.

I would recommend that to avoid cabin fever – the everyone-in-white-gowns clinical ambience can be a little oppressive – you make sure to take a walk or two, or hop on one of the bikes provided. Make a point of visiting nearby Klagenfurt, which is utterly charming and genuinely friendly. There are also plenty of courses on offer – everything from cooking to Nordic walking – so get the most from your stay by joining in with some of them.

When the Viva Mayr clinic reopens next year it will have been thoroughly modernised, with a new up-to-the-minute medical facility and panoramic windows providing a stunning, uninterrupted view of the lake.

Contrary to rumours that were circulating amongst other residents, Viva Mayr isn’t going to be opening a UK clinic any time soon, so if you want to try it out you’ll have to head out to Austria.

Will I be going back? Speaking to other guests it was clear that many of them do indeed return time and time again. In my case I am certainly delighted with the results – I lost three kilos and the belly flab is no more. So yes, if I were to have any further problems I would definitely consider another trip to Viva Mayr. I did find the whole experience quite demanding, mind you, so I think that perhaps next time I would want to take a friend with me for mutual support.

Viva Mayr costs from £2,400 per week.

For more information visit viva-mayr.com.

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Money Matters It’s your future Whether you are looking for financial advice or a review of your financial affairs, we may be able to help.

We have been established for over 10 years and offer a professional, personal and friendly service.

Call us to arrange an initial meeting at our expense - at your home or at our office in Northallerton • Investments and savings •A dvice at and during retirement • Life Assurance • Pensions

Diana Atkinson Limited INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISERS

t. 01609 882155 e. di@dianaatkinson.co.uk w. www.dianaatkinson.co.uk Moatside, Deighton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 2SJ

Accredited Member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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DALES DIARY EARLY SUMMER 2014

Dales Diary HIMALAYAN GARDEN Grewelthorpe, near Ripon himalayangarden.com

New attractions at the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park The gardens are open daily (closed Mondays except Bank Holidays) until June 8th from 10am–4pm.

A special weekday entrance price of only £3.00 per adult is available to anyone making a return visit to the gardens during the Spring 2014 opening season (offer not available from May 12th–May 30th).

New attractions at the award-winning Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park include more stunning sculptures and a series of chainsaw carvings made by students from Askham Bryan College at York. The gardens now boast an impressive collection of rhododendrons, with mass plantings of hybrids covering the hillsides and creating a riot of colour in the peak season.

There is also a nursery selling nearly 200 different varieties of rhododendron as well as many other ericaceous shrubs and perennials.

Light refreshments are available and admission is £6.50 with children under 12 free. For more information visit www.himalayangarden.com

KIPLIN HALL

near Scorton, Richmond 01748 818178 kiplinhall.co.uk

Plant, Book & Craft Fair Sunday 15 June, 1–5 pm – Adult £1.50, Children free Stalls in the Walled Garden.

A Garden in the Making Wednesday 18 June, 10.30am–1pm – £15 including morning coffee (maximum 25) Book all 3 of this year’s Garden events for £40 Join Head Gardener, Chris Baker, for a guided walk around the gardens. Learn of their development, decline and rebirth during this lively tour and visit the new Garden Museum.

North East Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Sunday 29 June, 11am–4pm Display of range of models of classic Rolls Royce and Bentley motor cars, up to 80 years old.

Blame it on Bartle Friday & Saturday, 18 & 19 July, 7.30pm. Adult £12, Child £8 Richmond Community Play. Open air spectacular with actors and musicians from the Dales.

Produced by acclaimed North Country Theatre in collaboration with Peer Gynt Theatre Vinstra (Norway). Trolls, trials & tribulations and Wensleydale’s own version of the Wicker Man. Picnics from 6pm or book a pre-theatre supper in the Tea Room. Cakes and hot/cold drinks on sale.

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SWINTON PARK Masham 01765 680900 swintonpark.com

Wine Appreciation Lunch 14 June – £40 per person Informal wine tasting and talk, followed by a delicious two-course lunch.

BBQ Cookery and Alfresco Dining at the Deerhouse 21 & 22 June, 26 July – £40, Lunch only Adult £25 / Child £15, Dinner £35 Improve your grilling skills while helping prepare an alfresco barbecue lunch at Swinton Park’s delightful restored Deerhouse, overlooking the castle and lake. Non-cooks also welcome for both lunch and dinner.

Two course buffet menu, with glass of Pimm’s on arrival. Cook & Lunch.

BERRY’S FARM SHOP AND CAFÉ Swinithwaite, Leyburn 01969 663377

Hay Time Festival Saturday 28–Sunday 29 June Helping to raise awareness of the work carried out by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) to protect and restore wildflower hay meadows in the Yorkshire Dales. Music and entertainment from 11am: Saturday – Long Sword and Appalachian dancing, plus music from folk band Medusa. Sunday – Music by Glen Folk, plus dancing from the Great Yorkshire Morris Men. There will be the opportunity to try your hand at various crafts such as making rag rugs and spinning, as well as tractor rides, a nature meadow trail, pig and lamb walking, plus storytelling and craft displays.

Garden Design Days 1 & 28 July - £75 per person Spend a day with Susan Cunliffe-Lister learning about garden design and planning, includes a two-course lunch.

Cookery Bootcamp for Teenagers 7–8 July £220 per person (Bunk barn accommodation for over 18s at Swinton Bivouac £20/night www.thebivouac.co.uk) Prepare your teenagers for leaving the nest with a Two-Day Cookery Bootcamp at Swinton Park Cookery School. Taught by engaging Chef Director Stephen Bulmer, the course will equip them with the basic skills and know-how to look after themselves at University or on a gap year.

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FOUNTAINS ABBEY & STUDLEY ROYAL near Ripon 01765 608888 nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey

Tour De Cinema Saturday 14 June, 5–10pm Here at Fountains we are getting ‘geared’ up for the Tour de France. To celebrate, we’re showing some great films down on the west green of the abbey as part of the Yorkshire Festival.

Grab a snack from our BBQ, settle down and sit back under the stars to enjoy some of the best films ever made about Yorkshire life. Booking essential.

Book online at sheffdocfest.com/view/ fountainsabbey

NEWBY HALL near Ripon 01423 322583 opt 3 newbyhall.com

Yorkshire Vintage Association‘s Tractor Fest Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 June, 10am–5pm. £9.50 Ad / £8.50 Sen / £7.50 Ch – includes entry to the garden and adventure garden.

Improve your knowledge at the 2014 Tractor Fest. With hundreds of historical tractors and vehicles to entertain the whole family. Also don’t miss ‘MARCH OF THE TRACTORS’ through Ripon on the Saturday evening.

Specialist Tour – English Architecture at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Sunday 15 June, 1.30pm Join a tour and learn about the succession of great architecture at this World Heritage Site. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Wildflowers of the Water Garden Sunday 22 June, 10.30am–12.30pm Gwynneth’s an expert when it comes to the wildflowers on our estate – and now’s your chance to gather snippets of knowledge for yourself as she guides you through playful purple orchids to beautiful bluebells. Meet Gwynneth at the Visitor Centre.

Family Bike Ride Friday 27 June, 6–8pm (last admission 7pm) This year Yorkshire is hosting the ‘Grand Depart’ – and here at Fountains Abbey we’re going cycle crazy too! We’re offering all you aspiring Bradley Wiggins’ the rare opportunity to cycle around the ruins of Fountains Abbey and through the Water Gardens of Studley Royal. A short route for little legs is available.

Standard Distance Triathlon Sunday 15th June Feeling competitive? Why not take part in the Trident Standard Distance Triathlon.

The course is probably one of the easiest and fastest Triathlons you will do in the country. After the race, take advantage of the free entry to Newby Hall and enjoy all the great facilities it has to offer.

Tour de France – Official Park & Ride Site Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July Historic Vehicle Rally Sunday 20 July, 10am–5pm. £9.50 Ad / £8.50 Sen / £7.50 Ch – includes entry to the garden and adventure garden.

Join the North East Club for Pre-war Austins for the incredibly popular annual rally at Newby Hall. The perfect opportunity to enjoy a little nostalgia and a chance to remember your grandparents’ cars. For Exhibitor details please call Harry Fletcher on 07771 064570.

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DALES COUNTRYSIDE MUSEUM Hawes 01969 666210 yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/ outandabout/see/dcm.htm

YORKSHIRE DALES MILLENNIUM TRUST Clapham 015242 51002, media@ydmt.org ydmt.org

Spring Fair Saturday 31 May to Sunday 1 June, 10am–4pm A great chance to pick up gifts and treats with plants, textile, woodwork and local food stalls.

Meet a Ranger Thursday 5 June, 2–3pm The kettle’s on so come and have a brew with Matt Neale, the Upper Wensleydale Area Ranger!

He will give a talk on his work in the National Park and how he helps to keep the area special.

Art in Wood Sunday 13 July, 10am–4pm Margaret Garrard demonstrates her woodturning skills, with a chance to buy a selection of her unique and beautiful pieces. Included in Museum Admission.

Craft for Kids Wednesday 23 July, 1:30–4:30pm. £3 per child Wild Art: Drop-in creative activities using a range of natural materials to paint, print and create focusing on nature and wildlife.

A fun practical session for children 5+.

Learn to Dry Stone Wall Saturday 26 July, 10am–4pm. Adults £10 Our Dales Volunteers will show you the basic skills used in dry stone walling in a handson session. Not suitable for children. Stout boots and old waterproofs required, gloves provided. Booking required. Phone 01969 666210 or email hawes@yorkshiredales.org.uk 104 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

YDMT Woodland Open Day Fri 13 June & Sat 14 June, 10am–4pm, free (donations welcome to support work of YDMT). Near Ingleton This is a chance to visit and explore a new native woodland recently planted in the Yorkshire Dales thanks to donations and dedications made via Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) by many individuals. Greenwood Leghe Woodland has been planted with 2,000 native broadleaf trees, including large proportions of rowan, birch, bird cherry, hazel, alder and holly. You are invited to come along and find out more about YDMT’s woodland restoration work. Booking essential.

YDMT Wildflower Meadow Walk, Muker Tuesday 24 June,10am–1.30pm approx.

Suggested donation £15pp to support the vital conservation work of YDMT. Meet at Muker Pay & Display car park, DL11 6QG. A pretty 4.5 mile walk through the iconic wildflower hay meadows at Muker, an important Site of Special Scientific Interest, which should be at their flowery best at this time of year.

The route will also take in Crackpot Hall, Kisdon Force and the River Swale, as well as lead mining remains and field barns. The walk will be led by Tanya St. Pierre, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s wildflower expert.

Please bring a packed lunch. Sorry no dogs.

Grade: Easy/Moderate. Booking essential.

EARLY SUMMER 2014 DALES DIARY

LE GRAND PARTY MASHAM

Friday 4 to Sunday 6 July Don’t miss this spectacular event ‘Le Grand Party!’ Watch the world’s biggest annual sporting event on the big screen! The Black Sheep Brewery and T&R Theakston Ltd are joining forces to help ensure that Masham is the perfect location for all the family to be part of this great sporting event. The breweries will be running three ‘Le Grand Bars’ in different locations around the town and are also funding a second big screen to enjoy the festivities.

Le Grand Party starts on Friday 4 July ‘Le Grand Bar Uno’ opens at 4pm at On the Avenue with live music from the brilliant ‘Bog Trotters’ band from 8pm. In the Town Hall there will be a Joe Longthorne concert. Ticket only (01765 680200) Saturday 5 July is Race Day! – Car parks open from 5am (spaces for 9,000 cars in and around Masham). The ‘Caravane’ is due to arrive in Masham at 1pm, with the lead cyclists expected at around 2.30pm.

On the Avenue – the days starts at 7am with breakfast and a brew of tea, or, if you prefer beer; choose from the brand new special beers brewed for the event by both Theakston and Black

Sheep! To keep the youngsters entertained, a playbus and all sorts of fabulous entertainment and live coverage of the race from the big screen. ‘Le Grand Bar Uno’ On the Avenue will be open all day and into the evening, with live music from the South West Band from 8.30pm.

Low Burton Field offers a large spectators’ viewing area. A good selection of regional food stalls will open at 9am with entertainment throughout the day. ‘Le Grand Bar Deux’ will open at 7am serving both Theakston and Black Sheep beers!

Screen on the Green – Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July. The picturesque cricket ground at ‘The Rec’ will house the big screen donated by Harrogate Borough Council, a lovely location for families, with the town play park adjacent.

On and around the Square – The Saturday market trading through the day, artwork from the local primary school, a wide selection of shops, cafés and three pubs. A craft fair in the Market Place, WI coffee morning in the Town Hall, and a local history exhibition and flower festival in St Mary’s Church. Saturday evening will feature live music from Smiler at 7.30pm and the day’s events will round off with a grand firework finale at 10.30pm.

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DALES DIARY EARLY SUMMER 2014

THE WENSLEYDALE AGRICULTURAL SHOW

MIDDLEHAM OPEN GARDENS

Saturday 23 August The Wensleydale Show, now celebrating its centenary, is a traditional Dales show featuring an extensive range of competitive events for livestock such as sheep, cattle, horses and poultry. There are lots of extra events for 2014. Tom Cassells, British Aerobatic Champion will be piloting a Cap 232 aircraft capable of speeds of up to 250mph. Other new attractions include Bolddog Lings and Honda’s official UK motorcycle stunt team. It’s a great day out for all the family. Please note: All dogs are allowed on the show field but only working guide dogs are allowed inside the marquees.

The Hidden Gems of Middleham Sunday 29 June, 11am–5pm. Adults £3.50, children free Stroll around our ancient town, see Richard III’s castle and visit 16 open gardens. Enjoy homemade refreshments in our historic church.

Free parking.

Near Leyburn Telephone 01969 623780

Middleham, near Leyburn 01969 625715

VENNELL’S RESTAURANT Masham, Ripon 01765 689000 vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

Lobster Festival 9–12, 16–19 July – £45pp The perfect opportunity to sample our favourite crustacean. The mouthwatering four-course menu includes a tomato consommé, followed

by Parma ham and Yorkshire pea mousse with shoots and white truffle, a shell-less lobster and dessert or cheese. Booking is essential.

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ÂŁ1

off admission with this advert FREE For Children www.dalescountrysidemuseum.org.uk

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110 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Providing good honest legal advice across the Dales since 1908 Offices throughout Yorkshire and the North T: 0800 160 10 10 E: info@coles-law.co.uk W: www.coles-law.co.uk Spear Travel DL3-2013 HHB5 copy.pdf 1 17/07/2013 11:29

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EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life | 111

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01748 823695 | 07818 118207 | Whashton, Richmond EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life | 113

On the market

Our regular round-up of beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

£275,000 The Inch, 2 St Matthews Close, Leyburn A well presented two double bedroom detached bungalow. In a highly desirable location. Delightful garden and useful off street parking and garage. Commanding position with uninterrupted views of Penhill.

EPC Rating D. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

OIEO £280,000 Church Cottage, Horsehouse, Leyburn An outstanding period country cottage. Spacious accommodation with two double bedrooms. Delightful gardens, useful garaging and off street parking. EPC Rating F. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

OIEO £150,000 Spring Cottage, Low Row, Richmond A traditional dales semi detached cottage. Three bedrooms. In need of some updating. Garden and car parking space. Stunning uninterrupted panoramic views over Swaledale. EPC Rating E. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£275,000 The Gables, Burneston, Bedale An attractive village property with outbuildings, paddock and orchard – 1.8 Acres in all approx. Four bedroom accommodation in need of some refurbishment. Static caravan. Chain free. EPC Rating E. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£325,000 Lowthorns, Leeming, Northallertonn Well presented detached bungalow with 1.75 Acre paddock and brick barn.

Three bedrooms. Garden. Garage, off street parking. Views to the rear. Village location with good local amenities. EPC rating D. Viewing by appointment.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

£225,000 Rosemary Cottage, Redmire, Leyburn A delightful detached stone dales cottage in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. In need of some updating. Three bedrooms. EPC rating D. Chain free. Viewing by appointment. Joint Agents: Carter Jonas.

Contact Robin Jessop Ltd. on 01969 622800 www.robinjessop.co.uk

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C HA R T ER ED S UR V EY ORS • ESTATE AG ENTS • PROPER T Y A UCT I O N E E R S • V A L UE R S • L A N D A G E N T S

Stainsacre | Carperby, Leyburn

Mill Barn | Patrick Brompton, Bedale

An outstanding barn conversion with 0.9 Acres gardens and grounds. Architect designed four double bedroom accommodation. Stunning feature gardens and garth.

Double garage and off street parking. EPC rating D. Viewing by appointment.

An outstanding semi-detached barn conversion with grass paddock. Immaculate first class four double bedroom accommodation. Garaging, gardens and summer house. Grass paddock. Exclusive development rural location. EPC rating C. Chain free. Viewing by appointment.

£475,000

Offers In Excess Of £450,000

P ROPE R T I E S R E Q U I R E D TO S ATIS F Y DEMAND Contact Tim Gower

16,14 & 14A | Victoria Road, Richmond

Drumlins | Aysgarth, Leyburn

A rare opportunity to purchase three period properties close to the centre of the historic market town of Richmond. Grade II listed period house with 6 bedrooms. In need of some refurbishment.

Fully refurbished three bedroom cottage. Modernised two bedroom cottage. EPC Ratings E, E,F. Viewing by appointment.

An outstanding country property with 2 acres of land and useful annexe. Immaculate spacious accommodation with four bedrooms.

Delightful gardens. Stunning views overlooking open countryside.

EPC Rating D. Viewing by appointment.

£350,000

£575,000

Bedale 01677 425950 robinjessop.co.uk

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On themarket market On the

Our regular round-up of beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

£545,000 Morton Hall Farmhouse, Morton on Swale A Grade II Listed, four bed farmhouse with enclosed gardens to front and open paddock to rear, set within approximately ¾ acre of grounds. Additional land may be available by separate negotiation.

Contact GSC Grays on 01677 422400 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£389,950 Richmond House, Ellingstring A detached stone built period property with large gardens Sympathetically renovated with many original features. Kitchen garden to front, elevated gardens to the rear. Driveway providing off-street parking. EPC (EER) E45.

Contact GSC Grays on 01677 422400 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£450,000 Green House, Gayles An attractive single storey four bedroomed period property occupying a superb position with spectacular views over countryside. The gardens were featured in Amateur Gardener Magazine in 2012. EPC (EER) E42.

Contact GSC Grays on 01748 829217 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£295,000 Bradford Cottage, Finghall, Ripon A character three bedroom stone built cottage, finished to a high standard and with wonderful views over surrounding countryside.

Gardens to three sides, garage and off-road parking. EPC (EER) D64.

Contact GSC Grays on 01969 600120 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£485,000 20 High Street, Gilling West A charming four bedroom period Grade II Listed property over three floors with large gardens, double garage, car port and off-street parking. EPC (EER) F32 Contact GSC Grays on 01748 829217 www.gscgrays.co.uk

£499,950 East Nether Bar, Apperset A versatile, three bed semi-detached property with the flexibility to create a lifestyle business. One bedroom, gallery and tea room. Set in approximately 0.69 acres and ample off-road parking. EPC (EER) F32.

Contact GSC Grays on 01969 600120 www.gscgrays.co.uk

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LO C A L P E O P L E R E G I O N A L CO V E R A G E

With offices across the area, contact us at Bedale, Leyburn or Richmond for your Free Market Appraisal or to discuss your land and property requirements

PROPERT Y SALES • VALUATIONS & SURVEYS RURAL CONSULTANCY • RENEWABLES PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT • SPORTING LET TINGS & RESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT Bedale: 01677 422400

Leyburn: 01969 600120

Richmond: 01748 829217 O f f ices a l s o at: B a r n a rd Ca stl e • Ha m ster ley • Stokesley

W W W.G S CG R AYS.CO.U K T H E

L A N D

&

P R O P E R T Y

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On themarket market On the

Our regular round-up of beautiful properties for sale in Yorkshire.

£164,000 2 Yore Mill, Aysgarth A traditional stone built grade II listed terraced cottage within the heart of Wensleydale. Lounge, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bathroom/wc, parking, night storage heating. No forward chain. EER E48 Contact Norman F Brown 01969 622194 www.normanfbrown.co.uk

OIRO £500,000 Ulshaw, Cover Bridge, Nr Middleham Ulshaw is a detached five bedroom farmhouse with river views and south facing lawned garden in a quiet location.

Modernisation required.

Contact J.R. Hopper & Co. 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

£199,950 3 Silver Street, Reeth A well proportioned terraced cottage just off the village green.

Entrance hall, lounge, kitchen/dining room, 3 bedrooms, bathroom/ wc, rear patio garden, night storage heating/solid fuel central heating.

No forward chain. EER D58.

Contact Norman F Brown 01748 822473 www.normanfbrown.co.uk

OIRO £320,000 West Cottage, Litherskew, Nr Hawes Spacious three double bedroom home with glorious views in peaceful hamlet. South facing garden, vegetable garden and wild flower meadow.

Contact J.R. Hopper & Co. 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

£139,950 1 Half Moon Cottages, Reeth A well presented grade II listed first and second floor cottage within a prime central location with lovely views across Reeth village green and beyond. Entrance porch, open plan living room/kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, bathroom/wc, night storage heating. Contents available by separate negotiation. No forward chain. EER F36.

Contact Norman F Brown 01748 822473 www.normanfbrown.co.uk

OIRO £275,000 Crag View, West Scrafton, Coverdale A well presented grade II listed first and second floor cottage within a prime central location with lovely views across Reeth village green and beyond. Entrance porch, open plan living room/kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, bathroom/wc, night storage heating. Contents available by separate negotiation. No forward chain. EER F36.

Contact J.R. Hopper & Co. 01969 622936 www.jrhopper.com

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J.R. HOPPER

& Co. EST. 1886

“For Sales In The Dales” SALES • LETTINGS • COMMERCIAL LAND & PROPERTY SPECIALISTS • PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Residential Buying, Selling & Letting. Commercial Sales & Leases.

Holiday Property. Overseas Property. Business Transfers. Acquisitions.

Valuations. Surveys. Mortgage Advice. Inheritance Planning.

Property & Antique Auctions. Removals, Collections & Deliveries.

01729 825311 Bentham 015242 63739 Settle Hawes 01969 667744 London 02072 980305 0845 2802213 Leyburn 01969 622936 Fax

www.jrhopper.com

NORMAN F. BROWN

Bridge End Farm, Gammersgill, Coverdale

North Crofts, Harmby Bank, Harmby

Charming Grade II listed detached cottage with small garth & outbuildings with development potential. Lounge, dining room, garden room, kitchen, pantry, bathroom/wc, 3 bedrooms, shower room/wc, two storey barn, garage, parking, outbuildings, gardens, small rear garth, lpg gas c/h, near full double glazing. EPC N/A £425,000 Leyburn office

Spacious link detached cottage with large garden and open rear aspect close to Leyburn.

Reception hall, lounge, sitting room, kitchen/ dining room, utility room, cloakroom/wc, 4 good sized bedrooms, large bathroom/wc, parking for two cars, front garden, large terraced rear garden, oil fired c/h, double glazing. EER E43 £395,000 Leyburn office

CH NO AI N

CH NO AI N

Charted surveyors • Estate Agents • Lettings Selling and letting property since 1967

58 Mount Drive, Leyburn A well proportioned detached bungalow within a pleasant neighbourhood setting.

Entrance hall, lounge, kitchen/dining room, sun room, 3 bedrooms, bathroom/ wc, garage, driveway, front and rear gardens, gas fired central heating, UPVC secondary double glazing. EER D57. £219,950

14 Queens Road, Richmond • 01748 822473 6 Bridge Street, Bedale • 01677 422282 25 Market Place, Leyburn • 01969 622194 120 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Leyburn office

Superior Kiln Dried Logs Free Delivery See web site for details

Prices range from £14 - £269

Tel: 01609 775922

yorkshirefirewood.co.uk

enquiries@yorkshirefirewood.co.uk Love your stove? Help it love you back

FLOOR TILES & FLAGS CLEANED AND SEALED Kitchens • Conservatories • Halls

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• Oak Beams • Doors • Decking • Sawn Timber • Machined Timber • Skirting • Architrave • Flooring • Cladding

TIMBER SOLUTIONS

Call us or visit our showroom for advice on how we can help you with your project.

GREEN LANE, MELMERBY RIPON HG4 5JB

01765 640564

sales@duffieldtimber.com www.duffieldtimber.com

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life | 121

TAKE YOUR HOME TO AN ENERGY EFFICIENT FUTURE with Bedale Plumbing & Heating Ltd established in 1970

• PANASONIC ACCREDITED INSTALLERS OF AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS • GRANT ACCREDITED INSTALLERS OF SPIRA WOOD PELLET BOILERS. • SOLAR THERMAL & SOLAR PV INSTALLATION. • FULL DESIGN AND INSTALLATION.

WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE: Under-floor heating systems.

Un-vented hot water and heating systems.

Multi-fuel Heatstore installation.

Oil storage tank replacements.

System upgrades.

Powerflushing.

Oil boiler replacements.

Natural gas & LPG boiler replacements.

Boiler service and repair.

Plumbing repairs.

Water mains replaced & repaired.

Landlords certificates.

BEDALE PLUMBING & HEATING LTD 12 Coronation Rd, Little Crakehall, Bedale, DL8 1HZ bedaleplumbingandheatingltd@hotmail.co.uk Please note our telephone number has changed

01677 426063 • 07814 036057 122 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Bathroom Suites Design and installation including all joinery, tiling and electrical works.

SWITCH ON TO Bedale Electrical Ltd Welcome to our new sister company Bedale Electrical Ltd. We are a family run business and we will be offering the same reliable service our customers have enjoyed for over 40 years. We are electrical contractors and engineers providing all your electrical needs for both domestic and commercial properties, our experienced team will provide the same friendly and high standard of work we are known for!

• ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION • TESTING & INSPECTION • FAULT FINDING • SECURITY • FIRE ALARMS & EMERGENCY LIGHTING • ELECTRICAL HEATING & CONTROLS • DATA & COMMUNICATION • PAT TESTING

BEDALE ELECTRICAL LTD 12 Coronation Rd, Little Crakehall, Bedale, DL8 1HZ

bedaleelectricalltd@outlook.com

01677 426063 • 07710 741874

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life | 123

We are looking for professional freelance graphic designers and journalists.

Please email editor@daleslife.com Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 www.daleslife.com 124 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

PETER SCULLY Building Contractors Ltd ESTABLISHED 1977

ALL TYPES OF BUILDING WORK CARRIED OUT Extensions, conversions, and renovations, including alterations for the licence trade.

Maintenance contracts undertaken.

Sovereign approved for damp proofing and timber treatment.

FREE ESTIMATES Stonedale, Leyburn DL8 5AZ

07831 152732

peterscullybuilding@gmail.com

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The Plan Shop Architects Landscape & Interior Designers

figures based on statistics supplied by the Department of Energy & Climate Change giving average domestic UK combined gas & electricity bills 2012 as £1,279.00

Call now for a no cost no obligation site survey Phone: 01969 622 260 www.ddrsolar.co.uk

EARLY SUMMER 2014 | Dales Life | 125

The Millings

Putting you at the heart of our care RESIDENTIAL, RESPITE & DAY CARE HOME FOR OLDER PEOPLE North End, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1AF Tel: 01677 423635 www.residential-homes.net

Premiere Care

North East Ltd.

We are a Leyburn based agency offering high quality care services to our Clients.

We are looking for distribution agents Positions available throughout Yorkshire. Excellent rates paid Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.com www.daleslife.com 126 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

Our experienced team supports the various needs of vulnerable people to remain as independent as possible in their home. We provide hourly, day/night and live-in-care.

Testimonial

’Exceedingly high quality ladies, honest, caring and totally trustworthy’ Premiere Care has been awarded by the CQC the highest possible rating on their last inspection in 2009 which confirms the quality of service that we supply.

For an information pack please contact: Premiere Care (NE) Ltd Thornborough Hall, Leyburn DL8 5AB 01969 622 499 www.premiere-care.co.uk

Hillcrest Care Home Dedicated to quality care • Established owners • Experienced management team • Low staff turnover • Pleasant surroundings • Nutritional, attractive home cooked quality meals • Care available - long stay, day care, respite (dependent upon availability)

Hillcrest has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It enjoys an enviable reputation within the community and is totally compliant with CQC. To experience the Home and the expertise of the local management team, why not call in and view for yourself the level of care being offered to the Residents.

Call Hillcrest’s manager Nicola Cooper to arrange a visit at a time to suit you on 01748 834444 or email hillcrest@sirtin.com

Hillcrest, Byng Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 4DW

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TO DINE FOR Great places to eat and stay in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

THE WHITE BEAR The White Bear is situated in the beautiful market town of Masham. A team of talented chefs use locally sourced ingredients to create delicious, seasonal dishes. Enjoy your meal in the charming dining room or the traditional bar; open fires create a cosy atmosphere throughout. An extensive wine list complements the menu. Accommodation is available in fourteen individually designed rooms all en suite.

T: 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

HENDERSONS BAR & RESTAURANT Set in the idyllic riverside surroundings of Westholme Estate in Bishopdale near Aysgarth, Hendersons is a bright, stylish, relaxed bar and bistro-style restaurant with a contemporary feel. Using local and seasonal produce our talented chef creates a menu of Modern British Cuisine.

Restaurant opens Lunch Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 12–3pm & Dinner Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 5.30 9pm. Bar open daily 12–11pm (Sunday 12–10.30pm)

THE BLUE LION

T: 01969 663268 Westholme Estate, Aysgarth.

Regarded as one of the North’s leading country inns. The ‘candlelit restaurant’ provides a stunning setting in which to enjoy a gourmet meal. All food is freshly prepared using a variety of Yorkshire produce. There is an extensive wine list to choose from. The bar, with its open fire and flagstone floor, offers a tantalising range of bar meals, as well as a fine selection of traditional hand-pulled beers.

THE SANDPIPER INN

T: 01969 624273 www.thebluelion.co.uk

T: 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk

THE WENSLEYDALE HEIFER

THE BLACK SHEEP BREWERY

Situated in the heart of the Dales, the Heifer, with two AA rosettes, is renowned for fantastic seafood and locally sourced meat. The restaurant, with its leather chairs, linen table cloths and Doug Hyde artwork, is ideal for an evening out or special occasion. The fish bar is more relaxed, and features wooden tables, rattan chairs and freshly cut flowers. When the weather’s fine, why not dine outside in the garden restaurant? Early Bird Menu 6–6.30pm, food served all day at weekends. Thirteen luxurious guest rooms.

The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre – situated in Masham, is the ideal place for a great day or evening out. You can take a tour of the Brewery, have a meal in the Bistro, and taste their award-winning beers at the ‘Baa…r’. You can also buy lots of goodies from the well-stocked Sheepy Shop. It offers a ‘ewe-nique’ venue for corporate entertaining, product launches, parties and weddings.

T: 01969 622322 www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

SWINTON PARK HOTEL

Enjoy Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn, Leyburn.

Modern British food prepared using only the finest ingredients. Fine wines, real ales and friendly service.

Accommodation is available.

T: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

THE BURGOYNE HOTEL

An elegant, 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel. With four Red Stars (Inspector’s Choice) and three Rosettes awarded by the AA for excellent facilities, this is one of the most highly rated hotels in Yorkshire.

Award-winning cuisine is served in the sumptuously furnished dining room, using seasonal produce sourced from the hotel’s four-acre walled garden and surrounding estate.

Overlooking Reeth village green, The Burgoyne Hotel is a luxurious home-from-home set in an elegant Georgian mansion. It has eight spacious and beautifully appointed rooms — the panoramic views from some of them have to be seen to be believed.

There’s an emphasis on friendly service and fine food, with generous breakfasts and a four-course dinner menu focusing on fresh local produce sourced from the Dales and the Yorkshire coast.

T: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

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THE QUEEN’S HEAD

THE BLACK LION

The Queen’s Head is a charming, characteristic country inn dating from the 1700s, set in the attractive village of Finghall, near Leyburn. It offers comfortable modern accommodation and a traditional, cosy bar. Owner and head chef Ian Vipond has devised a fresh, new menu for the restaurant, based around tasty local and seasonal produce.

Traditional bar snacks are also available. With original oak beams and a dining room that looks out over the woods, The Queen’s Head combines great food with a genuinely warm welcome.

Now under new ownership, The Black Lion is a friendly bar and bistro on Thirsk’s cobbled marketplace. It offers exciting and varied lunch and dinner menus based around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, including fresh fish from Hodgsons of Hartlepool, prime meats from R & J Butchers and delicious Brymor ice cream. With excellent service, a well-stocked bar and a wide ranging wine list from Yorkshire Vintners, it’s a great choice for a luscious lunch or memorable evening meal.

T: 01677 450259 www.queensfinghall.co.uk

RICHMOND GRILL AND BRASSERIE Looking out over Richmond’s cobbled Market Place, Richmond Grill and Brasserie offers the chance to indulge in a spot of people-watching whilst enjoying a delicious lunch or leisurely dinner prepared by talented head chef Ross Hadley and his team. There’s an exciting menu catering for all tastes, featuring the finest ingredients – from Lindisfarne oysters to top quality steaks – locally sourced whenever possible. A great choice of vegetarian dishes too, and plenty of mouthwatering desserts to tempt you.

T: 01748 822602 www.richmondgrillandbrasserie.co.uk

FAIRHURST’S BISTRO Fairhurst’s Bistro is one of the most exciting eating and drinking places to open recently in Wensleydale.

Situated in Middleham Key Centre, it has an intimate, relaxed atmosphere and a rustic yet modern interior.

It offers a unique interpretation of classic dishes, using local produce where possible, and its themed nights feature cuisines from all over the world. There is private access from the car park, and the bistro is open Thursday–Saturday evenings. Bistro: 2 courses £18.95 Themed nights: 3 courses £16.95 Middleham Key Centre, Park Lane, Middleham, DL8 4RA

T: 01969 624668 www.fairhursts.co.uk

VENNELL’S RESTAURANT Now in its tenth year, Jon Vennell’s cooking continues to impress with many major accolades and awards under his belt. Jon’s wife, Laura, is front of house and has a relaxed, friendly approach which is probably why customers keep coming back to sample the seasonally changing menu. Even Claudia Blake gave a flawless review. Vennell’s holds many events throughout the year. See the website for further details.

T: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk 130 | Dales Life | EARLY SUMMER 2014

T: 01845 574302 blacklionthirsk.co.uk

STONE HOUSE HOTEL Stone House Hotel is an elegant, country residence dating from 1908. It is just a short drive from the bustling market town of Hawes. With its cosy bar, library-cum-billiard room and panelled Oak Room, Stone House makes a great place to relax. Enjoy delicious, locally sourced traditional food from breakfast through to dinner, and choose from an extensive list of fine wines. There are three spacious and romantic four-poster suites, and five groundfloor conservatory bedrooms that open directly onto the lawns, popular with dog owners and guests who aren’t keen on stairs.

T: 01969 667571 www.stonehousehotel.co.uk

THE WHITE SWAN Set in the charming village of Gilling West, The White Swan is a family-run country pub and pantry on a mission to promote regional artisan food producers.

Here you can enjoy local cask ales and the finest local foodstuffs – including gorgeous cheeses and breads, sumptuous steaks, and premium burgers, sausages and black pudding – in a relaxed and informal environment. Check the website for a lively programme of special events including ‘pop-up’ street food and live music.

T: 01748 825122 www.thewhiteswan.co

THE FREEMASONS ARMS The recently refurbished Freemasons Arms at Nosterfield is set to remain very much a charming, characteristic country inn, offering a traditional, cosy bar and restaurant. With an innovative head chef and exciting new menus based around fresh local produce, there’s something here to please everyone. Diners can choose from pub classics with a twist, daily specials and Chef’s own signature dishes, exactingly cooked and served by a friendly front-of-house team.

T: 01677 470548 thefreemasonsarms.co.uk

Eccles Heddon LLP Solicitors

For your legal ease For help and legal advice call Bedale 01677 422422 Ripon 01765 601717 Thirsk 01845 522324 www.eccles-heddon.co.uk

Family Law (Divorce, Family & Children) Property Law (Residential & Commercial) Business Advice Employment Law Wills, Probate and Family Trusts Estate Planning Lasting Powers of Attorney Advising the Elderly Farming & Agriculture Dispute Resolution

FAMILY LAW CLINIC We also run a family law clinic once a week at our Bedale and Ripon offices.

Please telephone Jane Midgley at Bedale or Liz Kidd at Ripon to book a FREE 30-minute consultation.

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