DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Printed by Print Solutions, Audax Close, Clifton Moor, York, YO30 4RA. (01904 690090)

MARCH12-17 Holiday: Mallorca 13 Short Walk: Fairburn Ings area16 Social Evening and Quiz, New Earswick Bowls Club, 7.30pm24 Annual General Meeting, talk and lunch, Hilton Hotel, 10.30 am28 Tours Advisory Group meeting, Walmgate Ale House, 10 am 28 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House & Bistro from 12 noon APRIL 7 Full-day walk: Farndale10-14 Holiday: Archaeologist’s View of Wessex12 Short Walk: Malton area21 Talk: The Great Siege of York in 164425 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House & Bistro from 12 noon26 Afternoon Tea Dance, St Andrew’s Church Hall, Bishopthorpe, 2.30pm MAY19 Full-day walk: Settle area 23 Visit: Scampston Walled Garden and Birdsall House30 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House & Bistro from 12 noon

JUNE11-15 Holiday: Guernsey16 Full-day walk: South Cave area25 Summer Garden Party, Beningbrough Gardens26 Visit: Barnsdale Gardens and Rutland Water27 Drop-in lunch, Walmgate Ale House & Bistro from 12 noon

Please send contributions and photographs for the June Newsletter to Catherine Brophy newsletter@yant.org.uk by Wednesday May 9.

March 2018 Number 184

An Association of

National Trust Members

and Supporters

York AssociationNewsletter

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originally the kitchen garden and orchard, but was laid to grass when the Trust took over in 1975. A £300,000 bequest helped pay for the restoration of the garden and vine house which we see today; where careful inspection will show that liquorice is still grown in Yorkshire. The shape of the Bouchier Knott is cut into the grass as a Parterre at the south front of the house, and is matched in the Arms above the main door. The potting shed should not be missed, here can be seen a heated potting bench and heated garden wall; all part of the hidden secrets of Beningbrough. 70 members and friends thoroughly enjoyed Bob’s illustrated talk, and were grateful for his enthusiasm as a garden volunteer at Beningbrough Hall gardens.

Roger Armistead

News from the NT in Yorkshire Nunnington Hall: Exhibitions to see here in Spring 2018 "The Gadget King (Heath Robinson)" to 25th March followed by "A sense of place - the National Trust in the North", a unique art exhibition featuring works by four Yorkshire artists from 31st March to 13th May Nostell Priory: Celebrating 300 years since Thomas Chippendale’s birth in Otley in 1718. The house will be displaying original paperwork: letters, bills and other documents, which tell the colourful story of Chippendale as a tradesman alongside his furniture and other design work.

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Contents Page

AGM and Lunch 3 Tours Advisory Group Meeting 3 Chairman’s Letter 4 Membership 5 Talks 5 Social and Fundraising Events 6 Day trips 7 Country walks 10 Holidays 14 Holiday review: 15 Talk Reviews 16 NT Yorkshire News 19 Dates for your Diary Back cover

Enclosed with this Newsletter is AGM information in the middle pages and booking forms for Day Trips, Full Day Walks and Social Activities (3 pages). Please contact the Newsletter editor if any of these are missing.

Chairman: Roger King chair@yant.org.uk 01904 761274

Secretary: Jean Haywood secretary@yant.org.uk 01904 70240

Treasurer: Roger Mortimer treasurer@yant.org.uk 01757 268118

Membership: Elinor Bailey membership@yant.org.uk 01347 821262

Day Trips: Colin Sherwood trips@yant.org.uk 01904 640915

Walks: Alison Rutter walks@yant.org.uk 01904 703430

Holidays: Peter Drew holidays@yant.org.uk 01904 702285

Events: Christine Truman social@yant.org.uk 01937 541163

Website: Mike Morrow web@yant.org.uk 01904 654546

Talks: Roger Armistead talks@yant.org.uk 01904 622989

Newsletter: Catherine Brophy newsletter@yant.org.uk 01904 331273

Cover: Beningbrough Garden in summer ©National Trust Images/Ian Shaw

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water, hulls cleaned and re-coated with anti-foul. Mererid’s husband travelled out at the end of term for a brief reunion; the race re-started on Christmas Eve. Race 7 was on to Singapore, 4,500nm. As it was the hurricane season, the fleet avoided the Torres Strait and went around Papua New Guinea and sailed through the Celebes and Sula Seas between Malaysia and the Philippines, experiencing high humidity, tropical storms, fleets of fishing vessels and a warning of pirates. Details of Race 8 to 14 are available in the longer version of this review on the YANT website. Race 15 returned to the Solent: 260nm through the Straits of Dover and down the English Channel, where “Singapore” came second, thus finishing in 3rd place overall. The fleet passed Calshot Spit in single file and then assembled in formation to be led to the finish at Netley, led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s 32ft ketch “Suhaili”. The fleet then motored into Ocean Village Marina in reverse order for the prize-giving reception before being re-united with loved ones on the quayside after the experience of a lifetime.

Celia Rutt and Colin Sherwood

Bob Mansfield. “Hidden Secrets of Beningbrough” on January 20. Timber-built in 1590, and rebuilt in 1716 in the Italian Baroque style for Sir John Bouchier, Beningbrough Hall and estate gradually reduced in size from 16,000 acres to 320 acres, when the reclusive Lady Chesterfield died and government, in lieu of death duties, accepted the estate. The building was in poor condition, having been requisitioned for the Canadian Air Force in WW11, and was tenanted at £1 per month up to the 1970’s. The National Portrait Gallery now maintains the Hall, and the gardens are under the care of NT staff and volunteers, including Bob. 2016 was the 300th anniversary of the Hall, when 300,000 snowdrops and 100,000 narcissi and crocus were planted on the Ha-ha walk. The American garden was a new and fashionable C18th addition where exotic species from around the world were displayed - Swamp Cypress, Tulip Tree, Coxcomb Beech, Mulberry; and the inevitable rhododendron. The latest addition is a young Handkerchief Tree, which is now growing well. The Walled Garden was

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47th AGM and Lunch, Saturday 24th March At the Hilton Hotel, Tower Street, York

We are delighted to welcome as our speaker Dr. Peter Addyman, who founded the York Archaeological Trust in 1972, an independent charity established "to investigate the past for the benefit of present communities and future generations". He retired as Director in 2002. He was awarded the CBE in 2000, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities (FSA) and in 2015 he was awarded the President's Medal by the British Academy (the UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences) in recognition of his significant efforts in making archaeology and historic heritage publicly accessible. He is currently President of York Civic Trust. Do join us for the short formal AGM at 11am; tea and coffee are available for everyone from 10.30am. Guests are welcome but may not vote at the AGM.

A two-course lunch will follow the talk, for which a menu and booking form were included with the December newsletter and which are available on the website. At 12.45pm the Conservatory Bar will open, and remain available throughout lunch. Lunch is served at 1.30pm and the event concludes at 3.30pm. Booking deadline is 10th March.

Tours Advisory Group Meeting

2018/19 Holidays Wednesday 28th March, 10 am

Walmgate Ale House, 25 Walmgate, York Peter Drew, YANT tours organiser, and Andrew Sharples from Brightwater Holidays will discuss with YANT members how they think the tours should be run and where and when we should go and which properties to visit. Space is limited to 40 members, so please let Peter Drew know if you are coming. Phone: 01904 702285 / 07510 673599 Email: holidays@yant.org.uk

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escorted by HMS Illustrious and an armada of spectator boats, and made their way to Cowes for the 16:30 start; an opportunity for “ordinary people to do something extraordinary”. Race 1 was a quick sprint to Madeira, 1,340 nm, including a calm crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Race 2 was on to Rio de Janeiro, 3,850nm, with steadily rising temperatures but avoiding the Doldrums. The trade winds continue to carry the clipper south and across the Equator and “Singapore” crossed the line in the shadow of Sugar Loaf Mountain in third place, despite the need for a Heath-Robinson repair required to the steering and damage to one of the spinnakers. In Rio the team had to re-provision and modify planned menus to accommodate local availability, which then had all to be packed into waterproof bags (one for each day until the next port) and stored securely under our bunks, odd and even on opposite sides, working from bow to stern so that the boat remained balanced as they were consumed. For Race 3 to Cape Town, 3,400nm, the boat headed into the South Atlantic and then the fringes of the Southern Ocean, where an albatross flew into a shroud. “Singapore” crossed the finish line in Table Bay in fourth place and then motored to their berth in the Victoria and Albert Marina. Race 4 was from Cape Town to Geraldton, Western Australia 4,800mn, and was considered by many to be one of the biggest challenges. The boat followed Latitude 41S but at 43S “Qingdao” saw an iceberg, so a order was issued and all bulkhead doors had to be closed until moving further north approaching the finish. At one point all 3 spinnakers were in need of repair, so Mererid dropped the watch system and spent the time patching and machining until two were fit to fly again. This lost time and they arrived last. It then took two days spread out in a local high school sports hall in Geraldton to repair the last one, as it was the size of a tennis court. Race 5 was on to Tauranga, New Zealand, 3,600 nm, but this did not go according to plan. The steering gave way again but there was no onboard solution and no part could be found in the stores the fleet carried so Clipper HQ had to make arrangements for us to put into Queenscliffe, near Melbourne. The local yacht club effected a speedy repair but by then the boat was so far behind the rest of the fleet that last place was accepted and the “Singapore” made its way around the north of New Zealand motoring or sailing depending on the wind, while the fleet rounded South Island. Race 6 was on to Gold Coast, Queensland, 1,370nm, by a short, high-speed dash across the Tasman and Coral Seas, arriving on 13th December. Here, the boats were lifted out of the

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Chairman's Letter

How quickly, each New Year, is the AGM upon us, and as usual, I start by making the annual plea for new elected members on the committee. Equally, the three sub-committees will welcome new members. The majority of the members of all committees have given several years of sterling service and, myself included, some are hinting at retiring in the near future. I assume members do not want to see a reduction in the events organised each year but this may happen if the membership of the sub-committees in particular does not recruit "new blood". The sub-committees function as teams to make service on them a sharing, enjoyable and rewarding experience. One area of assistance, which would be of great benefit to YANT as a whole, is a publicity officer to promote through local media a greater awareness of our "open" events. Please contact me if you can help in this way. That said, we owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Morrow for taking on the management and improvement of the website and creating a Facebook page. (You will be relieved to know that your chairman has a head in the sand attitude to social media and will not be tweeting at all hours of the day and night!) A new recruitment leaflet has been produced and if you attend the AGM you will find one on your seat with a mission for everyone there to recruit a new member.

Roger King

New Website Reminder

More information and reviews are on the website at www.yant.org.uk Username is: member Password is: yantmember

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YANT members at the new Foss Barrier, Autumn 2017

Talk Reviews Mererid Hunt, “A Year at Sea”, October 21 2017 (edited review)

Mererid gave a fascinating talk about her memorable round the world trip as a paying volunteer on the Round the World Clipper Race, founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnson. This is the world’s longest race at over 41,000 nautical miles (nm), and the only such event organised for amateurs. The race comprises 8 legs and 15 individual races to gain points and decide the overall winner. The adventure started with an interview at Clipper Headquarters in Gosport, when she was accepted for the programme of training, 4 weeks on the water and a week on theory. The crew allocation was announced on 3th April when the 10 race skippers were announced and they read out their crew lists. The final training week was in June 2011, aboard “Singapore” with the skipper and some of her fellow sailors. On Sunday 31st July, after a presentation, 10 identical 68ft masthead cutters, each sponsored by a corporation or city, paraded down Southampton Water,

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Membership At present we have 629 members, and are pleased to have welcomed the following to membership over the past three months. William Dean Leslie & Janet Patman Carol Mennell Will members please note that subscriptions were due at the beginning of January, and anyone who has not fully paid up by the AGM in March will have their membership lapsed and this will be their last Newsletter. Reminders are not being sent out by post this year, so this is your final reminder. Cheques for either £8 or £14 should be made out to YANT and sent to The Membership Secretary, 24 Stillington Oaks, Easingwold, York, YO61 3GP.

Thank you. Elinor Bailey, Membership Secretary

Talks Talks are held at Friends Meeting House in Friargate, and last for about 45 minutes, with time for questions afterwards. A charge of £4 is made at the door. Members and friends are very welcome. Tea and Coffee is available to buy in the foyer.

Saturday April 21st at 2.30pm

Russell Marwood: “English Civil War: the Great Siege of York in 1644”

Dressed in character Russell Marwood, Battle Field Historian and Musketeer, will give us a ringside seat at the 1644 “Great Siege of York”; the last and only time that York's medieval walls were put to the test. The Royalist city survived a three-month siege by Parliamentary and Scottish armies, before Parliament won the Battle of Marston Moor, the City gates were opened, and General Thomas Fairfax saved York from despair. There will be artefacts to handle to enrich the experience.

Roger Armistead

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Holiday Review Review: Glasgow Christmas Special December 5-7 2017 An overcast Tuesday morning saw 20 of us, accompanied by our guide Alastair Walker, set off from Memorial Gardens. A picturesque drive across "the roof of England" and a diversion to the northern end of Ullswater took us to our morning break. We then continued to the outskirts of Glasgow for our lunch stop at the Westerwood Hotel. After lunch we continued into the city where Alastair pointed out many of the impressive buildings for which Glasgow is famous such as the Cathedral, Necropolis, the People's Palace, Provand's Lordship and the City Chambers. As darkness fell we reached our base for the tour, the Pond Hotel. Wednesday was a free day to visit some of the many attractions Glasgow has to offer. The majority decided to visit Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery. The museum opened in 1901 and is a firm favourite with local people and visitors. It has striking architecture and a friendly welcoming atmosphere. There are 22 galleries featuring everything from one of the greatest art collections in Britain to animals and Ancient Egypt to Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Many of us enjoyed an organ recital at lunchtime audible while we explored the galleries. We left the museum for an early dinner before setting off to the Royal Concert Hall for the evening performance of the John Wilson Orchestra. The orchestra is on tour with a brand-new tribute to the great M.G.M. musicals. The orchestra was joined by the Maida Vale Singers and vocalists Matt Ford amd Louise Dearman. They combined with the orchestra to give a memorable performance. On Thursday we checked out of the hotel and set off on a tour of the Trossachs National Park, the first to be established in Scotland in 2002. Fortunately the weather was clear enough for us to enjoy the rugged scenery which includes 21 Monros (mountains over 3000 feet), and several lochs. We stopped briefly to see the historic steamship Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine before moving on to the Buchanan Arms in Drymen where we enjoyed a splendid Christmas lunch. We then set off on a smooth and uneventful journey back to York, thanks to Darren our excellent driver, having enjoyed a memorable pre-Christmas break.

Roger Bridgewater.

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Social and Fundraising Events On November 30 we welcomed The Shepherd Concert Band to St Andrew’s Church, Bishopthorpe for the Winter Concert, our final fundraising event of 2017. Despite a tremendous storm raging outside this was a wonderful concert that was much appreciated by the audience. Thursday April 26 Afternoon Tea with music “(and a little dancing)”, St Andrew’s Church hall, Bishopthorpe, YO23 2QG. £12 per person Please come along to this event, repeated by popular demand, for what promises to be a great afternoon. “M & S” music will be entertaining us whilst we enjoy a delicious afternoon tea, and for some perhaps a little dancing. Everyone is very welcome and this is a good opportunity for new members to join us. Booking form enclosed with this newsletter. The Summer Garden Party will be held on Monday June 25 at Beningbrough Hall gardens at 2.30pm. We will have sole use of the gardens and have arranged for the Head Gardener to talk to us and guide us around the gardens. The gardens are being redeveloped and in June we will be able to see them at their best. A delicious picnic tea will be provided in the gardens, if fine, or in the restaurant if wet. We will also be providing a coach to and from York. Booking form enclosed with this newsletter.

Beningbrough Walled garden ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

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Holidays

During 2017 94 members took part in holidays (120 members in 2016), including 13 new members (20 in 2016), to 6 destinations. The last holiday of 2017 (completed after the last Newsletter) was to Glasgow where 20 members attended the “John Wilson and his Orchestra Show”, a very lively show, enjoyed by everyone. A review of that trip is available on the next page. Bookings so far for 2018 holidays are:- Mallorca (12-17 March): 9 - 8 twin / double, 5 single available Wessex (10-14 April): 14 - 8 twin / double, 4 single available. Guernsey (11-15 June): 12 - 10 twin / double, 2 single available Bulgaria (7-14 Aug): 27 - 4 twin / double, singles on request available Scottish Steam: (13 – 16 Oct) 17 - 3 twin / double, 6 single available. Winter Special TBC in June Newsletter, when bookings will be taken.

Full details and photographs are available on the YANT Members website Please Book direct with Brightwater Holidays using the form at the back of the 2018 Holiday Programme Booklet, also available on the website. 79 bookings to date!

YANT Tours Organiser Peter Drew

Reviews Editor’s note: All reviews are available online in full, however because of space limitations they may be edited for inclusion in the printed newsletter. There are also many photographs of holidays and day trips on the website at www.yant.org.uk

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As St Crux is undergoing repairs to the fabric until the autumn we will not be holding the usual Summer Fair. However we have a number of autumn events planned including a session with Chocolatier: Andrew Thwaite, who provides chocolate samples to his audience, and a further Film Archive show. More details will be available in the June newsletter. We do hope to see many of you at future events.

Christine Truman, Chairman Projects Group

Day Trips

Wednesday May 23: Visit to Scampston Walled Garden and Birdsall House Our May trip will explore two beautiful locations in God’s own county. In the morning we will visit Scampston Walled Garden, an exciting modern garden designed for the Legard family by the internationally renowned Dutch plantsman, Piet Oudolf. Set within the C18th walls of the original kitchen garden of Scampston Hall, the garden is divided into nine separate areas, each with its own distinctive character. There is a long border walk around the perimeter wall with mainly spring flowering shrubs. The central area with its series of individual “rooms” has at its heart a perennial flower meadow and dipping pond. The recently restored Victorian conservatory houses a fascinating exhibition on the history of Scampston and the restoration project. In the afternoon we will visit Birdsall, a C16th house set on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. Since the Tudor era the house has undergone various alterations and extensions including work by the Victorian architect, Anthony Salvin. Home to the Willoughby family for 700 years, the house contains a wonderful collection of antique furniture and paintings. Amongst the family’s illustrious ancestors were Hugh Willoughby who died in 1553 trying to find the North East Passage to the Spice Islands, Francis Willoughby, naturalist and founder of the Royal Society and Nesbit Willoughby, a rather reckless figure in the British Navy, on whose character the Hornblower series are supposedly based.

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Horseshoes pub, where lunch will be available and may be ordered in advance. Thursday April 12 Malton area. Leader: Joyce Costello. (01904 629312) 4.5 miles An easy walk exploring some of Malton’s history with some street walking. Park and meet on the field opposite the Royal Oak pub at 47, Town Street, Old Malton, YO17 7HB for a 10am start. Food is available at the pub afterwards. Travelling from York on the A64 either: i) Go through Malton and follow the road straight ahead into Old Malton, continuing until you see the pub on your left or ii) Continue on the A64 until you see the exit for Whitby/Pickering/Malton. Follow this for a short distance to a roundabout and take the 3rd exit - B1257. Follow this road (Town Street, Old Malton) until you see the pub on your right. We first tried this walk in the autumn of 2016. On the day it rained heavily! We feel it would be good to give it another try. Hopefully the weather will be kinder this time. June and July half-day works will be announced in the June newsletter. Please park with consideration where roadside/village parking is involved. An administration charge of £1 will be collected on each half-day walk. If you would like a lift for any walk or can offer one to others, please contact Eileen Wishart on 01904 633705. NB. Walkers participate at their own risk and must be capable of completing the distance over uneven ground with some hill ascents in a variety of weather conditions. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn and light refreshments carried. Suggestions for walks and offers to lead are always welcome. If you can help, please contact Alison Rutter on 01904 703430 or walks@yant.org.uk or me on 01904 633705 or eileen.wishart@btinternet.com

Eileen Wishart (Secretary)

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Our first stop of the day will be at Scampston Walled Garden. On arrival there will be a short introduction to the garden and then coffee/tea and biscuits will be served in the Garden Café. After that you will have time to stroll around the gardens at your leisure, visit the restored conservatory, plant nursery, shop and have some lunch. Lunch will be on an individual basis. Please note that the Walled Garden and Garden Café are fully accessible though care should be taken in the gardens, as there could be slippery surfaces and uneven ground. The coach will depart at 1.30pm for the short drive to Birdsall (about 20-25 minutes). On arrival at Birdsall, we will be divided into groups for a private guided tour of the house. This will be for about 60 minutes. Afternoon tea will then be served and if time allows, an opportunity to explore the gardens. Please note that with interesting old houses there can be uneven floors, unexpected steps and low doorways. This is a private house, not normally open to the public, and members of the Historic Houses Association are not eligible for a discount. Ingleby’s coach will pick up at Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, York, at 9.15am and at Middlethorpe Drive, Dringhouses, at 9.30am. The journey time will be about one hour. The coach will depart from Birdsall at 4.30pm and estimated arrival time back in York at 5.30pm. The cost of the trip is £36, which includes coach hire, entrance to Scampston Walled Garden and morning refreshments, private visit with guided tour and afternoon tea at Birdsall and coach driver’s gratuity. The day trip leader will carry mobile phone no. 07960 710975. Please call this number on the day if you are delayed or cannot attend. We have tight schedules and we try not to delay our departure. Tuesday June 26. Visit to Barnsdale Gardens and a Cruise on Rutland Water. Our June trip takes us south down to Rutland, England’s smallest and arguably prettiest county. This county certainly lives up to its motto of “Multum in Parvo” which means “Much in Little”. We will be visiting Barnsdale Gardens, designed by Geoff Hamilton, who presented BBC Gardener’s World from 1979 until his death in 1996. When Hamilton bought

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Saturday June 16 CWP 2018/3. South Cave area. Leader: Dorothy Pope (mobile: 07985 553523) Standard moderate. We start with a short tour of Caistor before beginning our walk along the Viking Way. We pass through several villages with names ending in ‘by’, denoting the Viking influence in the area. We also pass some fine churches built with money from the wool trade in the 12th and 14th centuries and follow the spring line of the northwest escarpment. It will be possible to rejoin the coach at Bigby, after about 6 miles. Some stiles and a steep ascent and descent at the beginning of the walk, then gentle undulations. We finish the walk at Barnetby station where we meet the coach to take us to South Cave for tea provided by the WI. This will include a ham salad. Please indicate any dietary requirements- eg a vegetarian option - on the booking form. Ingleby’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8 30am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride at 8 45am. Cost per head is £ 23, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please send booking slip and payment to Ms Eileen Wishart, 21, Cayley Close, YORK YO30 5PT to reach her by Saturday June 9. NB. Walkers participate at their own risk and must be capable of completing the distance in open countryside over uneven ground, with some ascents and descents in a variety of weather conditions. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn and a packed lunch and drinks carried. Details of full day walks in July and September will be given in the June Newsletter.

Circular half day walks using own transport. Tuesday March 13 Fairburn Ings area. Leaders: Alison and Nigel Rutter. (07523 944065 or 01904 703430) 5 miles (2 ½ hours walking time) This is an easy 5-mile walk, leaving from Cut Road, Fairburn, at 10am. On good paths the route goes around the lakes at Fairburn Ings to the visitor centre (toilets are available there), then continues on field paths to Ledsham before returning to Fairburn. The path is gently undulating and there are a few stiles. May be muddy after rain. Take the A1M south to J42, then the A63 towards Leeds. At the 3rd roundabout turn left onto the A1264 to Fairburn. At the T-junction turn left and park at the roadside near the Three

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the property in 1986 it was a Victorian farmhouse with 5 acres of pastureland. Most of the land was ploughed up, one or two mature trees and shrubs were transplanted from his former home, and then under the gaze of millions of television viewers, Hamilton transformed the area into the beautiful gardens, which you see today. These award-winning gardens showcase 38 individually themed garden “rooms” including a rose garden, Japanese garden, rock garden, fruit garden, kitchen garden, bog garden and orchard. In the afternoon we will take a relaxing cruise aboard the Rutland Belle around Rutland Water, one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. The Gwash Valley near Emphingham was dammed in 1975 leading to the formation of a reservoir which now provides a water supply to one of the driest and most densely populated areas of the UK. Rutland Water is surrounded by pretty countryside which offers a haven for wildlife and boasts a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Nature Reserves and important wetland sites. Our first visit will be to Barnsdale. After a short introduction, you will be free to wander on a self-guided basis around the gardens, plant nursery and gift shop. An included light lunch of sandwiches, cakes, tea/coffee will be served in the Tea Room. Please note that most of the gardens are easily accessible and there is plenty of seating provided. Care should be taken, as there could be slippery surfaces and uneven ground. RHS Members are not eligible for a discount at Barnsdale. The coach will depart at 2.30pm for the very short drive to Whitwell Harbour for the cruise on Rutland Water. The Rutland Belle accommodates 110 passengers with seating both inside and on deck. The boat is equipped with toilets and drinks are available on an individual basis. The cruise, with commentary, will last approximately one hour. Please note that there will be a gangway and steps to negotiate onto the boat. Ingleby’s coach will pick up at Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, York, at 8.00am and Middlethorpe Drive, Dringhouses, at 8.15am. The journey time will be around 2.5 hours with a coffee and comfort stop on the way. The coach will depart from Whitwell Harbour around 4.15pm. There will be a

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Saturday April 7 CWP 2018/1 Farndale. Leader: Tony Brook. Distance 7 ½ miles. Standard moderate. This walk from Blakey Ridge, then down Farndale, including the Daffodil Walk between Church Houses and Low Mill, is a mixture of riverside, country and moorland tracks with lots of daffodils. Hopefully we will get panoramic views (if the weather obliges on the day) over Farndale and the moors, and on our descent into the valley. Some care may be needed on this section, depending on conditions on the day, before reaching the upper Farndale Road. Tea at Helmsley Methodist Church will include a ham salad and trifle. Please indicate any dietary requirements – eg a vegetarian option - on the booking form. Ingleby’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8 45am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride at 9am. The cost per head is £21, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please send the booking slip and payment to Ms Eileen Wishart, 21, Cayley Close, YORK YO30 5PT to reach her by Saturday March 31. Saturday May 19 CWP 2018/2. A circular walk in the Yorkshire Dales (Settle area) Leaders Stephen and Anne Walsh. Distance 7 miles. Standard moderate: steady inclines and not much road walking. Starting from the car park in Settle we walk to Victoria Cave, where bones of mammoths, elephants and hippos were unearthed, together with Roman artefacts. We continue through lovely Dales scenery, with views of two of the three peaks, to Stainforth. The route then follows the river to Stackhouse, past Giggleswick School, and back into Settle. Tea provided by St John’s Methodist Church, Settle. This will be a salad buffet with ham, cheese, quiche etc. and assorted cakes. Please indicate any dietary requirements eg a vegetarian option - on the booking form. Ingleby’s coach leaves the Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road, at 8 15am and Rawcliffe Bar Park and ride at 8 30am. Cost per head is £22, which includes coach travel, tea and all gratuities. Please send the booking slip and payment to Ms Eileen Wishart, 21, Cayley Close, YORK YO30 5PT, by May 12.

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short comfort stop on the way back and the estimated arrival time in York will be between 6.30pm-7.00pm The cost of the trip is £36, which includes coach hire, entrance to Barnsdale Gardens and light lunch, a cruise on Rutland Water and coach driver’s gratuity. The day trip leader will carry mobile phone no. 07960 710975. Please call this number on the day if you are delayed or cannot attend. We have tight schedules and we try not to delay our departure.

Country Walks Social evening and quiz, Friday March 16 There is still time to book our annual social evening, which will be held at the New Earswick and District Bowls Club, Huntington Road, York, starting at 7. 30pm. A cash bar will open at 7pm. There will be the usual quiz, with Roger King and Alison Rutter asking the questions. Participants will be placed in teams of four. Those booking together will be placed in the same team; otherwise please enter your preferences on the booking form and we shall do our best to accommodate them. The Bowls Club will again provide a buffet supper with a variety of savoury items plus scones with jam and cream, cake and tea and coffee. There will also be an optional raffle. The evening usually ends around or before 10pm. Tickets cost £12.50, to include supper. To reserve a place please contact Eileen Wishart on 01904 633705, before Wednesday March 14. Admission is £12.50, including supper All are welcome – walkers, non-walkers and friends – and we look forward to seeing you there.