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| Appletreewick |
Over recent months we've spent time exploring the Yorkshire Dales. We've always loved this area, and have been regular visitors to Skipton, Ilkley, Harrogate and Settle, but more recently we have extended our exploration to Grassington, Bolton Abbey, Appletreewick; Malham Cove, Hawes, Castle Bolton and Middleham.
It’s been so delightful exploring the villages to the south of the A66 and north of the A65. The A66 is something of a revelation to us, and we are also now regular visitors to the Richmond and Durham areas.
Last weekend we visited Percevalle Hall, close to Appletreewick and earlier in the summer we visited the area around Grassington. We're really enjoying exploring somewhere new; there's such a lot to discover.
As always, when we explore new places I like to find books to accompany our explorations. Dorothy Una Ratcliffe has been our companion on our trips up to Temple Sowerby and Eden in Cumbria; I've collected quite a few of her beautifuly illustrated books. So I was delighted to discover the books written and illustrated by Ella Pontecraft and Marie Hartley. In many ways they are similar to Ratcliffe's books, covering the customs and traditions of the Dales in the same way that Ratcliffe writes about East Cumbria.
Ella Pontefract was the author of six books on the social history of the Yorkshire Dales and disappearing rural traditions. We already own Swaledale, Wharfdale and Wensleydale. The detail of the books is proving very helpful in our explorations of the Yorkshire Dales.
The books were accompanied by delightful woodcuts by Marie Hartley. Following Pontecraft's premature death, Marie Hartley continued to produce books about the Yorkshire Dales, with Joan Ingilby. Their book Yorkshire Village is all about Askrigg and, like all Ella Pontefract's books, is illustrated with beautiful woodcuts by Marie Hartley.
Pontefract's books are in many ways very similar to Jessica Lofthouse's books about Lancashire and South Lakes. I have collected Jessica Lofthouse's books for years and enjoy dipping into them for local information.