#ScenicSaturday August 17th 2024: 

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Nature, opinion, Photography, question

This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging people to share them and maybe even help save our unique home planet from human carelessness and indifference.

Today’s photo was taken not far from Middleham in the Yorkshire Dales, a pretty little village with nearly as many horses as people! It’s also the site of the ancient castle that once belonged to Richard III, a place well worth visiting.

The drystone wall leading past the tree and up to the barn is typical of the area, where some 5,000 such walls still exist, some dating from as far back as the 13th century. There is an organisation that provides courses in wall-building for those with a taste for such rural skills.

The thicker walls seen bounding some fields are so broad simply because those fields were covered in more stones! Imagine the back-breaking work involved in clearing the fields, many of them on steep hillsides, and then building these boundaries to keep the sheep and cattle in and the wolves out. Farming in these high hills is no picnic, but many of the farmers wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Much of the area is a National Park, which means many of the ancient meadows still exist, helping keep the bees, butterflies, and other insects thriving. And there are copses of mature, sometimes ancient trees, and good hedgerows often lining the narrow, winding roads. It’s wonderful walking country, too.

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Please do comment, like, and/or share these posts to spread the joy of natural beauty to reach as many people as we can. It could help us save the environment.
I post every Saturday here, but also share a different picture of natural beauty at the end of most days, with the hashtag , on FaceBook, Threads, Instagram, and on BlueSkySocial. Join me there, and on LinkedIn.

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10 thoughts on “#ScenicSaturday August 17th 2024: ”

  1. Pingback: #ScenicSaturday August 17th 2024: | In the Net! – Pictures and Stories of Life

  2. That is such a beautiful picture, Stuart. When I think of the calorie expenditure required to build these walls, to maintain them and then all the other, very physical work that was required, I’m not surprised at such dishes as Yorkshire pudding, for instance (my mother used to make it). I also grew up with the very hearty French country foods from my dad’s side of the family (they were farmers, also) such as cassoulet. You had to eat like that in order to do the work, and starvation was a very real threat.

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    1. Thanks, Lynette. Taken within walking distance of my brother’s home.
      You’re right about the calorie need from farm work. I did a bit as a young man and, even with modern equipment, it was never easy work. Of course, in the hills, the food was vary basic, hence the Yorkshire pudding, as you say. You’ll have a great food heritage to delve into with that sort of background! I love French food, too.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I believe women were definitely involved with collecting the stones and, probably, to some extent in building the walls. But, later, it became a male task, which more recently has again become a job done by both genders, Noelle. Whoever does it, it’s hard work. Some of those stones weight a great deal!

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