| In praise of the Dales |
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| Written by David Joy, 2004 | |
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The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 680 square miles. In global terms this is not a lot, but once you are there, the astonishing variety of landscape makes it seem like another country. Every dale is different and it was once said that a day's walk will give you almost everything fit to be seen on this earth. There are dramatic mountains, fast-flowing rivers, fine old bridges, pleasant villages, miles of rolling moorland and wonderful dry-stone walls that come curving out of the past.It is an area held in immense affection by people of all ages, both residents and visitors. This soon became evident when I began to compile a book to commemorate the 50th anniversary of National Park designation. Older natives recalled the Dales of 1954 when all was quiet and dark, with outlying farms lit by oil lamps or primitive generators - if you switched on the iron, the lights would go out! I was put in touch with the award-winning novelist Jane Gardam, who for more than 20 years has drawn inspiration from Swaledale and written much of her work near Gunnerside. She reflected on the valley that she feels is probably more beautiful now than in the past: "The trees have an ancient, hazy look like an old person's greying but still curly hair." Yet she also emphasised the present plight of farming in the dale and quoted the wise words of one farmer: "We can't live on beauty. If we could, life would be a doddle." David Bellamy came forward with a special plea: "Don't let those silver satanic mills they have the audacity to call wind 'farms' mar the view from this amazing place." The place in question is his favourite high spot, Great Shunner Fell, from where you can look down on the villages and dry-stone walls. He asks the rhetorical question: "How did the planners get it so right in those horse-drawn days?" His answer is thought-provoking: "Perhaps it was that there were no real planners - just locals who fitted the landscape like the landscape fitted them." Others who have readily contributed include David Hockney, Alan Titchmarsh, Dickie Bird and Brian Blessed - who confesses that Malham Cove and Gordale Scar remind him of dinosaurs as "they are such wonderfully primitive places." Yet it is not celebrities who have the last word. I asked local primary schoolchildren to record what they most liked - and least liked - about living in the Dales. Almost 500 responded. Much was said about rain, mud, litter, campers and even "bad smells from muckspreading", but it is clear that they love their meadows, moors, sheep and anything to do with farming. They don't want the Dales to change - and nor do their parents. One of the parents commented: "The walls and barns help to make the area a jewel in the UK's crown. We need to keep such treasures for future generations to enjoy." The Yorkshire Dales: A 50th anniversary celebration of the National Park by David Joy (Great Northern Books). |
